Does Test Taking Experience Make a Difference?: In Strategy Use and Test Scores

The purpose of the study is to examine whether taking tests makes differences in test score and test-taking strategies while learners are taking a reading test. In particular, the study investigates which types of questions and test-taking strategies are improved by test experience. For the study, participants were seventy-one Korean university EFL students, out of whom thirty-seven had three simulated tests and thirty-four didn`t have before the test. Results of a ANOVA indicate that differences between two groups are made in reading test score and some test-taking strategies. In details, test-takers got higher scores, showing improvement in the types of main idea and detail questions. The analysis of data, also, revealed that test-takers made use of test-taking strategies more frequently along with a remarkable difference in frequent use of managing strategy, one of three test-taking strategies: reasoning, guessing, and managing strategies. Consequently, the study showed that test experience helps the students gain higher score in main ideas and detail information questions not in inference question. Also, out of three types of test-taking strategies only managing strategy was more frequently used by test-takers. The study suggests that experience in tests could contribute to developing managing strategy effectively in answering to reading questions within limited time, but it is less likely to lead test takers to employ reasoning and guessing strategies relevant to successful reading comprehension.