PASS YOUR EXAMS

PASS YOUR EXAMS

You know you want to...You know you want to...

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONI’m an educator, and every time I mark a batch of exams, I know I’ll find that a few normally clever students have made avoidable mistakes that have cost them marks, or even caused them to fail.

These errors are easily avoidable if you read this set of guidelines, and put them into practice.

My work is in engineering and business studies, but this guide should be applicable to a wide range of subjects.

REVISIONREVISIONTake a few minutes to review your notes whenever you’re waiting for a class to start. Frequent, small ‘visits’ to the material are the best way to remember things, so study throughout the time available – don’t wait until the final days of a course.

Help others; sometimes the best way to really learn something is to teach it.

Use techniques like mnemonics to remember key facts.

Always get a good night’s sleep – missing out on sleep to perform last minute revision is a bad bargain.

BE PREPAREDBE PREPAREDDo some old exam questions as timed exercises. To get the most out of them, don’t look at model answers until you’ve attempted the questions on your own.

Know what to expect – read the information your tutors have provided in the class handbook or module specifications, so you know the exact format of the exam.

If you’re told that an exam will be based on a particular case study, make sure you know that case study really well; don’t waste time in the exam looking up facts and figures.

ON THE DAYON THE DAYMake sure you take along any equipment you’re allowed to have, such as a calculator.

Don’t borrow one you’re not familiar with!

ON THE DAYON THE DAYHave pens, pencils, ruler, and whatever else you’re allowed. You may find that a good quality pen improves your handwriting.

Have something to eat before the exam, and take any medication you need.

Switch your phone off and leave it in your bag – no distractions when the exam begins.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Read the ‘rubric’ for the exam, often provided on a front sheet you can study while waiting.

Be sure you understand the instructions. For example, “answer four questions from six”, or “answer all questions in Section A, and two questions from Section B”. If uncertain, put your hand up and ask.

Make sure you’re about to sit the right exam!

Have your student ID card with you: many institutions require you to prove your identity.

WHEN YOU BEGINWHEN YOU BEGINRead every question on the paper.

Read the whole question. Watch out for multi-part questions where you don’t like part ‘b’ or ‘c’.

Look for key words and phrases within the questions, such as “list”, “critically discuss”, “briefly identify...”, “support your answer with a diagram.”

Briefly plan your answers before you write.

Use time in proportion to the marks available.

WRITINGWRITING

Be neat – if we can’t read it, you won’t get marks for it.

Try to structure your answer logically, so the marker can easily find what they are looking for.

Use paragraphs, subheadings, underlining – don’t just produce a wall of text. Use diagrams if they are appropriate to what you are writing.

Stay on topic. Bringing in things you learned on another module might fill space but it doesn’t necessarily earn you any marks.

WRITINGWRITING

Don’t copy whole paragraphs from case studies – discuss the material and answer the question: demonstrate your abilities in critical thinking and problem-solving, not just your ability to read, or reproduce facts.

Imagine yourself as a witness in court, and... answer the question, the whole question, and nothing but the question.

USING FIGURESUSING FIGURES

An illustration can be a great way to represent something quickly – as long as it’s appropriate!

USING FIGURESUSING FIGURESGive figures, tables and graphs a title.

In your text, explain what you have shown in any figures used.

If drawing a graph, labelthe axes!

Use a ruler; you don’t need toproduce a work of art, but beneat if you can.

SHORT OF TIME?SHORT OF TIME?No marks are awarded for copying down a question.

Lists and bullet points won’t earn you full marks, but could help to show what you know, when time is short.

It’s probably better to attempt a full set of questions. For example, if asked to answer any four questions, attempting four is usually more worthwhile than trying to do a fantastic job on just three questions.

TOWARDS THE END

TOWARDS THE END

Even if short of time, always go back tocheck your sums, and read through youranswers: something else may occur to you.

Put your student ID number and a page number on every page you write on, e.g. “12 of 14.”

If writing on loose pages, ensure that everything is securely fastened.

Try to resist the urge to leave an exam early. A lot of places record the time you left, if you hand in a paper early.

AFTER THE EXAMAFTER THE EXAMRelax: what’s done is done. There’s no point getting upset about things that you may or may nothave got right.

Concentrate on any other exams orcoursework that are still to come –looking back won’t help you.

If you later find that you needto resit an exam, speak to thestaff and try to understandwhere you went wrong, andaddress any misunderstandings.

FINAL WORDSFINAL WORDSThere has never been, nor ever will be, an exam question that says something like...

“Write down everything that you know about Vendor Managed Inventory.”

Don’t treat an exam question as if it says this just because it happens to include the words “Vendor Managed Inventory”, or whatever.

Answer the questions as written, not as you would wish it to be.

PROBLEMS?PROBLEMS?If you have special circumstances such as an illness or a disability, report this BEFORE the exam.

Staff are much more likely to be sympathetic if you register your mitigating circumstances in advance. Don’t wait until you get a bad grade, and then report a problem you encountered.

Remember that you will probably need to obtain documentary evidence, in order for special circumstances to be taken into account.

GOOD LUCK!GOOD LUCK!

Want more?

My blog:http://capacify.wordpress.com

On Twitter:@Capacified

– Richard Farr