Revision and Exam Skills Designed By: The Writing Centre The British University in Egypt (BUE) Adapted from BUE study skills Guidance for success (2006-2007)

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Revision and Exam Skills This skill offers some essential tips for effective revision and exam strategies. These tips range from your revision to your exam questions.

Part One: Revision Key Revision Tips: Do not leave your revision until too late. Draw up a revision timetable. Start off with a smaller number of hours and increase these week by week.

Key Revision Tips (continued) Plan Not to work longer than three hours a time. For every hour you work take ten minutes off. Work with other students in group revision sessions to discuss topics and share information.

Key Revision Tips (continued) Summarise your notes which you took in your lectures or from books (See the following chart). Gather notes taken from books, tutorials, course booklet, lectures and group discussion. Classify the notes into topics Summarise the notes into main points

Key Revision Tips (continued) Practice answering questions from past exam papers under timed conditions. Do not focus on certain questions coming up in the exam. Instead, prioritise topics. Eat well, practice exercise and do not go straight to bed after revision. RELAX

Part Two: Exam Skills The most common mistake in any exam is to misunderstand a question or set of instructions. Thus, to avoid this common mistake you have to be aware of certain good techniques to deal with exam questions.

Tips to follow Before the Exam Tips to follow During the Exam Tips to follow After the Exam

Tips to follow BEFORE the Exam Ask yourself these WH questions: When is the exam? Where is the exam? What time does it start? What will you need to take into the exam hall? What are you allowed to take into the exam hall?

Tips to follow DURING the Exam: Listen to the instructions given Read the instructions on the paper carefully Read through the paper carefully

Tips to follow DURING the Exam (continued): Make sure you have answers to these questions: How many questions are there? How many questions are required to answer? How long do I have to answer the questions? How much time do I need for each question?

Tips to follow DURING the Exam(continued): What type of questions are there? - Short answers - Multiple choice - Structured questions - Essays Are some questions compulsory?

Tips to follow DURING the Exam(continued): Decide the order of answering the questions Look carefully at the mark allocation for each question to help you to set your time correctly Start with the questions you feel most confident about

Tips to follow DURING the Exam(continued): Read the question carefully 2 or 3 times Highlight the key words to help you to be focused. Brainstorm the question (in the margin of your answer sheet) Be Selective from the information you know when answering the questions

Tips to follow DURING the Exam(continued): Plan and structure your answer (Introduction, Body and Conclusion) Check that the information you wrote is relevant to the question Allow some time at the end to revise your answer Write clearly and legibly.

Tips to follow AFTER the Exam It is a good chance to review your exam strategies. You should ask yourself the following yes/no questions: Have I revised efficiently? Did I succeed in identifying the key phrases or words? Did I fulfill all of the exam’s requirements?

What Does the Question Mean? Interpreting and analysing the question is the most important factor in helping you to gain more marks. This process requires you to ask yourself what am I being asked to do? In order to answer this question, you will need to highlight and interpret common key words in the question.

Common Key Words Account for Explains the cause of Analyse Separates down into its component parts and show how they interrelate with each other Annotate Puts notes on (usually a diagram) Assess/ Evaluate Estimates the value of, looking at both the positive and negative attributes Comment To make critical or explanatory notes/observations Compare Pints out the differences and the similarities. This question needs to be carefully organised to produce a logical answer Contrast Points out the differences only   Review To make a survey of, examining the subject critically   Suggest This question may not have a fixed answer. Give arrange of responses Describe Writes down the information in the right order    Discuss Presents arguments for and against the topic in question. In discussion questions you may also give your opinion Distinguish Identifies the difference between Explain The word ‘explain’ means that you have to give reasons. You have to explain why rather than just define Justify Here you will need to present a valid argument about why a specific theory or conclusion should be accepted Outline Gives the main features or general principles of a subject, omitting minor details and stressing structure   Relate Either to show ideas or events is linked into a sequence OR to compare or contrast  

Revision and Exam Skills For more information on test taking and avoiding test anxiety, visit the following websites: http://www.testtakingtips.com/test/index.htm http://www.studygs.net/tsttak1.htm http://www.ulc.psu.edu/studyskills/test_taking.html http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl/teststrat.html http://www.mta.ca/counselling/study.pdf