Exams and Revision

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Exams and Revision

• Some hints and tips

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Fear and loathing of exams

• How many of these do you agree with?
• I think I should have read everything on the
  course before sitting the exam
• I don't understand a lot about this course so it
  isn't worth taking the exam
• I'm going to be shown up as really stupid or a
  fraud
• If I fail these exams it's going to ruin my life
• The exams will show up all the holes in my
  education
• Exams are for people with good memories
• I don't understand what the exam questions are
  about
• People who can write quickly always do better in
  exams
• You've got to revise to the point of collapse
  before exams

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Fear and loathing of exams

• The mythology of exams

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Mythology of exams

• I think I should have read everything on the
  course
• Most people devote a lot of their time to what
  interests them.
• How practical is it to read everything about
  everything?
• There's a limit to what you can write in, say, a
  three hour exam.
• Work out how best you can use what you have done

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Mythology of exams

• I don't understand a lot about this course so it
  isn't worth taking the exam.
• Being clear about what you don't understand is
  the first step to understanding.
• Use the revision period to systematically review
  your learning and to
• seek the guidance and help of your friends and/or
  your tutors.
• Try to be positive, nobody understands
  everything,
• Everybody feels unprepared and confused at some
  time -
• You are not necessarily unprepared and confused
  about the same thing as your friends. Help each
  other.

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Mythology of exams

• I'm going to be shown up as really stupid or a
  fraud
• Tutors, by and large, don't want people to fail.
• They'll be looking for positive responses in the
  exams.
• Remember exams and other Sorts of assessments are
  partly there to help you and your tutor to
  identify areas where both you and others need
  extra help and guidance.

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Mythology of exams

• The exams will show up all the holes in my
  education.
• Exams create an atmosphere of anxiety which it's
  difficult to pin down.
• University exams are usually testing something
  specific not looking to categorise your intellect
  in general sense.
• Concentrate on what you've learned during the
  course not before the course.
• Always ask yourself 'What is this exam seeking to
  assess?

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Mythology of exams

• Exams are for people with good memories.
• University tutors are likely to be more
  interested in what you understand rather than in
  the the amount of facts that you know.
• A good memory for facts helps, but it does not
  replace understanding of principles
• Memory can in any case be helped by appropriate
  revision techniques.

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Mythology of exams

• I don't understand what the exam questions are
  about.
• Try not to panic when you look at past exam
  papers.
• In many cases the examiners will want to indicate
  important topics without answering the question
  for you.
• They'll also want to give you space to make your
  own arguments and judgements.
• Work on making the links between
• the exam questions and
• what's been signposted as significant during the
  course.

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Mythology of exams

• People who can write quickly always do better in
  exams.
• It's not quantity but quality that counts.
• Have your ideas and your exam Strategy planned.
• If you're particularly worried about your
  handwriting speed try practicing writing.
• If you've got a physical disability which may
  effect your handwriting speed, Seek help.

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Mythology of exams

• You've got to revise to the point of collapse
  before exams.
• Most people spend some time revising before
  exams.
• It's important to manage revision time
  effectively by planning time, revision content
  etc and leaving some space for yourself.
• Don't turn your social and personal life off just
  because of exams.
• Giving yourself some personal, recreational
  reward can positively help your revision.

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Revision Strategies
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When Should I start?

• There's no easy answer to this It's all tied
  into
• your personal preferences for Study,
• your other commitments and
• why you're studying.
• You'd be well advised, however, not to leave
  everything to the last minute or not to give any
  thought to a revision plan.

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Should I use past exam papers?

• Yes, this is an excellent idea but don't panic at
  first Sight of them look for
• The instructions telling you what to do
• The relationship between the questions and what
  you've studied on the course
• What sort of questions are asked
• The implications the structure of exam paper has
  for the way you approach the actual exam

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Should I revise the entire course?

• Only if the course objectives suggest that you
  should do so.
• Many exams are designed so as to allow you to be
  selective.
• If management of the course content is an issue
  be brutal in selecting those areas that you wish
  to revise for.

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Should I have an exam timetable?

• Yes, to fail to plan is to plan to fail.
• An exam timetable should identify time for
• Studying the last part of your course
• The parts of the course you have decided to
  revise
• Practice time for exam questions
• Rewards e.g. recreation time/'time off'.
• You'll probably be unable to stick to the
  timetable
• but it will give some idea of the scale/nature of
  the tasks in front of you.

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Should I have an exam timetable?

• Part of this planning exercise Should also
  involve you in sorting out your course materials.
  
• This will
• help you to make your material more accessible
• Give some form and structure to the course,
• help you to identify themes, issues etc.

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Should I try to identify key questions, issues
etc?

• This would be very, very helpful
• Ask yourself what are the critical elements of
  the course?
• What's the point of Studying X or Y or Z?
• Refer to your notes and those topics identified
  in the study guides.

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Is it worth writing new notes during revision?

• Yes. In particular it's a good idea to reduce
  notes to simple summary sheets.
• The process could work like this
• Condensed notes (from articles, textbooks,
  lectures etc) for a particular topic
• Summary sheet for a particular topic
• Mind maps can be useful here for identifying
  links
• This process will also help you to memorise
  factual and other material.

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Should I try answering past exam questions?

• Very useful approach
• You don't have to answer them in full, seek only
  to provide outline answers.
• Ask yourself
• What is the question actually asking?
• What evidence do I need from the course to answer
  it? Which course topics does it relate to?
• How Should I present my answer/argument?

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Should I try answering past exam questions?

• This will also give you practice in using the
  intellectual processes valued by university
  examiners.
• You could also consider trying to formulate your
  questions as a way of gaining insights into how
  examiners minds work,
• but remember many students have come to grief
  trying to spot questions!

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Exam Technique
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Exam Technique

• Start to write fairly quickly
• Take your best question first - or second
• Plan your answer to each question
• Draw up a time plan - and stick to it!
• Attempt all questions asked for
• Write legibly
• Do not cross out rough work
• Review

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Examiners pet hates

• Failing to answer the question set
• Failing to follow instructions
• Poor Presentation
• Failing to check for obvious errors

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Six helpful hints

• Read the rubric on the front of the exam paper
  and make sure you understand what you have to do
• Read all the questions through carefully before
  starting
• Answer the number of questions you were asked to
  no more, no less
• If you are stuck on a question, move on to the
  next one. It is much easier to get 40 on a
  question than it is to improve your mark from 50
  to 90
• Write your plan in the answer book. If you run
  out of time, it is probably worth a few marks.
• It is much easier to get full marks for a
  calculation than for an essay

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And Finally Remember

• Exams are a game
• Play by the rules and you will win!