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Online Study Skills Hub: Exam Preparation

Competencies essential for academic and professional success

Exam Preparation and Revision Introduction

Exam Preparation and Revision are crucial for success in university exams. Effective preparation involves organising your study materials, practicing recall, and refining exam techniques to perform well under pressure.

Exam Preparation:

  • Start Early: Begin revising well in advance of the exam to avoid last-minute cramming. This allows time for thorough understanding and retention of material.

  • Organize Study Materials: Gather notes, textbooks, and past papers. Create a study plan that covers all topics, allocating more time to challenging areas.

  • Active Learning: Engage with the material actively by summarizing notes, creating flashcards, teaching concepts to others, or practicing problem-solving. Active learning helps reinforce knowledge and improve recall.

  • Practice Past Papers: Familiarise yourself with the exam format by working through past papers under timed conditions. This helps you understand the types of questions asked and improves time management.

Revision Techniques:

  • Spaced Repetition: Review material at increasing intervals to strengthen long-term retention. This technique leverages the psychological spacing effect to enhance memory.

  • Mind Mapping: Use mind maps to visually organise information, showing connections between concepts. This can help with understanding complex topics and improving recall.

  • Mnemonics and Acronyms: Create mnemonics or acronyms to remember lists or key concepts. These memory aids can simplify recall during the exam.

Exam Writing:

  • Read Instructions Carefully: Begin by reading all instructions and questions carefully. Ensure you understand what is being asked before starting to write.

  • Time Management: Allocate time based on the marks assigned to each question. Spend more time on high-mark questions, but don’t neglect lower-mark ones.

  • Structured Answers: Plan your answers before writing. Use a clear structure with an introduction, main points, and a conclusion, particularly for essay-type questions. In technical subjects, show your workings clearly.

  • Review Your Work: If time permits, review your answers to check for errors, ensure clarity, and add any final thoughts.

Overall Strategy:

Effective exam preparation and revision involve a combination of early planning, active learning, and practice. By using techniques like spaced repetition, practicing past papers, and mastering exam writing strategies, university students can enhance their performance and approach exams with confidence.

Exam Preparation

It is Important to Remember:

  • Before you begin revising, try to create yourself a revision timetable and then make sure you stick to this as much as possible.

  • Follow the SQP4 Model for revision:  Survey, Question, Predict, Plan, Prepare and Practice.

 

Multiple Choice Questions

 

  • Read the question carefully 
  • Before reading the options, what is your first instinct?
  • Some questions will be fairly easyto answer: answer those first to give you confidence.
  • Check everything has been answered and then STOP! Try not to second guess yourself.

 

Short Answer Questions

 

  • Look over the whole paper and give the questions a ‘can do’ rating. Check the marks allocated.
  • Start with a question you can do well.
  • Read all parts of the question so you know where it is heading (paying attention to any units, statistics, diagrams, extracts and the context).
  • Answer, remaining with  the timing you worked out beforehand. Move on – don’t get carried away by writing too much.
  • If you have time left over: Return to any incomplete questions. 
  • Proofread your answers for mistakes.

 

Essay and Long Answers 

 

Remember to plan short answers and essays before writing the answer – including an introduction, a few body paragraphs and a conclusion. 

  • 1: look at the question carefully.
  • 2: briefly list key points.
  • 3: work this into a plan (outline).
  • 4: flesh out to add extra details (facts, theories).
  • 5: begin writing your answer
  • 6: proofread.

Exam Checklist

Checklist 

Survey: I have -

  • Read the course aims and learning outcomes.
  • Found and analysed past exam papers.
  • The paper is ____ hours and I will have to answer ___ questions.
  • I am aware of the topics that are likely to be covered.
  • Question: I have –
  • Thought about my programme
  • I need to know _______________________
  • I need to learn ____________________

Prepare: I have – 

  • Gone through my exam folders and notes and have prepared condensed notes of everything I need to remember
  • Memorised my key points charts/mind maps
  • Recited my key points onto a recorder
  • Tested myself 
  • Reviewed my index cards with key points drawn on them
  • Drawn up a revision timetable and am following the schedule

Practicing: I am practicing –

  • Positive thinking
  • Brainstorming and planning answers
  • A plan for my essay questions ahead of time
  • Writing sample answers with notes
  • Writing sample answers without notes
  • I am ready and confident!