Exam+Technique

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** Exam Technique ** ** Practising Output ** To prepare for an exam, **//you must practice doing what the exam requires you to do; giving out information, not taking it in!//** This applies to regular class tests as well as the final exams.

Prior to June, you will probably have had the benefit of many class tests and some modular exams where the GCSE conditions are simulated for your benefit – you can learn a lot by reflecting honestly on your performance in these tests. You also have the benefit of a wealth of freely available information about the exams. Past exam papers, marking schemes, study guides and examiners reports are all there to be used.
 * ** Make use of past papers ** These should be your constant companion in all revision tasks. For each topic you revise, consult the past questions on this subject and then attempt answers to them. Check your answers, fill in the 'knowledge gaps' where necessary, and file away the correct 'model answer' in your notes for future reference. You will also start to notice any trends in the questions asked.


 * ** Follow the marks ** Marking schemes are an invaluable aid to exam preparation (available online from DfES, AQA, etc). You can see how the marks are allocated for each question on the paper and what quantity or style of answer is required in each case. This knowledge will greatly inform your revision work and helps to remove the mystique of the exam.

** Try a dress rehearsal ** Each exam paper contains its own particular structure and challenge, with varying emphasis on answering style and depth. While much of your ongoing revision will be based on individual topics and questions, it is a very useful exercise to tackle an exam paper in its totality (at least once before June). It forces you to consider your strategy – the questions you will want to attempt or avoid, the issues of timing, the number of points you will need to make in each part of a question. Having performed this exercise a couple of times, your confidence levels rise as you fix on your strategy for the exam and realise that there can't be any major surprises for you in June.

** The Examiner's View ** You can largely determine the end result by simply heeding the voice of experience. The job of examiners is to give you marks, not to take them away, but they are powerless to help you if you fall into the most common traps. These are the **biggest pitfalls** they have identified:


 * ** Not reading the paper correctly ** Examiners say that this is one of the most regular and fatal errors. They call it the //'triggered answer'//. You have your pre-prepared answer ready but you don't look at the exact terms of the question and therefore supply the wrong information in your answer.


 * ** Not finishing the paper ** Mismanaging your time within the exam can easily cost you a full grade. The biggest exam 'crime' is to leave suitable questions unattempted. **//Remember: it is much easier to get the first 20% of the marks for any question than the last 5%.//** Therefore, if you find yourself stuck for time as you struggle through your third answer out of five, do not spend your remaining time extending and perfecting that answer. Instead, move on to questions four and five, even if your attempt is sketched or in point form. If you have answered only three questions instead of five, the highest mark you can get is 60%.


 * ** Ignoring the marking scheme ** You must take the marking scheme into account when you allocate time to each question or part of a question. If the marks allotted to a question clearly indicate that a few paragraphs are sufficient, do not write an essay on the subject. Avoid the temptation of writing everything you know about a topic – just give the appropriate amount of information.


 * ** Repetition ** Make the point once. There are no extra marks for restating facts, even if you phrase them differently. Examiners say repetition is a very common mistake. It is also a time-waster and an irritant.


 * ** Missing part of a question ** Sometimes, part of a question can be carried onto the next page and, in the pressure of the moment, you don't see it. As a consequence you might fail to do a compulsory part of a question or miss out on the chance to take an option that would have suited you better. Always take time to familiarise yourself with the whole paper before you start answering it.


 * ** Irrelevant quotations ** In literary subjects, don't use irrelevant quotations you may have learned off, as it only irritates the examiner.


 * ** Rough work ** Include your rough work with your exam script – you might get some credit for formulae or calculations contained therein.

** Performing on the Day **


 * ** Get a good night's sleep ** While the temptation is to stay up half the night 'cramming' in more facts and figures, the evidence suggests this approach is counter-productive. In the context of a two-year course, an extra night's studying can make very little difference to your knowledge. However, having a mind that is refreshed, alert, and ready to respond to circumstances will obviously be of far greater benefit.


 * ** Arrive in plenty of time ** To perform well on the day, you need to be relaxed and to feel in control of the situation. This is difficult to achieve if you have missed breakfast and are stuck on a bus in traffic or standing on a train for 45 minutes as the exam time approaches. You will need about 15 minutes 'quiet time' to mentally rehearse your exam and run through your 'game plan' for the final time.


 * ** Have your equipment ready ** Each exam has its own requirements. Apart from properly functioning pens, pencils, rulers, etc, you may need a calculator for the Maths or Science exam. Drawing pencils may be required for diagrams in some subjects. A lot of nervous energy can be expended on last-minute hassle if these items aren't checked in advance.


 * ** Think positive ** On the day of the exam, remind yourself of the good things (the material you know well, the revision you have completed, all the past exam questions done, the good grades achieved) rather than dwelling on areas of weakness. Having that self-belief will give you the confidence to trust your judgement within the exam hall and 'hit the target'.


 * ** Maintain your focus ** There can be a lot of tension, drama, and hysteria in the air on the days of an exam. You want to keep the balance between maintaining your focus and interacting normally with your friends and classmates. Try finding a quiet spot //far from the madding crowd// to 'warm-up' before each exam and 'warm-down' afterwards. Surround yourself with people who are likely to add to the calm rather than add to the clamour.


 * ** Beware of post-exam analysis ** The more you participate in the exam post-mortem, the more confused and disheartened you are likely to become. You can't change what has happened, you can only focus on the present and this will need your full attention.

** Top Tips on Exam Strategy **

Success in exams involves two ingredients - having a thorough knowledge of the subject matter AND making the most of your knowledge in the exam through effective answering technique. Two students with identical knowledge and attainment levels can sit the same exam and their final grades can differ by as much as 25%. The difference is down to having an effective strategy and exam technique.

// Here are four golden rules to apply to all your papers // The importance of reading the paper carefully and choosing your questions wisely cannot be emphasised enough at this stage. The natural inclination is always to start writing immediately and launch into a favoured topic. Resist the urge. Take your time. Be smart and size-up the paper before answering. An overall strategy should have emerged from your revision and exam preparation in each subject. This covers the areas you will tackle, the topics you will avoid if they appear on the paper, the sequence in which you will tackle the various sections, the style of answering you will employ in each subject, the amount of time you will allocate to answering each section. In some cases, this plan will work like a dream but there will always be surprises to deal with in some papers. Don't get flustered. Stick to your game plan, trust your judgement, and move on. In the pressure of the exam hall, it is easy to make elementary errors. These will sometimes have the potential to lose you a lot of valuable marks. Misreading the instruction on a question can render an entire answer invalid. You might have known the correct answer, but you didn't put it down. A simple miscalculation can lose you valuable time as you try to figure out the balancing item. Be disciplined with your time. Always leave a few minutes at the end to tidy-up errors. Simply changing a definition / formula / calculation at this stage could be the difference between a good and an average grade. It is amazing how many exam scripts are handed up unfinished. Every year, capable students who just didn’t get time to finish the paper lose easy marks. Don't fall into this trap. Work on the basis that you will get an answer written for the required number of questions. Remember that it is much easier to get the first 20% of the marks for any question than the final 5%. You can always polish an answer further but, if there is no attempt made at part of a question, the examiner can't give you any marks. BUT if the instructions on the front of the paper tell you to answer a certain number of questions – stick to this - don’t answer too many!
 * ** Allow time to read the paper carefully **
 * ** Stick to your game plan **
 * ** Sweep up any mistakes **
 * ** Attempt all questions **

** Key terms used in examination questions ** Explain the process or reason for something being the way it is. || ** Discuss ** Explore the subject by looking at its advantages and disadvantages (for & against). Come to a judgement. || Explore the main ideas of the subject, show they are important and how they are related. || ** Distinguish ** Explain the difference. || Find out using mathematics. || ** Enumerate ** Make a list of the points under discussion. || Discuss the subject, explain it and give an opinion on it. || ** Estimate ** Guess the amount or value. || Show the similarities and differences. || ** Explain ** Describe, giving reasons and causes. || Finish off. || ** Express ** Put the ideas into words. || Decide after reasoning something out. || ** Evaluate ** Give an opinion by exploring the + & - It’s asking you to assess. Support your argument with expert opinion. || Short and brief. || ** Factors ** The fact or circumstances that contribute to a result. || Show the differences ~ compare and contrast Qs are very common in exams – they want you to say how something is similar and how it may be different too. || ** Give an account of ** Describe. || Analyse and make a judgement or give an opinion. Show both the + & - points. You could refer to an expert’s opinion. || ** Give reasons for ** Use words like **//because//** in your answer as you will be explaining how or why something is that way. || Give the meaning. This should be short. || ** Identify ** Prove something as being certain. || Give a detailed account. || ===== ** Illustrate ** ===== Show by explaining & giving examples. || Explore and explain the difference. || ===== ** Indicate ** ===== Point out, make something known. || Explain the meaning by using examples and opinions. || ===== ** Relate ** ===== Show the connection between things. || Give a good reason for offering an opinion. || ** State ** Write briefly the main points. || An item-by-item record of relevant images. This would normally be in note form without any need to be descriptive. || ===== ** Summarise ** ===== Give the main points of an idea or argument. Leave out unnecessary details that could cloud the issue. || Concentrate on the main bits of the topic or item. Ignore the minor detail. || ===== ** Trace ** ===== Show how something has developed from beginning to end. || Give real evidence, not opinion, which proves an argument & shows it to be true. ||^  ||
 * ==== ** Account for ** ====
 * ** Analyse **
 * ** Calculate **
 * ** Comment on **
 * ** Compare **
 * ** Complete **
 * ** Conclude **
 * ** Concise **
 * ** Contrast **
 * ** Criticise **
 * ** Define **
 * ** Describe **
 * ** Differentiate **
 * ===== ** Interpret ** =====
 * ===== ** Justify ** =====
 * ===== ** List ** =====
 * ** Outline **
 * ===== ** Prove ** =====

** Answering Exam Questions ** 1. Scan **all** the questions.

2. Mark all the questions you could answer.

3. Read these questions carefully.

4. Choose the correct number of questions in each section.

5. Decide on an order: **//best answers first//**.

6. Divide up your time, allowing more time for the questions with the most marks.

7. __ Underline __ the key words in the question.

8. Plan your answer.

9. Stick to the point of the question.

10. Write your answer.

11. Use the plan at every stage – e.g. every paragraph.

12. Check your answer against the plan. Look out for mistakes.

13. If you have time, re-read the questions and your answers and make any necessary corrections.