Open book exams do not rely on learn-and-regurgitate learning. Instead, you will have the information in front of you, but what you will be asked is typically quite involved. Open exams are meant to teach students how to take information and apply it in a thoughtful, deep manner. In an open book exam, the focus is not on memorizing information but applying that information. What this means for you is that you will not simply be summarizing material from a textbook. You will be interpreting it in the context of specific questions and scenarios. For example, you will likely not be asked in a class about Shakespeare, "What is Romeo's family name?", more likely it will be, "Using citations, explain why Romeo's family contributed to his eventual death." There are generally two types of open book exams: a restricted type and an unrestricted type. In a restricted exam material is limited to specific documents, such as a single set of notes or single textbook. In an unrestricted exam, there is no limit on what can be brought into the exam room or take-home test. Make sure you know if your exam is restricted or unrestricted before taking the test. Memorization is largely unnecessary for an open book exam. However, this does not mean you do not need to study. This is not the case. Focus is shifted to understanding the material rather than simply being able to memorize and recite it. You will not be asked questions like, "Define X" but rather, "Explain how X applies to Y situation" or "What implications does X have on Y current event?" You should make sure you truly understand the material before entering the exam room. If your exam permits you to take your book in, organize your textbook beforehand to help you locate key information quickly and easily. If permitted, highlighters can be a great tool. Mark key terms, historical dates, equations, and other difficult to remember material that you might need to draw from for questions. You can flip through your book and easily spot the highlighted sections during the exam. Margin notes can also be a great means of organization, if allowed. Jotting down your instructors commentary or brief summaries of difficult paragraphs in the margins can help you spot important materials fast. Mark pages. Many people dog-ear important pages, but simple folding can be easy to miss. Try investing in multicolored sticky notes specifically designed for marking pages, which you can buy at most bookstores and department stores. You can even color coordinate any passages you're marking, using different colors to indicate different areas of focus. In the event of a restricted exam that does not permit a textbook in the exam room, these strategies still have merit. Organizing your book during the course of a class can help you easily spot key information while studying. Studying for an open book exam can be tricky as the skills required are not as easy to test as simple memorization. However, there are tricks you can use to make sure you're prepared for an open book exam. Write your own commentary on information. As you'll be tested primarily on interpretation, write down your own commentary and insight in your notes. Challenge yourself to explain what you think about the material, and why. This helps hone your critical thinking skills, which will be needed for an open book exam. If your professor provided any model questions, answer them while studying. Open book exam questions promote a genuine understanding of the course material, so quizzing yourself using model questions is a great way to make sure you're prepared going in. Team up with other students. While study groups are great for any type of exam, they can be especially helpful for an open book. Rather than quizzing one another on materials, you can discuss and debate information from class. This helps you learn how to apply the information you learned.
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One-sentence summary -- Understand the rationale behind an open book exam. Locate and mark key information beforehand. Strive to understand the material.

Most debates have more than one rebuttal, and you should always start with new arguments. They will be fresh on the judge's mind, so you need to address them as soon as possible. Make sure to save room in your time allowance to briefly review your other arguments. If you believe you have already won an argument or that the other team dropped one, you can briefly summarize those points at the end of the speech, reminding the judge that they go to you. Provide a one-sentence summary of what your opponent has said. Take it one argument at a time, starting with the one that is either easiest to defeat or the most crucial to your case. Say, "My opponent wants to allow one of the most common allergens into our nation's schools, regardless of how many students are at risk." Remind the judge what your argument is, positioning it as the clear better choice over your opponent. Choose your words carefully so that your argument appears to be the most reasonable choice. Say, "A safe educational environment is necessary for all students. We stopped sending students to schools that have asbestos; now we need to stop sending them to schools that have peanuts." Present the breakdown with your argument framed as the best choice. Make the case seem simple to the judge, but say it in a way that makes it seem like picking the other side is preposterous. For example, "The choice is simple: We can protect students from life-threatening allergy attacks, or we can allow a few students to eat peanut butter for lunch." This argument makes it seem like critical health emergencies are being pitted against something as trivial as a sandwich. Link your argument back to the topic, and provide evidence to back it up. Tell the judge why this evidence proves that your argument is superior to your opponent's argument. This should take several sentences and possibly several minutes, depending on how many arguments you plan to address in your rebuttal. Never list off your reasons without offering an explanation. Your rebuttal depends on your explanation of the argument. Say, "My plan to remove peanut products from schools fulfills the resolution to provide a safe learning environment for kids by removing a known, common hazard. The evidence shows that the threat to allergic individuals is great and that every day the number of allergic students walking the hallways increases. The easiest, least expensive way to protect students is to ban peanut products. Please vote for safe schools by voting for me." You and your opponent may both win arguments within the debate, but the judge still has to pick a winner. Voting issues are the arguments that could make or break a case, so showing that your argument is a voting issue could make the judge choose your side. For example, relevancy is often a good voting issue because if an argument is not relevant, then it is ineffective. If you show the judge that your opponent has no relevancy on the topic, then that could be a voting issue that goes your way. Say, "My opponent argued that we should ban sugary foods instead of peanut butter, but that is not relevant to my case. None of the evidence she provided about the dangers of sugary food should be considered." Briefly summarize your arguments and the voting issues, then urge the judge to vote for you. Say, "The evidence I've provided proves that my opponent's argument lacks relevancy and fails to address the topic. Additionally, my opponent has falsely assumed that peanuts must be ingested to be harmful, which is factually untrue. For these reasons, you should vote for my case." If you don't address an argument, it could go to the other team. Even if you are losing an argument, it's best to offer a short concession in your rebuttal before moving on to your stronger arguments. If your opponent points out that you dropped an argument, it will look worse than if you concede it yourself. You should also watch for arguments that your opponent has dropped. Make sure to point this out to the judge and tell them that you have clearly won that point.
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One-sentence summary --
Attack new arguments first. Remind the judge of your opponent's argument. Restate your position. Break down your rebuttal into two choices for the judge. Explain the reasons why your argument is best. Show the judge why this argument is a voting issue, which you won. Give a concluding statement urging the judge to choose your argument. Avoid dropping an argument.