Preparation for your personal best examination performance: MCQ & Unseen School of Nursing & Midwifery Dr. Tamara O’Connor Student Learning Development Student Counselling Service Trinity College Dublin

Learning Objectives Explore a framework for managing exams Learn about active examination preparation strategies Rehearse performance at your personal best – exam taking strategies for MCQ & short answer

Examinations As an Event Sport performance –Skills development –Fitness training Strength Stamina –Performance rehearsal Academic performance –Learning new material –Revision Understanding Memory –Performance rehearsal

Personal Best Performance By managing: Planning = Game Plan Revision = Fitness training Practice = Performance Rehearsal Exam Taking = Performance Event Performance Anxiety

Know Yourself What are your exam concerns? Why? What do you do well? What could you do better? How do you study? What strategies do you use to prepare? How do you manage your stress?

Learn from the past Get detailed information about what your exam paper looks like Identify and revise topics you do not know well What works for you?

Revision – Fitness Training MCQ Exams recognition & accurate knowledge Applying concepts and definition

MCQ Format Which of the following is false: a. b. c. d.

Thus for revision: Think vocabulary, words, terms, concepts, systems Make flash cards & test yourself Recite for precision Verbal & visual strategies to check mastery Create summary sheets, diagrams, charts, tables, mind maps

Go! Conditioned Reflex – MCQ Practice Read each question carefully Circle key words or negatives Identify modifiers and qualifiers (e.g. only, never, sometimes) Anticipate answer before looking at options Read all options before making choice Check before marking answer Leave time at end

The following are all bones of the skull except: a.Parietal bone b.Temporal bone c.Tarsal bone d.Frontal bone

The function of dendrites is to: a.slow down nerve impulses b.provide myelin coating for nerve c.synthesize neurotransmitters d.pick up nerve signals

Revision – Fitness Training Short Answer knowledge understanding key ideas/facts at basic level Applying concepts and definition

Go! Conditioned Reflex – Short Answer Practice Deconstruct the question Think in own words Find and use key words Show what you know: Define key words, concepts, theories Complete sentences Stay relevant

Outline the structure of fats OR carbohydrates Choose question What are they looking for? How would I answer this? How would I revise in order to be able to answer this? Practice answering this type of question, varying topic

Some tips about Seen Questions Not an essay, you have a limited time to answer More depth than unseen question Start practising: –Work on what’s relevant to question –Make diagrams –Write out answers – timing and quality So how would you revise?

Outline and briefly discuss the three main approaches to understanding and defining stress Stress – what is it? 3 main theories Compare & contrast – definitions, causes, etc. Examples

Rehearse performing at your personal best Practice by anticipating questions Practice by answering old exam Q Mark your own answers Practice – un-timed and timed Simulate exam conditions

What If? Know your potential examination anxiety Simulate coping with exam anxiety at home Practice “time out” in place and other recovery strategies Maintain your physical and mental health

Review Use these exams as practice Critique your preparations and execution – What would you do differently next time? Pay attention to any feedback you get Start revising early!!

Keys to Your Personal Best Preparation –Organisation –Approach strategically Fitness training using active revision strategies Performance rehearsal using practice and simulation Control

For all your study skills needs: Go to: Student Learning Development