EXAMINATION SKILLS

INTRODUCTION What is examination ? o An examination is an assessment intended to measure a test taker`s knowledge, skills, aptitude or his physical fitness. What is skills ? o Skills is an ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities based on things and people through cognitive skills, technical skills and interpersonal skills.

I NITIAL PREPARATION Preparing for the examination begins right from the start. This is the best course of action : - a) Every day before class / lecture begins preview the material for 15 – 20 minutes. b) Attend every lecture. It might look simple but missing classes is the biggest mistake you might make. c) Take good / wise notes. d) Spend another 20 – 30 minutes after class / lecture going over the notes that you have taken. e) Use this time to get any confusing points cleared up in your head. f) Once a week, review the material to get a better and a complete view of the information.

PREPARING A STUDY SCHEDULE First and foremost you will need a examination study plan / schedule. Before that you should ask a few questions for yourself and answer them.  What is my schedule like during the week of exam ?  Do I have other exam or papers due ?  Will I have all week to prepare ?  Will I have to study over the weekend ?  How many pages of notes are there ?  How many chapters do I need to cover ? This questions will help you to answer one basic one which is, how much time will I need ?

STUDY METHODS Once you have a study schedule it's time to get to work. There is no one way to go about this. Below is a suggested steps of action : - 1) Get a blank piece of paper and list the material you need to study. Start with big topics and leave room for subtopics. 2) Do this step alone in your quiet study place. Read through each unit and paraphrase the content into smaller sections and study each one. 3) The next step is to work with someone else to clarify anything that is confusing, it`s either with your lecturer or with your course mate. 4) Now it's time to put the information into your brain for retrieval. 5) If the previous steps went well then all you have left is to work on weak areas and a general overview of the material.

PAST EXAMINATION PAPERS Using past examination papers is very useful strategy for your revision programme. Past examination papers allow you to test your knowledge, in depth on real degree questions. Trying to answer these degree questions can identify areas of weakness allowing you to revise areas you may otherwise have overlooked. Past examination papers will give a good indication of the level of difficulty you’re likely to experience in the actual examination. Often you will also see that in different years the papers revolve around specific key points and themes.

REVISION TIMETABLE FOR PAST EXAMINATION PAPERS Use a blank timetable and prepare your own study schedule for a set of examinations papers.It should include the following :-  A selection of the key topics you will need to revise in each subject  An assessment of how much time you will need to spend on each topic  An estimation, based on how much needs to be covered and how much time you will need to study each day.  A scheduled time to study each day.  Include scheduled time for leisure activities and rest.

EXAMINATION DAY You all feel some degree of anxiety upon discovering that you will be taking an examination. How could you not? Having someone other than your lecturer to invigilate is a scary notion.

EXAMINATION DAY TIPS Not everyone may need additional support in this area but it is worthwhile spending some time familiarising yourself with these stress reducing strategies. This are the following tips :-  Relax and get a good night’s sleep the night before.  Prepare yourself the night before. Organize pencils, pens, a calculator, a bottle of water and earplugs.  Eat breakfast. It is essential for the energy you’ll need for the test.  Give yourself plenty of time to arrive calmly at the examination hall.  Sit down on a bench and take some deep breaths.  Do not study on the examination day.  Don’t panic if you seem to forget something. It’s normal when you are nervous. It’ll come to you in the test.  When the examination paper is given to you, write down on an extra sheet of paper, any formulas.  Try to pace yourself.  If you don’t know a question, skip it and come back to it later.  After the test, let it go. Stop thinking about it and do something to reward yourself.

EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS Every test or examination has instructions. These are usually printed on the examination cover sheet. It is very important that you study them in detail before you start writing.

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS When you look at an examination question read it more than once so you are absolutely clear about what is required. Identify the scope of the question, how much detail will the answer require? For the important questions, before you put pen to paper, spend a few minutes developing a small plan or outline to your answer. This way you can create a structured answer that covers all the information you have learned in a logical manner.

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