Exam Prep Session Planning and Preparing for Final Exams Ancaster High School – Student Success

Important Dates / Times  Monday January 25 th – Last Day of Classes  Tuesday January 26 th – Friday January 29 th : Final Exams  January 26 th – Period 1 Exams (Note: on a Day 1 schedule)  January 27 th – Period 2 Exams  January 28 th – Period 3 Exams  January 29 th – Period 4 Exams  All exams begin at 9:00am. If you are late, you need to report to the main office first. You will only have the remaining time in the exam when you arrive to the room (e.g., if the exam started at 9:00am and ended at 10:30 and you arrive at 10:00am, you would only have 30 minutes to complete the exam).  What happens if the school is closed? (e.g., snow day).  Exams will be bumped back one day (e.g., if the snow day is on Tuesday, you will write your Tuesday exam when you return on Wednesday, the original Wednesday exam would be then be written on Thursday and so on).  Monday February 1 st – Exam Conflicts / Inclement Weather  Thursday February 4 th – Semester 2 Begins

Exam room rules  You may only bring into the room the materials required for the exam.  Bags, coats, cell phones, etc. should be placed in your lockers.  Students finishing their exam or culminating activity early, must sit quietly until the end of the assigned time.  At the end of the assigned time, students are to leave the school QUIETLY and quickly, as other exams may still be in progress.

What to expect…  Where do I write my exams?  In the room where you have your class each day unless your teacher has told you otherwise.  What do I bring to the exam?  It is best to ask each teacher as the needs will vary – pens, pencils, rulers, and erasers are standard materials.  How much is the exam worth?  20% of your final grade (most classes) – we will get to this in more detail later.  How long is the exam?  60, 75, 90 or 120 (for some senior level classes) minutes.  When can I leave the exam?  At the end of the allotted exam time. If you finish your 60 minute exam in 45 minutes, you will be there for the entire 60 minutes.

What type of exam is it?  Ask your classroom teacher about the types of questions that will be asked on the final exam.  The final exam will contain the types of questions you have seen throughout the semester on assignments, tests, etc. – think of it as a somewhat longer test.  Ask your teacher for hints, look at previous unit tests, complete exam review sheets – this will help to prepare you for the types of questions you will see on the exam.

How do I study?  What type of learner are you?  Visual – read, draw and use mnemonics.  Auditory – quiz yourself with a friend.  Kinesthetic / Tactile – write review notes, ‘cheat sheets’  Complete the ‘Learning Styles Inventory’ provided to gauge your learning style and look at the suggestions for additional strategies.

Examples of mnemonics  ‘BEDMAS’  ‘PURPLE’ study tips:  Plan and organize which subjects to study 1 st, 2 nd …  Uninterrupted time  Review notes and tests  Prepare study notes / key terms  Location to study  Eat well and sleep well – very important

Exam Day  Be on time  Be prepared – with necessary materials  Write your name  Survey the exam first  First choice question – the one you are confident of the answer  Do what is asked: compare, explain, define…  Think before you answer – what do you want to say?  Neat and clear writing  Check over your exam – go back to missed questions

Exam Plan  Prepare now  Extra help?  Your teacher – ask, they want you to be successful!  Student Success (Room 218)  Learning Resource (Room 103)  Don’t cram! (Toronto Star – November 15, 2013: Mom and Dad were right – research proves cramming for tests is bad)

Frequently asked questions  What mark do I need to pass?  80% = term mark + culminating  20% = exam mark  What is my mark now?  Example: 70% going into the final exam  0.70 x 80 = 56 (you have 56/80)