Preparing for a large semester exam can be sort of stressful. One way to reduce the stress and maximize your study time is to ask the teacher about the test. Their answer might not be as specific as you hope, but it may be helpful all the same. Many teachers will tell you what kind of questions might be asked (for example, short essays, multiple choice, or matching). Ask the question while in class so your fellow students have the benefit of hearing the answer too. If your teacher plans to give out any hints about the test, he or she will be more likely to do this in front of everyone than in a one-on-one situation.