Rationale for Tests
The purpose of tests is twofold: to motivate you to learn the material, and to provide a method of individual assessment required by the North American education system of which York University is a part. You are expected to know the course material, to understand terms and concepts and to be able to apply them, usually to previously unseen material. 

General Form of Tests
Most courses I teach will have one in-class test; only in the double-time summer version of Consumer Behaviour is there no test. Tests cover all course material up until the time of the test; this means anything and everything covered in any way in a course. You may be asked in an open or closed book test to analyze a case, to apply theory to course readings or to outside materials, or to new material, to answer short-answer or short or long essay questions, to answer multiple choice questions (but not in Gender Issues or Marketing for Competitive Advantage), or to do anything that may in any way be seen as something that will help show your mastery of the material. The point is to learn the material, not the test, and to be aware that all course materials including final exam substitute projects are fair game for test questions. While I give you some idea of what a test will be like, what I have written on the course syllabus and on this page is all I am going to tell you about a test, so do not ask me for more information. Learn the material and be ready for a test that may come in any form. 

Although your own experience is a valid and important source of learning, on a test do not limit your thinking to only your own experience. For example, in answering a marketing question about the meaning of a T-shirt, although to you it might be just something you wear to the gym, think more broadly about how many different things a T-shirt might be to a marketer.

Tests in courses I teach tend to favour students who are active in the course and who do their fair share of group work. If you miss a class discussion, video, guest speaker, or a particular Discussion Group, find out what happened and catch up. Students have told me that one of the ways my tests tend to be harder or different is that I am often asking you to think and to apply, rather than to regurgitate. You are told on the individual course syllabus how many tests there are, when and where they are given, and what each test covers. If you're required to read a book and the test blurb does not specify specific chapters, you can safely assume that you should read the whole book. If there are additional required readings, they too are fair game. Even with readings which are only recommended, you can assume that while there may not be specific questions on the material in those readings, papers earning top marks will incorporate some of the those readings into their answers.  

Check the blue list of links at the top of this page for reference to the tests in specific courses I teach. 

Preparing for Tests
I have adapted this list over the years from an article in The Teaching Professor. If you get back a test on which you did poorly and wish to discuss your mark, first prepare a copy of this list and circle the numbers of those statements to which you can honestly answer "Yes." Also bring with you your classroom or Internet notes, your study materials, review sheets you've prepared, answers you've written for Waving Hand Exercises, submissions you have made for any Assignments and the comments you received back on those, in short - all the materials that you used to study for the test, so we can try to get an idea where you can improve next time. 

The time to start studying for tests is the first day of class. There are things you can do in order to perform better on tests. Read what I wrote recently, challenging a student who, shocked by his low mark, wrote me claiming, "I did my very best." Read about Reappraisals if you are still unhappy with your results. 

A major rule of test preparation is to try to relax. Whatever works for you, be it meditation, a chat with a friend on the phone, or a good (but light) meal before the test (my personal favourite in MBA days), do it in a calm and deliberate way. EVERYONE is nervous on tests. I don't believe that in a half century of being either a student or a teacher, I have ever met anyone who was not nervous on a test. It is perfectly natural: it doesn't mean you are incompetent or ignorant, just that you are nervous. So find a way to relax, including such things as remembering to BREATHE, that you can do before the test, as you start, and several times during one. 

While studying, think ahead about what kinds of things you may be asked on a test. Remember that a test is your opportunity to show the professor how much you have learned (learned, not memorized). One of the skills a university education teaches you is how to decide what is important. Take for example, a question in the Gender Issues course about the interrelationship between sexual stereotyping and sexual harassment. Ways these two terms are related include the fact that they both start with the letter "S" and they are both topics in the course, but that won't earn you any points in a university level course. They also are related in that they both cause health-related stress problems, but while that is related to issues of gender in management, it's not a major focal point of the course as it would be if you were studying health policy. You have limited space in which to write your answer so move on and try to find the most important ways these terms are related, given the course you are taking. One important point that you would know from attending class is that they feed off each other, that sexual harassment is often based on stereotyping and stereotyping fosters the kind of thinking that leads to the poisonous kind of work environment in which sexual harassment flourishes. 

For in-class tests, in the week before, we usually have a REVIEW period and for Internet courses we do this online. There is a forum dedicated to Questions about the Test. Log in and ask questions. You may receive answers from me, or from other students. Come prepared; during this time, I will answer almost any question about the test, including "Will you ask about X?". You can ask me anytime, publicly or privately, to explain Hunt's Three Dichotomies model or to tell you what I think Frances Hesselbein meant by the Web of Inclusion. But if you ask me privately "What's going to be on the test?" my answer, in the interest of keeping a level playing field, will always be, "Ask me during the review session," or "Ask me in the Discussion Group," because I don't like giving special hints to only some students. I only give them in public sessions where everyone has a chance to hear or read it.

Open Book Tests
At a "open book" test in any classes I teach, you may have with you anything except another person (that includes one on the other end of a cell phone or other medium of exchange). Remember that given that I am more concerned with how you can think and express yourself and apply material to new situations than I am with what you can memorize, I am particularly not interested in reading how much you can copy from a textbook or from my own web notes (acts which are both plagiarism if you do not cite the source). Use your own words on tests; don't use quotations. I'm more interested in what you have to say than whom you can quote. Use your time wisely to prepare beforehand for an open book test. Use sticky-notes and bookmarks and highlighters to help you quickly find major concepts you might need. Prepare the same review sheets you would make for a closed-book test; the process of doing that is one of the best ways to prepare for any test. Read about Taking Tests on this page. If you suffer from test anxiety, contact the many services at York that help you deal with it through workshops and counselling (e.g.: Counseling Centre). 

Learning Disabilities/ Special Needs
While I am supportive of Special Needs students, there are limits to what I can do for you. I can, for example, give you more time in which to take a test, but I cannot excuse you from one, particularly in a knowledge-intake course which leads to other courses in the programme such as Introductory Marketing. Read the Ground Rules Policy Page on Special Needs. If your main problem is with multiple choice tests, recognize that most students have problems with them and this most likely is not considered a learning disability. Much of the problem arises from the mistaken belief that all multiple choice questions are just memory exercises; mine are not. See elsewhere on this page examples of multiple choice questions I use.

Finding Your Test Room
Use the York Campus Map to locate the room where your test is being held.

What To Bring to a Test
You must bring a valid York University student I.D., and a soft #2 lead pencil (in case we use scan sheets). You don't need a calculator and may not have one with you; I usually ask some sort of math-based question on Marketing tests if only to remind you that Marketing is strongly based in Economics and Finance and deeply related to Accounting, but the challenge is in the conceptualizing, not in the calculation and any calculations will be simple enough to do by hand. If English is a problem, you may bring a cloth or paperback dictionary (not electronic). This will be inspected. 

Test Room Security
For closed-book tests, you will be asked to put ALL additional materials and belongings at the front or sides of the test room, so do not bring anything to the test room that you do not specifically require with you during the test.  

Internet Course Tests
All tests for Internet courses are held on-campus; if you live more than three hours away from York, contact the Office of Computing Technology and e-Learning Services  and they will make arrangements for you to take the test near where you live under supervised conditions. There is a fee for this because it is a specialized service not required by all students.

Taking Tests
RULE NUMBER ONE: READ INSTRUCTIONS. The worst mistake students make in tests is failing to read or follow instructions. Just as my lawyer/former student James Tomlinson tells us about being a lawyer, that the most important thing you do is learning the other guy's case as well as your own, so should you put yourself in the shoes of the professor who will be grading your test. Remember that we don't as a rule like grading by arbitrarily saying "This is an A level paper and this is a B+" so we tend to ask questions knowing to some extent what we will look for, keeping room on that list for great things that students will write that we may have missed ourselves. You are graded in comparison with other students. Know that I never deduct more marks for wrong answers than for blank ones so never leave an answer blank. It is better to offer what you worry might be a silly answer; no one will laugh at you (except perhaps my dog when I read it to her while I am marking) and it may possibly earn you the point or two that could make the difference in your final mark. I have even been known to give a grace mark (e.g.: to raise a 79% to an 80%A) for a good sense of humour.

Exam (Test) Anxiety
Everyone suffers from it occasionally, and some of us more than others. I ALWAYS suffered from it. Here, from an article in the April 2004 York Magazine are some suggestions on how to best avoid exam stress:

Ten Secrets Brochure
Click here for some good Suggestions on Taking Tests, from the Counselling Centre.

Multiple Choice Questions
Don't think you can "ace" a multiple choice test by simply memorizing the textbook and online materials and don't think that you have to memorize to pass one. If  you have studied the textbook and backed up that knowledge by working through the Waving Hand Exercises (which give you some added depth and give you a chance to use some of the terms in real life - e.g.: see the Peter Drucker WHE in the Strategy Unit) you should be learning the material. Questions are chosen to make you think about the concepts involved, and ask you to compare, contrast, analyze, or use theories and concepts and terms. They are chosen randomly from the test bank that accompanies this textbook, the idea being that if this test is made for tens of thousands of people taking Introductory Marketing with it, you should be able to do reasonably well on it, having read and studied the textbook. There are some very specific questions, things you may not remember from your studying. No one is expected to make 100% on a test; these questions separate the A from the B from the C paper.

There are techniques to taking multiple choice tests. If you don't do well on them, talk to people you know who do, use all resources provided such as study guides, practice questions, and  classroom or Discussion Group reviews, and talk to the Counseling Centre about workshops. Whether or not you are a Distance student, read here on the Office of Computing Technology and e-Learning Services 's information sheet their Hints for Multiple Choice Tests.

Sometimes I take my own tests to see how I do. On a recent one, I missed six of my own questions. Here's what I did wrong; you may find my mistakes helpful. Remember as you read through these mistakes that I am taking a test that I myself made up, and to which I supposedly knew the answers. 

Read carefully, concentrate, read ALL the answers before answering, think, test your logic, be sure you have read the question properly, take your time, remember to breathe every so often, and stop occasionally to shake out your hand for writer's cramp. The following is a list of hints for performing on multiple choice tests from my own personal experience a while ago.

Ripley’s Hints for Passing Multiple Choice Tests  (and all tests for that matter) (from personal experience taking the test for my A-Z truck driver's learner's permit) Study as much as you can If you are told to study something, study it Try to second-guess what will be asked; think like an examiner; remember clues provided Learn answers to all sample questions; sometimes they show up on the test READ and FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS Read questions and answers carefully Double-check everything, testing your chosen answer against those you did not choose Don't panic if you cannot answer something; stay calm and work through it Look for answers that are obviously wrong to help narrow the range of choices Use what you already know from other courses and life; you know a lot more than you think  Visualize - learn things in charts and pictures (this is why we use visual aids in teaching) Look for consistencies - how are questions asked; what does the examiner assume?  Establish consistencies - if figures are given in metric and Imperial, learn only one   Don't get philosophical; with four choices plus “e) All of the above" e is not one of the four Guess as a last resort; I correctly guessed on polarized glad-handles   Don't leave any answers blank Don't fight the system; learn the rules and play the game

Examples of Questions from Introductory Marketing Tests
These are from Introductory Marketing but may be useful to any student. 

There are no copies of my past tests in the libraries or copy shops. Online Study Guides contain examples of multiple choice questions from the test banks that I use to construct some of the tests in some of the courses I teach.

Introductory Marketing tests are always closed-book and consist of either multiple-choice or short-answer, or a combination of both. Tests also may include longer written answers but will not include any essays. Learn the material, and expect the test to come in any of a variety of combinations of parts. The chapters covered during the course are covered in equal weight. See your course syllabus for what is covered on the test.

Multiple Choice Questions in Introductory Marketing Tests
Multiple choice questions are taken from the assigned chapters in the textbook but also may cover anything we have done in the course whether or not it is included in the assigned reading. Short answer questions cover anything we have done in the course and I frequently use the Waving Hand Exercises and other exercises and your own Marketing Plans as a basis for some of these questions. The tests are mostly objective in nature, testing your knowledge of specific marketing facts, terminology, and theories, and asking you to apply theory to practice, including application to your Marketing Plan. You may be asked to do simple calculations which do not require a calculator. 

Below are some typical multiple choice test questions from Introductory Marketing, with an explanation of how to think through the question. I give detailed explanations, not to argue for a particular answer but to try to show you the kind of thinking that goes on in the heads of the people who write multiple choice questions and who put together multiple choice tests. Taking these tests is a skill like anything else, and it can be learned. Read the detailed explanations below to get the general idea of each kind of reasoning and then apply it to other test questions.  

1. A public utility that has adopted the marketing concept would be most likely to: a. advertise its public service role to improve its image with the public b. set up a special service to improve customer satisfaction c. lower prices until most consumers felt that prices were fair d.  all of the above Don't just choose the first answer that seems to make sense On a recent test, so many people missed the first question (which I had thought was an easy one to start with) that I went back to see what was going on. The question asked, "Today, which department is charged with understanding customers and representing customer needs to other company departments?" If you thought "Marketing", think again. Isn't that a pretty simple answer? Look at the rest of the choices and you'll see in the list below, "all departments", and, knowing about the Marketing Concept, you will choose this one. Don't give answers that seem too simplistic  On a recent test, I asked in the Short Answer part, "From a Marketing Concept perspective, what defines a high quality copy machine?" Too many students wrote things about inexpensive ink and speed of copying, and good toner... and probably sat there wondering, "Why is she asking us to know about copy machines; it wasn't in the book or the website". The answer is, of course, according to the Marketing Concept, a machine that meets the consumer's needs. Use what you've learned in the course To answer this question, you must know the marketing concept, an important term covered in the early part of the course. You must know that the three cornerstones of the marketing concept are Customer Need, Total Firm Co-operation, and Profit (or similar objective for a not-for-profit organization). Think it through. It obviously cannot be "c" because consumers might just want to pay nothing at all but one of the cornerstones of the marketing concept is to earn a profit. If it can't be "c" it also cannot be "d. all of the above." It cannot be "a" because you will have learned in the first unit that it's not enough to just tell people how great you are; you have to show them by action. Therefore the answer is "b". In doing this, the company works together to focus on what the consumer needs, while still making a profit and staying in business.

2. Which one of the following organizations is least likely to need marketing skills? a. a clothing manufacturer b. a university c. an electronics retailer d. a doctor e. all of the above need marketing skills Don’t be stubborn! Students sometimes want to argue that the question asks for "one" organization, and indeed it does. But note that it also gives you as a fifth possibility to choose all of them. Don't blow two points trying to make a statement that "e" is not one of the four because of course it is not. You choose among a,b,c,d - or you can choose e. They are all valid choices. I don't ask trick questions; take them at face value. Likewise, if you think you've found a grammatical error, don't blow two points giving an answer that you think proves a point about grammar, especially if Fowler's English Usage eventually proves you wrong (true story from a class one summer).

3. Shareholders would be considered part of which of the following publics?  a. internal  b. local c. financial d. media  e. all of the above   Eliminate what it can’t be   Maybe it's been a rough day and you're not remembering that shareholders are considered part of the organization's "financial" public. But take what you know and use it to eliminate some of the choices. You know that shareholders are not the media (their job is not to report in the newspapers on what's happening) and therefore you know the answer is not "d". You also now know that it's not "e" and if you had to guess, you're now down to three choices instead of five.  Among the remaining choices, think about the difference between "internal" and "local." Certainly a shareholder may be an internal member of the organization (profit sharing). But look at "local." Do you think that all shareholders live right in the neighbourhood? No. Now you're down to two choices.  Go back to "internal." You're still wondering if you can call shareholders "internal" because they are part of the firm (your text is clear on this, but remember that we're talking test anxiety and forgotten readings that you'll remember the minute you walk out of the room). Look instead at the next choice: financial. HINT - Read ALL possible answers, even if you think you've seen the right one the first time. Use what you know from other courses; think about one of the basic precepts of business that you learned Introduction to Administrative Studies or in your experience in business. What's the main goal of any firm? Profit, or its equivalent in not-for-profit firms. I'm not saying that's right, but it's generally the case. Who provides the money? The shareholders. There's your answer.  C - the shareholders are your financial public.

4. As a firm moves into the marketing concept, it is likely to:  a. place less emphasis on profit b. adopt a more narrow view of marketing c. worry less about customer satisfaction and concentrate on competitors d. coordinate firm’s marketing activities throughout the organization Remember visual aids   Professors don't just make fancy coloured overheads and draw elaborate diagrams on the board and on websites to entertain themselves (oh, well, maybe occasionally...it can be fun). Those visual aids are there because as educators we know that more than 80% of people do most of their learning visually. So, when you're sitting in the test room, wracking your brain for some crucial fact, think back to the lecture or Internet unit or reading or group discussion you participated in (this is where it helps to have participated). Can you conjure up any visual images?  In lectures or notes on the Marketing Concept while I'm talking to you about the three cornerstones of the MC, I have this picture on the overhead. I point out that the triangle, the linking lines, the whole visual concept supports the idea that a good marketer must have all three of these things, and that they are equally important. A three-legged stool cannot stand without one of its legs. A four-legged one might, but a three-legged one can't.  When I talk about objectives in Unit 2, I use the same image, because the concepts are basically the same and I link them with the same visual image. Combine this with the hint above and begin to eliminate what you know it can't be. If they are equal cornerstones, you can't have less emphasis on profit, or on customer satisfaction. If everything is going to relate to marketing (the total firm effort), then the view of marketing can't be more narrow, so the answer must be d: coordinate the firm's activities (total company effort).

5. The present state of our knowledge about consumer behaviour is such that: a. all relevant dimensions can be easily identified and measured b. we still must rely heavily on intuition and judgment to explain and predict consumer behaviour c. a marketer can always rely on the text’s integrating framework to explain and predict consumer behaviour d. all of the above are true e. none of the above are true   Use what you already know   I ask this question on an in-class review before we've covered the chapter on Consumer Behaviour. The point is to show you how much you already know on which you can draw when taking tests. What is the current state of our knowledge about consumer behaviour? Do you think it could possibly be "a"? Even if you don't yet know the formal terms for dimensions of consumer behaviour-- can we easily find and measure all of anything about people's buying? Would you be willing to agree that everything you buy is rational, sane, programmed, orderly, with reasons for purchase easily identified and catalogued? What about that gizmo you bought to put on your desk? What about the $300 dress you wore only once? What about the gadget you bought for your car at Canadian Tire just because it looked neat but you've never used it? Do you really think a marketer can easily identify and measure all the things that make you buy?  Watch out for these words in multiple choice tests: all none never always completely They usually signify that an answer can't be right just by common sense. Do you think it's possible that in a future chapter we will learn that marketing managers can completely rely on the text's frameworks to predict what people will buy? If so, do you think I'd be here writing long-winded explanations to my students of how to think during tests? Wouldn't I be out selling whatever it is that I know you will buy and making millions?!   So we know it's not "a" and we know it's not "c" and therefore not "d". What about "b"? Does it look like a reasonable statement? It should, especially if you're a business student (or liberal arts major taking a dip in the pool). Choice "e" might throw you a little; it's meant to. No one is supposed to make 100% on tests.  Hint: STAY CALM AND DON'T PANIC; try using what you already know

6. Mission statements should be:  a. specific, realistic, motivating b. specific, realistic, simplistic c. realistic, motivating, simple d. motivating, simplistic, specific e. simple, specific, realistic   The kind of question I try very hard not to ask you These can be too frustrating and I hated them as a student. There are several places where it is important that you know the first step in something; for example, in Marketing Research you must know that the first step is to define the problem, and I might ask you a question about that, but I won't ask you things like this where you would have to have memorized the list and the list once shuffled around like this becomes impossible to remember.

I don't often discount a question, but where I can clearly see that a large number of students may have been confused by things beyond their control, I may do so. Discounting a question means you get credit for it no matter what answer you gave. This is one of the interesting things about teaching the North American view of Marketing to a wide range of different students in a large multicultural city. Not everyone has heard of a baby grand piano, or of other cultural items, and the people who make up the questions in the test banks I use (and I too sometimes) make the assumption that you will know what one is. There are limits to how much slack I will cut you. Recently someone wrote me that they did not know what a Rolls Royce is, and I guess I figure anyone studying Marketing ought to know something that well-known in the world!

Short-Answer Questions In Introductory Marketing

When using short-answer questions, I use the Waving Hand Exercises in the online units and exercises from the text and study guides and CD-ROMs when we use them. I've even taken some word-for-word. 

Sometimes I'm asking you things that test your knowledge of specific terminology and theory that is important for you to know in Marketing. One of our top Marketing writers is Shelby Hunt, and I use his Three Dichotomies Model of Marketing as a basis for much of what I teach about Marketing. I usually will ask you something about the people whose work forms the basis of what we are studying. 

Limited Space in Which to Write Answers
You will note that in all cases for Short Answer questions, you are given a limited amount of space in which to write your answer. This is so that everyone has an equal chance at earning points. Obviously if  I gave you a full page to write on each, even in a situation where you didn't know much about the topic, you'd probably stumble upon enough stuff to earn a few points. But you can't do that here. You must know the material well enough to be able to write the correct answer in the limited space given. I do not give marks for anything written outside the given lines or on the back of the page, and if you do it too often, I deduct marks. Write only in the space allotted. 

1. Using Hunt's Three Dichotomies model of Marketing, in which one of his eight cells would you place each of the following scenarios?  (Answers are Below) 1. I am a marketing manager for Procter and Gamble and I want to know what price I should charge for a new bar of soap we are bringing out    Micro or Macro?   /   Normative or Positive?   /   Profit or Not-for-Profit?    2. I am the chair of the Gentlemen's Auxiliary for the Toronto Symphony, and I want to know what price I should charge for tickets to our fund raising dinner/dance next spring. ___________________/_____________________/____________________ 3. The Toronto Children's Aid Society is purchasing advertising on the local radio station. They want to know what kind of advertising has been effective for other children's aid societies in Canada. ___________________/_____________________/____________________ 4.  I am the VP of Marketing for General Mills and I'm interested in the idea of a fat-free mayonnaise but I have some concerns. I want to know whether a member of the general public can really fully understand nutrition claims made by manufacturing firms. ___________________/_____________________/____________________ Return to Unit 1 Leavitt

Sometimes I want to be sure you know some important basic terms and concepts  (3) 2. List the three main parts of the marketing concept.  ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ We do this in a multiple choice question also; sometimes there are repeat questions on tests and you should watch for them and use your answers to each to double check each. The (3) tells you that the answer is worth 3 points. The three short lines tell you that you are to write three short things. In our large classes, I do not read anything written outside the lines. You will be reminded of this on each test, but it is worthwhile thinking about now. If you are used to just filling in a whole page with stuff hoping you will happen upon the right answer, it will not work on my tests.

You don't always have to remember every part of a theory or precisely the term used in the textbook.  (3) 3. List three of the five criteria for determining whether a market segment is worth going after, and give an example of their application in your Marketing Plan.  1._____________________________ Plan:________________________________________________________________________ 2._____________________________ Plan:________________________________________________________________________ 3._____________________________ Plan: ________________________________________________________________________ Note that these are not obscure little elements scrounged up from unread chapters of the textbook; we read about them in the text, worked with them in course units, and they form the basis of your segmentation in your Marketing Plan. Still, there were five criteria and I've only asked you for three; no one can remember everything. Note too that it is more important that you know the concept than that you remember the exact phrase. If you call one of the criteria: "the thing must work," that is good enough. The correct name is "actionability," but if you’ve got the idea you get credit.    I ask questions on tests about the theory and terminology you have been using in your assignments. In the question above, you have to have been working with your group or individually on your Marketing Plan to be able to answer it, so do not leave assignments until the last minute and in a course with group work do not leave it all for others to do. You will regret it at test time. Your examples must be specific and show that you understand the concept. For instance, if a criterion you mentioned above was "substantial," and you are marketing a new anti-wrinkle facial cleanser, you should state something like "ageing population means more people worrying about wrinkles."

(3) 4. State whether a "Skimming the Cream" or a "Penetration" pricing policy would be more effective for your Marketing Plan product, and explain why.  While I ask a lot of short answer questions that test your knowledge of the history, terminology, and theory of Marketing, I also ask you questions that require you to think about what you've learned and to apply it in a practical setting. This relates directly to your using what you learned in university in your job: no boss at P&G is going to ask a new Assistant Product Manager to define "Skimming the Cream," but may well ask new employees to justify their choice of strategy.  First of all, you have to know the difference between these two strategies. Second, you have to have done some work on your Marketing Plan (you are expected to be working on this throughout the term, not just in the last last week of classes), third, you have to be sure you answer the question that is asked of you, and fourth, you have to do it in a way that shows you know what you're talking about. Below are some examples of answers to that question and the points they earned.  The correct answer is based in major Pricing Strategy choices Skimming is best done when Penetration pricing is best done when Demand is price insensitive Quality and image support the higher price There is little chance of competitive entry Demand is highly price sensitive Production/Distribution costs fall as sales rise You expect competition quickly You don't have to memorize all that, but you do have to understand what it means and how it works. Here is a full-point answer to the question:  Penetration pricing will be more effective for my garden tool kit because demand is price sensitive, there are no price segments, the products are not status items, and I suspect competition will come quickly.  You don't have to memorize, and you don't even have to list all the elements. Usually one is enough (a key to that is how many points a question is worth. In a 35 point essay, you better tell all you know about the thing; in a 2 or 3 point short-answer question, just stick to the basics. When I'm looking for a specific number of terms you will be told that ("List three of the four"). Here is another full-point answer:  Penetration would be more appropriate for our computer business because we would like to gain market share and there is lots of competition from a variety of sources.  You don't always have to remember the exact terms; in this full-point answer:  A skimming the cream policy would be more effective since the clothing that is being offered in my Marketing Plan is targeting the upper level of society who has the money to spend.  you can see that the writer did not use the term "price insensitive" but obviously knew what it means to be in that situation.  Note in all these cases, by the way, that the students have named their Marketing Plan product; if you're asked to relate a question to your product, be sure you do.  I don't give many points away to answers that clearly indicate the writer doesn't know what they're talking about, or where the writer has not answered the question that was asked, or where the answer is simply wrong. On 2-3 point questions, I don't give a lot of partial credit. Here are some zero-point answers: Penetration pricing would be better as there are no manufacturers of this product and I would be the first.  This is wrong because what the student is describing is far more appropriate to a Skimming the Cream policy. The student also did not make any reference to the Marketing Plan product referred to.  I would use Penetration because I wanted to maximize my market share by offering lower prices.  My comment on that answer was: "This is a definition of penetration pricing; why is it effective for your product?" The student has failed to answer the question and to relate it to the product. No boss will keep you on staff long if you keep answering things s/he hasn't asked and failing to answer what was asked of you.  Another zero point answer: Because "Skimming" is demand is price in sensitive... and "Penetration" is demand is price sensitive, both demand is based on one is exactly on demand, another is demand in price.  It makes no sense. This is not just a problem with English; I'm sensitive to the issue of writing in a second language and I can "translate" well, but here the student appears to just be stringing together words from memory. The student also fails to address the question, which was to choose one of the strategies.  Another zero point answer: Penetration. There are millions of people living in cold environments who want to protect their gardens, and most of them would not pay a premium price.  My comment is, "Why would they not do so? Answer this, and you will have answered the question." The student has some vague idea of what penetration pricing is about, but s/he does not answer the question, and what is written does not show an ability to relate the theory to practice (Marketing Plan).  Answers to the Hunt's Dichotomy Questions:  1. I am a marketing manager for Procter and Gamble and I want to know what price I should charge for a new bar of soap we are bringing out ANSWER  micro - internal to the organization - what price to charge, as opposed to social issues normative -- says what we should do, rather than describing what we actually do profit - Procter & Gamble is a for-profit organization 2. I am the chair of the Gentlemen's Auxiliary for the Toronto Symphony, and I want to know what price I should charge for tickets to our fund-raising dinner/dance next spring  ANSWER micro - internal to the organization, as opposed to social issues, even though the organization is a not-for-profit normative - says what we should do not-for-profit - The Toronto Symphony is a non-profit organization 3. The Toronto Children's Aid Society is purchasing advertising on the local radio station. They want to know what kind of advertising has been effective for other children's aid societies in Canada ANSWER micro - internal to the firm, as opposed to social issues; this is an organization purchasing advertising time, even though the firm is one that deals with social issues positive - describes how things are; what ads were used and were effective not-for-profit - CAS is a not-for-profit organization, even though what they are considering here is a very typical business decision 4. I am the VP of Marketing for General Mills. I've heard about Kraft's proposed fat-free mayonnaise and before I think about introducing our own, I want to know whether a member of the general public can really fully understand nutrition claims made by manufacturing firms  ANSWER macro - related to social issues - whether the public understands positive - describes how things are: Do they understand? not: should they? profit - General Mills is a for-profit organization

My very favourite Introductory Marketing exam I ever gave; due to vagaries of the calendar, I only got to do it once (thanks to Professor John Parkinson for some of the weirder questions).

 Examples of Questions from Gender Issues in Management Tests (formerly Women and Business) 

Questions on tests in this course are likely to be very unlike anything you will see in a traditional business course. I expect you to, and grade you on your ability to critically read, think, analyze, synthesize, and express yourself in writing on any topic that touches on what we have done in the course, using the course materials. Note that "course materials" includes class or Discussion Group discussions and the contribution of guest speakers as well as the texts and work of any kind that you are doing for your projects. You are competing with 59 other students for the expectation of roughly 10% A's in any given class. Those papers that make intelligent reference to as many elements of the course as feasible, in a well-structured essay tend to earn the top marks. The tests are open book. You may bring anything except another person. Yes, you can bring your laptop, but don't plan to spend a lot of time surfing through the net; what is important is what and how you write, not what you can copy from the course syllabus. I do not test you on memorized details or specific information but rather I ask you to write something that shows me what you have learned in the course, given all the learning opportunities that have been offered to you during the term. You should plan to finish readings offered by the date of this test, and expect that I will look for some reference to your project.  From Winter 2014   Your Task: Read the newspaper article attached to this page, sides one and two. (The Mommy Wars are not about hostility, but insecurity). Then, covering and prioritizing the course material you have worked with, including Sanderson, the Discussion Group, and anything relevant from your research project (Final Exam Substitute), and remembering the dual parts of writing – the epistemological showdown and the I statement, write on the three underlined pages the following:  A properly structured essay tying the content of this article to our course material. You will be marked on essay structure as well as on content. From Fall 2013  YOUR TASK: Consider Lean In AND your online and in-class course materials (as one example: where did you find similarities? where did you find differences?)  Provide a title that tells what is at the heart of what you’re going to say. Then write a not-more-than three-page essay answering this question: How well does the book Lean In coordinate with the readings and posting discussions you have done with the online course material?
From Winter 2013 (this is the only test that was somewhat different; they wrote an outline instead of an essay because we had worked with outlines that term) Your Task: Read the short newspaper article on the back of this sheet of paper, Making Friends With The “F” Word, by which the author means "Feminism". Then, covering and prioritizing the course material you have worked with, including the discussion board and anything relevant from your research project (Final Exam Substitute), and remembering two dual parts of writing – the epistemological showdown and the I statement, write on the two underlined pages the following: An outline of the article, with each major topic stated as a full sentence, and below each major topic a list of what things from the course you would use to back up that statement.
From Fall 2012 (We visit Emma Goldman again) Your Task: Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement (and remembering that you do not construct an “i” statement merely by putting “I believe” in front of a statement), remembering proper structure for an outline, and taking into account the lessons of the whole course, including the guest speaker, Construct the outline you would prepare if you were to write an essay that defends the statement below. Give your essay outline a title, and start at the very beginning with your thesis statement. Note that you are constructing only the outline, no introduction or conclusion needed. Emma Goldman* would have approved of today’s trend toward achieving a better balance between life and work for women and men in managerial positions. * What you need to know about Emma Goldman to answer this question: Emma Goldman, an American anarchist activist and feminist was also an ardent dancer. She was talking about her dancing at an anarchist meeting once and a man in the group said to her that he felt dancing was "much too frivolous an activity for an anarchist and that she would be better off devoting her attention to more serious affairs." Emma replied, "If I cannot dance, I want no part in your revolution."
from Fall 2011       Recalling ALL that you have read/seen/done in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, write THE BODY ONLY of a structured and coherent essay about how the song The Gambler relates to these major themes in this course: Socialization, Power, Discrimination, and Balance. Make a separate paragraph for each major theme.  Do NOT write an Introduction or Conclusion. Do not just outline the body of the essay as you did for the assignment. You are to write a four paragraph essay, roughly ½ page on each theme, but without the Introduction and Conclusion (in order to have time to concentrate on the body of the essay). While you will not be graded directly on grammar, without proper writing I cannot tell what you mean to say so, say it correctly. You earn marks for being creative, but your major obligation is to address the test question being sure to cover and prioritize the course material. You may not use point form and you get no points for just naming course materials. The test is open-book to keep you from wasting valuable time memorizing or searching memory banks; therefore I want to see only your own words on this test. You will lose points for any direct quotes from the text or any other material not your own, whether in quotation marks or not (a direct quote is three words or more). THE GAMBLER On a warm summer’s evening, on a train bound for nowhere I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness Till boredom overtook us and he commenced to speak He said, son, I’ve made a life out of reading people’s faces And knowing what their cards were by the way they held their eyes And if you don’t mind my saying, I can see you’re out of aces For a taste of your whiskey, I’ll give you some advice So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow Then he bummed a cigarette and then he bummed a light And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression He said, if you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right (chorus) You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em Know when to walk away, know when to run And you never count your money when you’re sitting at the table There’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done He said every gambler knows that the secret to surviving Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep ‘Cause every hand’s a winner, just like every hand’s a loser And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep When he’d finished speaking, he turned back toward the window Crushed out his cigarette, faded off to sleep And somewheres in the darkness, the gambler he broke even But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep (Repeat chorus three times)  (ã Don Schlitz, transcribed from a Bobby Bare recording) For those who may never have played poker – A hand is the cards you are dealt in a game To “fold” means to quit, to lay down your hand, and give up whatever money you’ve put into the pot so far; likewise, to hold means to stay in the game In the scoring system, Aces are best To die in your sleep is another phrase for to break even: to win as much money as you lost
from Winter 2011 Introduction to the Essay: The attached dialogue comes from our General Discussion topic and yes, you are not responsible for those discussions on the test, but I am excerpting on the next page a dialogue from the discussion for the purpose of this test.  Your Task: Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement (and remembering that you do not construct an “i” statement merely by putting “I believe” in front of a statement), remembering proper structure and content for an essay, and taking into account the lessons of the whole course,    Write a structured and coherent essay, not more than 3 pages, on the topic of how the dialogue on the back of this page relates to the issues of this course.   From the Discussion Topic, General Discussion, comes this snippet of dialogue from the movie Ratatouille, a 2007 animated comedy film that is about rat who becomes a great cook. The following dialogue occurs between Collette - the only woman chef, and another worker, Linguini, who cleans up the garbage. Linguini: Listen, I just want you to know how honoured I am to be studying under such a... Colette: [pins Linguini’s sleeve with a knife] No, you listen! I just want you to know exactly who you are dealing with! How many women do you see in this kitchen? Linguini: Well, I uh... Colette: [pins Linguini’s sleeve with another knife] Only me. Why do you think that is? Because high cuisine is an antiquated hierarchy built upon rules written by stupid, old men. Rules designed to make it impossible for women to enter this world, but still I’m here. How did this happen? Linguini: Well because you, because you... Colette: [pins Linguini’s sleeve with a third knife] Because I am the toughest cook in this kitchen! I have worked too hard for too long to get here, and I am not going to jeopardize it for some garbage boy who got lucky! Got it? Linguini: Wow!
Test from Fall 2010     Introduction to the Essay: The attached article on General Hillier appeared in a recent Maclean’s Magazine. (November 8, 2010) Read it with a thought to what you are asked to do.  Your Task: Recalling all that we have covered in this course (remembering that “The Military” is only one small part of the whole course), remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement (and remembering that you do not construct an “i” statement merely by putting “I believe” in front of a statement), remembering proper structure and content for an essay, and taking into account the lessons of our guest speaker Marion Howell on leadership and management,  Write a structured and coherent essay, not more than 3 pages, on one of these two thesis statements (choose one; do not do both):  General Hillier offers good advice for women in management.  OR  General Hillier’s advice about leadership is not useful for women in management. Test from Winter 2010  Introduction to the Essay: One of the exercises in this course asked you to look at an alphabetical list of qualities needed for success in managing a career and a life, by women but also in many cases by men as well. You were invited to add words to this list. Think back over this list or refer to it in your notes or just think of five qualities that you think are the most important qualities a woman needs. For the sake of consistency, make these five qualities all nouns. Your Task: Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, write a structured and coherent essay, not more than 3 pages, that explains why you chose the five qualities you chose as most important for a woman to possess to succeed in managing a career and a life. Test from Fall 2009 (from the test that never happened in Fall 2005)   Sally Helgesen, writing in The Female Advantage writes about Frances Hesselbein and the Web of Inclusion. Hesselbein is a female CEO who uses as an image of her work-world, not the traditional hierarchical structure of management, but the image of a spider web, with her at the centre, and lines of connection radiating out in a circle, connecting her and every other manager. She warns us that the traditional male view of the hierarchy is only one view of business strategy. She says, “The strategy of the web employs different methods in order to achieve different goals… Emphasizing interrelationships, working to tighten them, building up strength, knitting loose ends into the fabric, it is a strategy that honors the feminine principles of inclusion, connection, and what Carol Gilligan calls ‘being responsible in the world.’ And by emphasizing the continual drawing closer and strengthening of parts, it betrays [shows] the female’s essential orientation toward process, her concern with the means used to achieve her ends” (p. 58, Helgesen 1990). Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, remembering that guest speakers are also sources, write a structured and coherent essay, not more than 3 pages, that either defends or refutes the concept of the web as a good structure for management.   Fall 2008 - CUPE 3903 Strike; Test cancelled Test from Winter 2007   I asked students what they wanted to write about in the test. I gave this test after the group told me that they would like a test in which they had some choice, a test that asked them about mentoring, a test that asked them about how their view of work had changed, and a number of them listed various specific parts of the course that they would like to write about:  Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, and including reference to the course materials, write a structured and coherent essay of not more than 3 pages, that describes how this course has changed your view of gender issues in management and how that knowledge would help you to mentor someone either at your place of work or as a younger student at York. While you need to make reference to important points from Units throughout the course, focus your essay on the one Unit that meant the most to you and make clear in your essay which one it is. Test from Fall 2006   There are two questions; you are to choose and answer ONE QUESTION ONLY. (to appreciate this question fully, you need to know that during the course, which was taught as a blended course - half in the classroom, half online, I had a number of times referred the students to this website that described the previous tests, including making specific reference to the question about Emma Goldman. HINT: When professors talk about tests, do listen!). **************************************************************** Your Task: Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, including reference to the course materials and at least one of our guest speakers, write a structured and coherent essay of not more than 3 pages, that defends or attacks ONE of the following statements: 1) Emma Goldman* would have approved of today’s trend toward achieving a better balance between life and work for women and men in managerial positions. 2) Success in managerial positions does not require the assistance of a mentor, provided a woman has a strong network on which to rely. * What you need to know about Emma Goldman to answer this question: Emma Goldman, an American anarchist activist and feminist was also an ardent dancer. She was talking about her dancing at an anarchist meeting once and a man in the group said to her that he felt dancing was "much too frivolous an activity for an anarchist and that she would be better off devoting her attention to more serious affairs." Emma replied, "If I cannot dance, I want no part in your revolution."   Test from Winter 2006 (this was for my amazing group of only 33 students who among them posted more than 10,000 Discusion Group  postings)   For a group that spent so very much time on the Discussion Group, I thought what better than to give a test question that arose out of a discussion. Here below are some familiar voices: Subject: Re: Gender issues in Fairytales? Message no. 5849 [Reply of: no. 5839] Author: Lizamarie Lontoc Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2006 12:57pm yeah i loved Dr. Seuss. i cannot think of anything in there, but there must be. back to the drawing board....we have to read them again...but who has time?!! In message 5839 on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 12:02pm, Kristi Cater writes: >I have every fairy tale I ever read when I was younger running through my head! What about Dr. Seuss - I loved those books and I can't think of any gender issues in them but it has been a long time since I've read them! >>>In message 5754 on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 8:59am, Heather Croft writes: >>>>Yeah, what's up with that??!! All of the Superheroes are men in >>fairytales. Oh well, we've corrected that gender stereotype. The superheroes in >>this class are mostly female. ;>) ****************************************************************** When I read that exchange on February 7, I said to myself, I'm going to find something from Dr. Seuss for the test so they can have a chance to read him again! So here it is, from Horton Hatches The Egg, by Dr. Seuss, p. 1-3: Sighed Mayzie, a lazy bird hatching an egg: “I’m tired and I’m bored And I’ve kinks in my leg From sitting, just sitting here day after day. It’s work! How I hate it! I’d much rather play! I’d take a vacation, fly off for a rest If I could find someone to stay on my nest! If I could find someone, I’d fly away – free….” Then Horton, the Elephant, passed by her tree. “Hello!” called the lazy bird, smiling her best, “You’ve nothing to do and I do need a rest. Would you like to sit on the egg in my nest?” The elephant laughed. “Why, of all silly things! I haven’t feathers and I haven’t wings. ME on your egg? Why that doesn’t make sense…. Your egg is so small, ma’am and I’m so immense!” “Tut, tut,” answered Mayzie. “I know you’re not small But I’m sure you can do it. No trouble at all. Just sit on it softly. You’re gentle and kind. Come, be a good fellow. I know you won’t mind.” Eventually, Horton agrees and tends the egg through all kinds of terrible weather and adventures, saying repeatedly that he will stay no matter what, because “I meant what I said and I said what I meant; an elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent.” The lazy bird deserts him, and in the end the little creature that is born looks like Horton and goes home with him. INSTRUCTIONS Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, write a structured and coherent essay that explores the relationship of these lines from and summary of the story of Horton the Elephant to issues of Gender and Management. Test from Fall 2005   Introduction to the Essay: Sally Helgesen, writing in The Female Advantage about Frances Hesselbein and the Web of Inclusion, warns us that the traditional male view of the hierarchy is only one view of business strategy. She says, “The strategy of the web employs different methods in order to achieve different goals… Emphasizing interrelationships, working to tighten them, building up strength, knitting loose ends into the fabric, it is a strategy that honors the feminine principles of inclusion, connection, and what Carol Gilligan calls ‘being responsible in the world.’ And by emphasizing the continual drawing closer and strengthening of parts, it betrays the female’s essential orientation toward process, her concern with the means used to achieve her ends.” (p. 58, Readings Book) Your Task: Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, including reference to at least one of our guest speakers, write a structured and coherent essay, not more than 4 pages double-spaced, that either defends or refutes the concept of the web as a good structure for management. (I didn't actually give this test; Sandi Warren hadn't been able to make it the previous week because of obligations of her doctoral study and could only come on the test day and, recognizing immediately the better value for students between taking a test and hearing Sandi Warren speak, I cancelled the test... well, one never actually cancels a test, one allows anyone who actually wants to go take it to do so in another room; those who wanted to hear Sandi instead got to choose taking their best essay grade as a substitute). In the Fall 2004, and Winter of 2005 I was on sabbatical   Test from Fall 2003   Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, write a structured and coherent essay that defends the following statement: In examining issues of gender in the management of organization, it is clear that power and nurturing and two opposite sides of the same coin. Test from Winter 2003 Read the attached article on mentors (two pages, front and back) from a recent Globe and Mail “Careers” section. Recalling all that we have covered in this course including the Discussion Group, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, do the following: Using this test as an opportunity to show what you have learned from Salmansohn’s book, Nichol’s collection of cases, and the Discussion Group exchanges for this course, and using the recommendations in this article, make a detailed outline of the design for a mentoring programme for the place where you work or a place where you would like to work or for an imaginary organization that you make up. Provide support for everything you suggest with specific reference to the course material but not by quoting directly (i.e.: put everything in your own words). Include specific and labeled reference to five of what you felt were the most important Waving Hand exchanges on the Discussion Group, being sure that what you write makes clear why you think these five are the most important. This (unlike most GIM tests I give) is not a formal essay. Point form may be entirely in clauses or it may contain full sentences, but the point about point form is that everything is clearly and obviously present and labeled. Whether you use a clause or a sentence, you will still need to write clearly and concisely, making specific reference to course material and pulling together a coherent and sensible plan. You have only the attached three pages in which to do this. Do any preparatory work on scratch paper which you will not hand in. NOTE: The article itself is not attached here on the webpage; there are copyright laws against posting an entire article on the web. The article itself is not important; what I want you to get is a feel for the kinds of tests I give in this course. Test from Fall 2002 Recalling all that we have covered in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the "i" statement, write a structured and coherent essay that comments on the following true story. Emma Goldman, an American anarchist activist and feminist was also an ardent dancer. She was talking about her dancing at an anarchist meeting once and a man in the group said to her that he felt dancing was "much too frivolous an activity for an anarchist and that she would be better off devoting her attention to more serious affairs." Emma replied, "If I cannot dance, I want no part in your revolution." Test from Winter 2002 Recalling all that you have done in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the "i" statement, write a structured and coherent essay that answers these three questions about this course (do not just answer these 1,2,3 - you must write an essay that answers these questions What did you learn that you didn’t know or realize before? What shocked, surprised, or upset you? What cheered you up or encouraged you? While you will not be graded directly on grammar, without proper writing I cannot tell what you mean to say, so say it correctly. You earn marks for being creative, but your major obligation is to address what you are asked to do, being sure to prioritize and cover the course material. You may not use point form and you get no points for just naming course materials. Use your sheet of references wisely; when I’m grading the test I know everyone had one, so you don’t earn points for fancy memorized lists or quotes. Use that sheet mainly to keep panic at bay when you forget something like Karsten’s name! (in this section I had allowed them to bring only a "cheat sheet" which can often be an easier way to take a test than full fledged open book) In the Fall of 2001, I played a tape of and then gave students a copy of the lyrics to the song The Gambler and these instructions:  Recalling all that you have read/seen/done in this course, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown and the “i” statement, write a structured and coherent essay about how the song The Gambler relates to the major themes in this course. (The main chorus lines in this song are: "Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run...") Test from Winter 2001  Using Karsten's Chapter 7 on "Stereotypes and Their Effects on Leadership Perception" and one of Helgesen's stories, write an analysis of the scene that takes place in Alligator River from your web page readings ("Alligator River" was attached; I do not ask you to memorize).  For a short 10-point test in the Fall of 2000, I asked this:  Recalling all that you have read/seen/done in this course, including Helgeson’s Female Advantage, recalling all that we’ve shared in the classroom, remembering what dian marino said about the dual role of the epistemological showdown AND the “i” statement, and remembering the specific objectives of this course (reproduced below), outline in one page on the back of this sheet, either point form or essay or a combination, the interrelationship between sexual stereotyping and sexual harassment. (This question was one which, when I had asked the class the week before the test for an example of a test question so I could demonstrate something to them, a student had provided; I then used it as the test question. Don't ever doubt that professors, some of us, do listen to our students!)  When you're given examples like this, take them to heart; notice how often I refer to dian marino's "epistemological showdown" and "i statements" - on the website and in the classroom (or Discussion Group); I'm looking for them in all the writing you do for this course.

Example of Questions from Consumer Behaviour Tests (note that in the Summer S1 Session of this course we don't have any tests)

Short-Answer Questions (closed book) (6) 1. State the basic differences between Positivist and Interpretivist approaches to consumer research. For each type, give examples of product dimensions that would be more usefully explored using that type of research over the other. (6) 7. Assume you are designing a package for a new premium chocolate bar targeted to an affluent market. What aspects of perception must you take into consideration? Although these are open ended questions, you are given only a specific amount of room in which to write. There were more questions than these; this is just a sample.  These questions are from when I taught CB in a more traditional way. I now teach it in the shortened summer S1 six-week term without any tests; what you lose in test-anxiety you more than make up for in hard work in-class and quick turn-around assignments.

Example of Questions from Social Marketing Tests

General Instructions: We have covered a lot of material in Kotler and Roberto’s book, Social Marketing. The text is essentially a how-to book for social marketers. On this open-book test, you will use all of what you have studied so far to apply a specific marketing technique to a specific social issue. Social change theory (and this course is all about social change) maintains that there are five factors that influence how fast and how well a new idea involving a change in behaviour is accepted by a community. These are: Adopters' Attitudes Compatibility Demonstrability Felt Costs Change Agent Review page 129 for the full name and description of each factor. Instructions: Consider the challenge of marketing the concept of Canadian unity to Quebec separatists living in Montreal (a topic no in-class group has chosen). Write five short paragraphs on the following two pages, one for each of these five factors, describing briefly how each is relevant and why each is important to the proper use of social marketing for this particular issue. You may write ONLY two pages (and if you have not taken a course with me before, you need to know that this is not an idle threat!) so take some time to organize your thoughts. A possible organization of time might include, “Think for 10 minutes, outline on scratch paper for 5 minutes, re-read and add subtract or change for 10 minutes, write final answer for 15 minutes, review for 5 minutes.” This is just a suggestion and constitutes neither a requirement nor a guarantee. Do not quote from course material; the test is open-book only to allay worries about needing a forgotten element and to keep you from having to memorize anything. Refer to course material only in your own words. No points will be taken off or awarded for structure, grammar, or spelling. In the subsequent year, I asked a very similar question with a different issue -- the marketing of the idea of ceasing to advertise to children to marketers. Some students got wildly off base, failing to fully read instructions and just copying the answers provided on the website from the previous year. First of all, it was a different issue and required a whole different set of premises, but more importantly, you may not ever copy directly from a source without citing - it's plagiarism, even on a test. READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. Here is another test from a previous Social Marketing class Michael Gilbert maintains there are four different kinds of argument – logical, emotional, physical (or visceral), and intuitive (kisceral). For the product for which your group is developing a Social Marketing Plan, construct four different and separate arguments to support or promote your product, one for each of Gilbert’s four kinds of argumentation. You may not combine these; there must be four, and you must label them clearly and correctly. At least one of the four must take the form of an advertisement aimed directly at your target adopter. You don’t have to be a sketch-artist to do this; if you are creating a print or TV ad, you may just describe it in words, but if you wish, you may sketch something on the back unlined page. While you will not be graded directly on grammar, without proper writing I cannot tell what you mean to say, so say it correctly. This is not an essay; you do not need to worry about formal essay structure with introduction and conclusion; a combination of paragraph and point-form will do. Refer to course material only in your own words. You will lose points for any direct quotes from the text or any other material not your own, whether in quotation marks or not (a direct quote is three words or more).

Example of Questions from Channels Tests

One Test:  Read the attached one-page case ("Selling Earth's Sounds" from the Kotler Introductory Marketing text). Using what you have learned about channels of distribution through the Internet, outline what you would do to help take Kevin online to achieve the distribution he wants for his CD’s. (closed book; limited in space to one test booklet)   Another test: In one test booklet, compare the potential marketing strategies for X company using the Internet and using traditional distribution channels. Give particular emphasis to issues of relationship marketing, and discuss briefly the problems and issues which are likely to arise (open book).

Example of a Question from a Marketing for Competitive Advantage Test
(To fully appreciate the complexity of this question, you must realize that the main overriding theme of the text Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is that you cannot define quality)

Define Quality

Deferred and Make-Up Tests
If you miss a test for a good reason, you mustf register here online:
http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sas/links.html

This starts the process and will enable you to find out when and where the make-up test will be. Further Petition information is here:  http://www.yorku.ca/laps/council/students/petitions.html

Returning Tests
I usually return in-class tests within two weeks. For security reasons, I don't return the questions or any computerized answer sheets for multiple choice questions. Tests for Internet students are mailed back by the Office of Computing Technology and e-Learning Services  through email.

Bring any suspected inaccurate grading (a number I added wrong, an answer I clearly appear to have overlooked, etc.), to my attention as soon as you look through your test paper. I will not consider anything that in my view was not there originally; this is why if you leave a space blank on a test, I draw a red ink line through it. 

Posting Grades
Read about this on the Grades Policy Page