Exam Technique Mr. McAteer

Today we will address 4 main areas: Introduction Today we will address 4 main areas: Pre-pre exam Pre exam During exam Post exam

Pre-Pre Exam You can’t control what's going to be on the exam. What you can control is your preparation: “If you’re really sacrificing your sleep for that cramming, it’s not going to be as effective as you think, and it may actually be counterproductive,” says study author Andrew J. Fuligni, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA.

Plan for transport delays Pre Exam Up at 7am Stay positive Shower Water Breakfast Stationery Leave early Plan for transport delays

Relax your shoulders: make sure that they are not up around your ears! Check the obvious: are you in the right room, at the right desk? Run through in your mind the last minute facts that you need to remember. Relax your tongue: it is a large muscle and will help relax your whole upper body. Breathe deeply for a few seconds: concentrate on breathing out fully. Breathe deeply again once more just before you look at the paper.

Read through the exam from start to finish. During the Exam Read through the exam from start to finish. Write down the time you must move onto the next question so that you have time to answer the right number. It is easier to pass if you answer the right number of questions rather than to write a few good answers. Leave about five minutes each to check through essay answers at the end. Number each question. Leave space between each answer so that you can add in points later if necessary. Read the questions slowly. Highlight key points. Ensure you have really taken in what each question says as it is easy to misread questions or miss parts of questions when you are in an exam.  Check the back of the paper to see if there are further questions – many people forget to do this. 

Plan your answers using mind maps & acronyms. During the Exam Plan your answers using mind maps & acronyms. Write answers to the questions you have selected. Avoid regurgitating answers you gave for coursework. You will only get marks for material that answers the question.   Structure your answers just as you would for coursework. Essays should have an clear line of reasoning, a well structured argument, an introduction and a conclusion.  If you go blank, brainstorm words and ideas onto a sheet of rough paper or onto the back page. These will eventually begin to stimulate your ideas. Leave a space and go onto something you can do rather than sitting with the same problem. The information will probably come back to you later – and if it doesn’t, it may not be critical. Find a point of calm. Breathe slowly.  Check through your answers at the end. You will find parts that do not make sense because you have missed out a key word or point. Add these in neatly in the text or at the bottom of the page.

Post Exam Do not dissect the exam paper when you are finished. Do not spend time going through notes and text books to check answers. Try and plan yourself a reward after each exam. Something simple to reward your hard work before your next one.