1. Last Minute
Exam
Preparation
Dr. Mark Matthews
Student Learning

3. Exam Preparation
Start with the Exam – What do I need to know to do well
Plan your Revision: What questions am I going to answer
Make Notes: Revision Aids
Practice Recall: Check what you know
Practise Questions: Exam Simulation
timed brainstorming
timed writing

4. Reasons for losing marks Practice On the Day
Doing Well in Exams
Grading
Reasons for losing marks
Practice
On the Day
Sources:
Exam Stress Guide, SU & Student Learning
How to Do Badly in Examinations, Dr. Frank Bannister

5. Grading

6. Grading I Thorough, deep understanding
Critical thinking, insight, creativity
Well written
Nearly all points
II.I
Good grasp of subject
Critical & Analytical thinking
Logical Clear Presentation
Nearly all key points

7. Grading II.II Solid Answer Knowledge beyond lectures Good on facts
Writing good, some structure
III
Knowledge Facts, but little insight
Narrow/ No critical thought
Poorly written / incoherent F
Little Factual Content & Errors

8. Where marks
are lost

9. Writing out the question Writing out multiple choice
Time Wasting
Writing out the question
Writing out multiple choice
Pointless Definitions

10. Unbalanced Answers Maximum gains for time are in
the early stages of your answer
Plan your time in advance
Rehearse producing quality
work in time available
Equal Time for Equal Marks
If an idea for a future question “pops into your head”,
make some very brief notes so that you don’t loose it and
go straight back to the answer you are working on
If you have completed an answer and something relevant
that you have left out “pops into your head”, go back and
add the information as dot points at the end of your
answer. Do not try to fit it in over your original script – time
and legibility

11. Equal time for equal marks
Leave time at beginning (to plan) and end (to check) paper.
Question 3
40 minutes
Question 4
40 minutes
Question 1
40 minutes
Question 2
40 minutes
Know how much you can write in the time

12. What is meant by each of the following data
Over-complication
What is meant by each of the following data
mining terms? In each case, include a
simple example to illustrate your answer.
Decision trees;
Clustering;
Accuracy;
Coverage.
(8 Marks)
Why avoid?
Save time
Sometimes good for confidence

13. Overcomplication
Decision trees are used in data mining as a way of progressively
breaking down data into groups. As this happens, the number in each
classification may be noted. A customer database may break down as
70% male, 30% female. The males may be divided into those that
spend over €1,000 a year with us (90%) and those that do not (10%).
The same subdivision for female shows that only 2% of females spend
over €1,000 with us. The high spending males break-down into 77%
under 30 and 23% over 30 years of age. When females are divided
into high and low spending, it might be found that 80% of high spenders
are repeat customers and 20% are not. Low spending females, on the
other hand, might be 90% non repeating customers. A parallel analysis
of high spending male customers might show that…

14. Padding
What is meant by a work breakdown structure? Illustrate your answer with an example. (6 marks)
Work breakdown structures are important. They are used in all projects including civil,
mechanical and electrical engineering projects as well as software projects. Work
breakdown structures decompose the work to be done in a project into successively
smaller components. The result is a hierarchical structure. This is usually done by the
project manager, but may be done by sub managers or engineers. Being able to prepare
a work breakdown is an important project management skill and needs experience.
Specialist engineers may be required to complete a WBS where specialised work is
involved. The work breakdown structure enables the project manager to estimate more
accurately and later on helps in controlling the project. A typical breakdown may start
with a project being divided into phases, stages, activities and tasks. The lowest level in
the breakdown is usually a task though occasionally task may be further subdivided into
sub-task or even steps. The number of tasks in a project can be very large. The absence of a work
breakdown structure can cause problems in a project as it may not be possible to estimate accurately
or assign work effectively. If the work breakdown structure is not complete in some way, then the
project is almost certain to overrun. One project manager was quoted as saying that a good work
breakdown structure is of ‘monumental importance’. A proper work breakdown structure is normally
coded with a simple numeric coding system. The work breakdown structure may also be reflected in a
Gantt chart. A Gantt chart is a sort of horizontal bar chart used for showing the timing and duration of
the various stages of a project.

15. Taking a long time to get to the point Irrelevance Repetition
Unnecessary content
Taking a long time to get to the point
Irrelevance
Repetition
Present what you know
Add Value
Get to the point
Time wasting

16. Think about your examiner
Above All the biggest reason for losing marks is poor handwriting

17. Poor Handwriting is one of the biggest reasons for losing marks

18. Not the same level as assessment Keep your writing simple
Short sentences
Few sub-clauses
Practice writing
Avoid unsupported value judgements
- “World War II was really important.”

19. Not Answering the Question
Demonstrating that you understand the question is the first step in producing an answer
How you structure your answer is as important as what you know
More is not necessarily better

20. First of All Understand what is being asked Only answer the QUESTION
Do not include irrelevant material
Understand the format in which your answers are required
Practice answering previous exam questions
Simulate Exam Conditions
Outline
Headings
Clear Writing
Clear Language
Practice
Use subject-specific headings
Stick to your plan
Know how much you can write in the time
Say why the issues raised by the question are important

21. Practice
Biggest Reason for Losing Marks

22. Would you sit your driving test without ever driving a car?

23. Practice makes perfect…

25. audio (podcasts, your voice etc.) Anything else?
Study Aids
– index cards
mind-maps
audio (podcasts, your voice etc.)
Anything else?
Outputs of Revision

26. Bring the exam hall into your study space Role play doing the exam
The key to both intellectual and emotional preparation for exams is simulation
The closer a simulation is to the actual event, the more likely it is that preparation will be effective
Bring the exam hall into your study space
Role play doing the exam
Take your study space into the exam hall
Deconstruct the question:
Restate the question in your own words
Find and use the key words
Show that you know what the point of the question is by defining the key words/concepts/theories/etc
Say how you are going to answer the question

27. Develop Your Technique Deconstruct the question:
Conditional Reflex
Develop Your Technique
Deconstruct the question:
Restate the question in your own words
Find and use the key words
Show that you know what the point of the question is by defining the key words/concepts/theories/etc
Say how you are going to answer the question

28. Develop your technique
Deconstruct the question first
Do quick outline
Rough notes under headings
Then begin to write your answer
Practice this

29. Steps to Practice Get sample exam questions
Practice your starting procedures
Practice analysing questions (5 mins)
Practice generating ideas (5 mins)
Practice developing a structure (5 mins)
Practice writing Introduction (5 mins)
Practice past exam questions (timed and un timed)
Mark your own answers as critically as possibly

30. Exam Preparation
Start with the Exam – What do I need to know to do well
Plan your Revision: What questions am I going to answer
Make Notes: Revision Aids
Practice Recall: Check what you know
Practise Questions: Exam Simulation
timed brainstorming
timed writing

31. Upcoming Workshops Managing Exam Nerves
Thursday, August 24th, pm

32. Exam Revision Workshop32

33. Student Learning Development
Thank you for your time
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