On rare occasions you can fluke an exam, but more often than not you'll only do well with good preparation and quality revision. Mark Sanderson, Senior Lecturer in Equine Studies/Course Manager BSc Equine, of Bishop Burton College, provides some vital tips for ensuring exam success...
It's coming soon - the end of term and the summer holiday to look forward to. But before then there's that dreaded time: the exams. You need to do your best and you can do it! You will feel nervous - everyone does - it's a key part of wanting to do well, but if you have revised and are confident, you will get those extra marks.
The key to success is good preparation. You will be examined on what you have been taught, so make sure you have made useful notes during the year, attended classes, done any extra reading you were asked to and clarified anything you were uncertain of. A good set of notes is the key to good revision.
Revision Planning
Thorough planning and effective revision means you will be prepared for the exam itself. Make sure you know when and where your exam is, so you get there on time (may sound obvious, but if you do not make the exam, you will fail!). Also check in plenty of time if you need any special equipment for the exam and that you have sufficient pens, pencils and a rubber to take with you.
Time management is critical, but exams are not the only event of your life and revision needs to be balanced with other commitments (horses, jobs, family etc!). It's a good idea to start your revision at least three weeks prior to your first exam, and to make a revision schedule to keep you on track. You should consider things such as: how many exams; how many days to revise in; how many hours per day are available for revision and how you wish to rotate the revision topics so you do not get stale. You may wish to spend an equal amount of time on each topic, or you might want to spend more time on something you find difficult or struggle with.
Making a plan ensures you do not fall into the trap of taking the easy option, and only working on the subjects you enjoy (and so know quite well already). Revision will stretch you and test your staying power, and a good schedule will keep you working effectively. Work at your best time of day (first thing in the morning? Or do you work better at night?) Make sure your plan is realistic (so you do keep to it), achievable (so you feel a sense of satisfaction) and allows for breaks. Make time for unforeseen events, or simply so you can catch up with yourself.
Try to revise in the same place (i.e. same spot in the library, same table in your room etc.), and when you are there, concentrate on serious revision. You will come to associate this spot with hard work, and as a consequence will revise much more effectively when you are there.
Start early; plan well and work steadily to ensure you do your best. You can identify any gaps in your knowledge and have time to put them right. You will feel confident with what you know, and although you may still have some exam nerves, they should be much better than if you had left everything to the last minute.
Keep Alert and Work Well
Exams put a lot of stress on the body, and this means health may need special attention. We all know revision really isn't much fun, and no one can work or concentrate continuously. Reward yourself occasionally with a cup of coffee, a night out or even a day off. And when you do take time out, don't feel guilty Ð if you have been revising hard, you have deserved it, and it will do you good!
Plan to get enough sleep don't burn the candle at both ends. Only you know how much sleep you need, but most people require between six and eight hours per night. Trying to keep awake to work is not good, and strong coffee, caffeine tablets or alcohol are not the answer. You may feel alert, but your brain will still be tired and confused. Make sure you eat regularly, drink plenty of fluid and avoid excessive alcohol consumption - sounds like a nagging parent? Who said revision would be fun? But see how much better you feel and know how much better you have worked!
Revision Technique
Revision is usually a lonely process, carried out on your own with a minimum of distraction. You will not revise well whilst watching Coronation Street, though if you work better with background music, then do so. Group revision can be effective early on in the process as a means of identifying and filling gaps in your knowledge, and also for discussion of ideas and testing one another (but only if you keep to the subject in hand and donÕt let the conversation drift to irrelevance).
Revision should be more than simply reading through your lecture notes. To learn, you need to engage with the
process. Write down key points, summarise them and make summaries of the summaries. Make sure you are familiar
with important topics and concepts. Can you: list key points; define key terms; provide examples; draw appropriate diagrams; evaluate ideas?
Memory works best by associating ideas with something. Make up memory aids or mnemonics. Mnemonics can help
you to remember both the items in a list and their order. If you want to remember key points, you might take the initial letter of each and then make up a word or sentence from the letters. It doesn't matter if you use unusual words or sentences as long as you can remember them and you know how to extract the meaning. A good example of a mnemonic is Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain for the colours of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue,
Indigo, Violet). The fact that you don't really know who Richard is, or why he gave battle in the first place is irrelevant the colours of the rainbow are listed in their correct spectral order.
Use flow diagrams and mind maps (spider diagrams) to summarise the flow of topics or the development of a subject. If you have a good memory for pictures, this technique can work well. Try different ways of learning to find out which is most helpful for the subject in hand and for you.
The easiest way to check how much you know is to test yourself. When you have revised a topic, see how much you can recall without referring to your notes. This will give you a good idea of how much more work you need to do. If past papers are available, practice questions from them as if you were in an exam (give yourself a time limit and do not refer to your revision aids). Compare your answers with your notes and textbooks to evaluate your performance.
If you do this, you will be prepared for the type of question that might appear on the real exam paper and you will have tested your memory and identified gaps. You will also have engaged with your topic and reinforced your knowledge.
The Day Before
The day before the exam is too late to effectively learn anything new or go over past papers. Read through your notes and revision aids to refresh your memory of the key points. Don't compare notes with others as panic can quickly set in if you think you haven't looked at everything if you have revised effectively, you will have done. You should remind yourself of what you do know, so you will have confidence in yourself for the forthcoming exam.
Make sure all the clothes and anything else you need for the next day are ready. Relax before you go to bed so you get a good night's sleep. Set the alarm clock so you get up in time for some breakfast before you set off (oops! sounds like a nagging parent again, but it really does help mental concentration).
The Exam
Get to the exam room in plenty of time. Make sure your desk and chair do not wobble (wedge with paper) and you are as comfortable as can be. Read the instructions on the front of the paper carefully and make sure you follow them. If there is a choice of questions, think carefully which you might answer best (it may be easier to eliminate those you can't do first!). Make sure you answer the correct number of questions. Calculate the amount of time you have to spend on each question and try to stick to it.
Make sure you know what the question is asking. Look for the key words to identify the topic and what you are required to do with it (e.g. outline, discuss, compare and contrast, critically evaluate, etc.) and make sure you accomplish this. Allow time to plan essay questions. Brainstorm first, then organise your ideas. Write your plan at
the start of your answer (in pencil, headed Outline Plan) and cross it through when finished (if it is legible, the marker will be able to refer to it if need be). Producing rough notes ensures you have structure to your answer and that you keep focussed. Don't panic if there is something you can't remember move on then come back to it later.
Write as clearly and neatly as you can, preferably in pen or biro. Your script will be easier to mark and the examiner will find it easier to pick out the key points of your answer. If you find yourself running out time, write outline points to show what you would have written in more detail had you had longer, or refer to your outline plan.
And Finally
Good luck; do your best. You will always feel worried before an exam it's a normal reaction, and if you were not, you either don't care (in which case you wouldn't have read this far) or you're not human (so can't read this anyway). Your nerves will never go away, but with good revision and exam technique you will have confidence that you can achieve your potential and do well. And afterwards, those holidays are just around the corner!
MARCH 2007 ISSUE 9
