FOUR TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOU NAIL YOUR EXAM
Posted on 8 May 2017 by Nick Chubb
The exam period is upon us! You spent hours, days, hopefully weeks revising everything you need to know to nail your upcoming exam. There’s just one road block between you and academic success. The exam itself! Unfortunately, there is more to passing than just subject knowledge. There is a technique to exams which can be the key difference between success and a re-sit. Don’t panic though, here are four tips and techniques to get you through:
SLOW DOWN
One of the first mistakes people make when they open their exam paper is throw themselves headfirst into question one. When you first open your paper read the whole thing through carefully (including the back page!), pause, then (and only then) start answering questions.
Before you start each question take a deep breath. A 2016 study showed a strong link between breathing patterns and mathematical ability. During the study, students who practised shallow breathing reported higher levels of anxiety and more difficulty solving maths problems than students who practised slow breathing.
Writing slowly also helps. It keeps mistakes to a minimum and gives you time to properly formulate your thoughts before they get committed to the answer sheet.
Keep it slow, and keep it smooth.
HAVE A PLAN
This is not your first rodeo, or at least it shouldn’t be. If all of your revision and prep has gone to plan you should have done at least one mock exam and a number of practice papers in the last few months.
If there is a choice of questions to answer consider carefully which ones you will choose and also the order in which you should tackle them. Timing your questions is crucial to your success. If each answer carries the same number of marks make sure that you divide the time you have so that you spend the same amount of time on each. If you run out of time and cannot answer the last question you will be throwing away a large number of potential marks. Even if the answers you have completed are perfect you cannot gain the higher grades:
- 25/25 + 25/25 + 25/25 + 0/25 = 75/100 = Grade B
- 20/25 + 20/25 + 20/25 + 20/25 = 80/100 = Grade A
As a rough guide allow 10 minutes reading time at the beginning and end of the exam, then divide the number of minutes left by the number of marks available. For example, on a two-hour exam with 50 marks available: you have 20 minutes reading time and 100 minutes to answer questions. This gives you roughly 2 minutes per mark or 20 minutes for a 10 mark question.
Most exams (particularly for national qualifications) are very formulaic and over the course of a few practice papers you should be able to determine two things:
- How long does each type of question take to answer?
- How valuable is each question type?
There’s no point spending 20 minutes on a two mark question, equally you don’t want to rush the 10 mark questions because you’re running low on time. Prioritise the questions you answer based on the marks available, the time it will take to answer, and whether you know the answer (hopefully this last one should never enter the equation. For essay type questions it is important to plan your answer first by jotting down the main headings to guide you through so that you avoid “waffle”!
If you have an idea in your head before you go in of the sort of questions you need to prioritise and how much time to allot to each question you can keep yourself in check and be sure that time and marks don’t run away from you.
READ EVERYTHING TWICE
Read every question twice before putting pen to paper. To be sure that went in: READ EVERY QUESTION TWICE BEFORE PUTTING PEN TO PAPER! We all make mistakes, especially when we are put under pressure. A missed comma here or a misread word there can totally change the meaning of a question. Be 100% certain you know what the examiner is asking of you before you start your answer.
If you’ve planned your time well enough you should also have enough time to read your answer once you’ve finished. Reading through your answer with fresh eyes can really help when it comes to picking up those few extra marks. A missed comma here or misspelt word there can totally change the meaning of your answer and there’s no chance to explain to the examiner what you are trying to say once the time is up. You need to be sure that they will be able to completely understand your answer to have the best chance of getting top marks. Remember also that marks can be deducted for poor spelling and punctuation.
DON’T PANIC
Through your chosen career you should be well used to being put into stressful situations and handling them with grace and professionalism but exams have the ability to bring even the most salty of seafarers to tears. Ominous memories of “cruel” teachers and sweaty school halls are seared on the mind of many adult learners. Bad experiences in the past and a fear of failure make it easy to let panic set in as the exam paper is turned over. As long as you take it slow, read everything carefully, and follow your plan there is no need to panic.
You have worked hard to get to this point, if ever you feel like panic is setting in just remember: this isn’t a test, it’s a chance for you to show off your knowledge and skill. You’ve got this!
