HOW TO PASS THE EXAM

HOW TO PASS YOUR EXAMS…

Friends, good exam preparation and exam technique can ensure that the mark received does justice to the revision you do. Here are some guidelines on how to prepare for exams and techniques to use during the exam.

As time is a valuable commodity, any time spent should be productive. Bad study or bad revision does nothing except pass time. So make your study time effective. Each time you start to study, set yourself a target/task. On completion of this task, you will feel you have achieved something and this will give you a lift.

When revising, every body comes across two big worries:

1)      The worry of having so much to do and so little time to do it.

2)      The worry that they will not be able to remember every thing.

If too much time is spent on worrying about how much there is to be done, the net result will be the same amount to do but less time. Plan your program of study for the next few weeks i.e. what has to be done and when you are going to do it, this will allow you to check your progress against your planned program and will remove unnecessary anxiety. By preparing a good, detailed study plan you are managing your time and this gives you control.

The worry that you will not be able to remember things is generally unfounded. Your motivation as you learn is probably the most important single factor in your ability to recall. If you study something and consciously attempt to first understand what you are studying and then store it away for retrieval you will find it much easier to remember. As you understand the course material remembering facts is usually only a question of retrieval.

When studying for the forthcoming exams continually ask your self “why am I studying?” The   answer should be to PASS the exams.

The extent to which you are successful will depend upon:

1)      How good you are at addressing the questions asked?

2)      How much practice you have had at answering exam questions?

3)      The quality of revision you have done.

4)      How good you are at managing your time?

If this is what exam really measures, then all exam preparation should be well structured revision paying a lot of attention to past exam papers. A big advantage of referring to past exam questions and exam papers is that you become familiar with layout of the papers, the framework of the exam and the exam language. Another advantage of using past exam papers as a revision aid is, you can plan the amount of time you are going to allot to each question.

While preparing for each exam identify the things you are going to need for the exam e.g. calculator, pens, attendance notice etc. The evening before the exam, assemble all these required items, you do not want to be frantically looking for these things just before you leave for exam.

On the day of the exam you are going to be nervous, these nerves are normal and are not necessarily a bad thing. It is the adrenalin pumping. You can convert this nervous energy into positive energy by anticipating how you are going to successfully approach the exam.

When you receive the exam paper, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts. Scan the exam paper and tick the questions you think you may be able to attempt. Now read the exam paper carefully and select the question you think you may be able to attempt identifying the question you feel you are best prepared to answer, spend the next 3-4 minutes preparing the skeleton answer (bullet points) for this question making sure you are addressing the question asked. At this stage you are in a position to prepare your formal answer and for the next 25-30 minutes (if this is the time you have allotted for that question) answer the question. After finishing the first question you will be feeling good about the job in hand so now choose the order of the remaining questions you are going to answer. Prepare skeleton answers for the rest of the questions in turn and then answer these questions. At the end of the exam review all answers written. It is worth taking time to see if the visual presentation of your answers can be improved e.g. by underlining. The 10 point approach to the exam should be:

1)      Scan the questions.

2)      Tick the ones you are able to do.

3)      Read the questions carefully.

4)      Select the questions you are gong to attempt.

5)      Choose the first question you are going to answer (the one you are best prepared for).

6)       Prepare a 3-4 minute “skeleton” answer.

7)      Write your formal answer (making sure you address the question asked).

8)      Prepare a skeleton answer for all other questions.

9)      Answer other questions.

10)  Review all answers written.

When answering the questions remember:

1)      Write legibly- someone has to read it.

2)      Answers presented must be “Examiner Friendly” i.e. ones that are well structured, thought through, and well presented always get “extra” marks.

Most exam questions will be of two types, Numerical or Essay. Answers to numerical questions should show all workings and calculations. You can’t get marks for information that is not there. There should be clear logical workings from beginning to end. Essay type answers should have an introduction, main body and conclusion; the introduction should indicate the points you are going to discuss, the main body should develop these points and the conclusions should wrap up the answer.

To conclude, let me reinforce three points; understand what you are studying because it makes remembering easier, practice exam questions because practice makes one perfect, and adopt a correct approach to doing the exams you don’t want to lose marks before you start.

Best of luck in the forth coming exams…

About the Author

PRABHAT MARWAHA
M.SC MATHS, B.ED.
15 YEARS TEACHING EXPERIENCE TO SENIOR CLASSES.
PRESENTLY WORKING AS VICE PRINCIPAL IN JNV
LONGOWAL, SANGRUR, PUNJAB (INDIA).
EMAIL-ID:prabhat.marwaha@gmail.com

Happy Samhain (Proud Swede Girl)