This Test Playground is a page I created to post quizzes, tests and solutions from various colleges and universities. The scope is mainly for courses -not Math only- taught in colleges and those in the first two-year of universities, but I still welcome anything beyond if requested. In particular, I welcome Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses.

I have been planning to work on this project since a couple years ago, but I spent more effort on the "$7 per semester" Math Bookrental Program at West Los Angeles College because I believe my students have urgent need of access to cheaper textbooks. Since the Math Bookrental Program was folded into Bookstore Rental Program at WLAC, I took some break (yes, that Program is very time-consuming and exhausting!!)

Now, after having some time off, a better scanner and better webdevelopping background, I launched this Test Playground.

As mentioned on the main page, harjunoxie.com was created in 2007 to be a website where we (I and Melanie Xie) post our syllabi, quizzes, tests, tests solutions, finals, and our teaching schedule. We got positive responses on how the previous quizzes, and especially, tests have helped our students in preparing themselves for our classes.

Looking back to the time I did my undergraduate and my graduate studies, I realized that I myself studied from previous tests I got from my seniors. This has been a widespread (good) habit to prepare ourselves for tests. This indeed in particular true for those (including me) preparing themselves for Comprehensive Exams at Master's level and Screening Exams at Ph.D's level. Did I expect to see the same questions? No! (That will be nice, but, trust me, my professors knew well enough that some of us got access their previous tests). So, what was my purpose of studying from previous tests? It is simply to check my preparedness for the test. I learnt a couple days ago a professor at a well-known university provides her previous semester tests and call them "mock tests". It is true, indeed, those previous tests should be utilized as mock tests.

From learning skill point-of-view, when we study in class, we tend to absorb the material in 'sequential mode', like one section after another one section. However, a test requires our ability to tackle problems in 'non-sequential mode'. In other words, a test is not usually written in the order of the lessons being taught. This little nuance for instructors translates into a big gap for students. Students may know so much about so many things but still don't see how those things relate. Mock tests help us to organize and relate those information in our mind.

Some of our instructors surely have good reasons to disagree with me. It is true that some of us may "abuse" these previous/sample tests in one or more of the following ways:

• Study from previous tests only and expect the future test will be the same.
• Study from previous tests only and do not study on regular basis.
• Blame the instructors if the test students take is different from the previous tests

I concur with these arguments. However, the problems are still there even if the previous tests are not provided. In fact, it will create unfair playing field among students: those who have previous tests and those who don't. On the other hands, as an instructor, I am happy to know that I make my students study. In the end, it is about their ability to answer the questions in the test on their own feet.

The purpose of this introduction is NOT to change the minds of those disagreeing with me. So, if you are an instructor, it is perfectly fine to stay where you are. The purpose of this introduction is to share my view and my own experience, and also to warn students from such possible misconceptions.

At the end, by having a chance to look at other instructors previous tests, a student -as well as an instructor- may be exposed to concepts not taught in class.

I hope this Test Playground helps us to be comfortable in the actual tests.