Questionnaires were given to 127 students when exams were returned during 5 semesters of an introductory soils class. Students were asked to identify their exam score and several components of their exam preparation methods: classes attended, time/week spent on the class, study/cram hours, use of review materials, etc. Correlation analysis was conducted to identify any trends among student preparation methods and success on exams. Results were analyzed for each semester and exam, by exam for all semesters, and some components by semester. Unlike some other workers, no clear pattern emerged between hours of studying and exam scores. Only about 50% of each exam tests the knowledge and comprehension levels of critical thinking, so traditional study methods may not prepare students for exams testing for higher levels of understanding and thought. Most students who reported that nothing helped them prepare for the exam actually did very little to prepare themselves (time spent, resources used, etc.).