Everyone's talking about exams!
If you are worried about exams then read the helpful tips below
MOTIVATION
It is important to identify what you will gain from successfully completing your exams.
Everybody has different reasons for this and it is up to you on how you prioritise them.
For example it could be;
- Progress onto Further and Higher education
- Have a career you have always wanted and will be happy with
- Gain a sense of pride and achievement
- Develop skills and become more confident and knowledgeable
- Increased chance of earning more money
For some people it helps to have a phrase or key words, which helps them through when the going gets tough.
Identify your own quote or saying that you find inspirational and will help keep you motivated.
TARGET SETTING
Your main target is to successfully pass your exams but to get yourself there setting smaller targets will help.
By setting yourself targets it gives you something to aim for and a sense of achievement when you complete them.
It is important to make the targets reasonable and realistic.
They may change on a regular basis but it is vital to complete targets to ensure that you are making progress with your revision.
Effective revision is the key to achieving targets and getting the most out of your exams!
Think of short term targets that you need to complete over the next few days
| Task | Equipment or help needed | Date to be completed | Date of Actual Completion |
|---|---|---|---|
This may help in remembering tasks that need doing and how to prioritise your work.
It can be applied to daily, weekly, or even longer periods of time.
You can also adapt it to suit your needs!
PREPARATION
Devising a revision timetable can help you to organise your time more effectively.
It enables you to identify key times that are available to study and at what times are more productive to yourself for example: some people study better in the morning by getting up early where as others would rather stay awake late into the night.
The most common failing of the majority of students is not sticking to their plan. That is why it important to allow for short breaks and proper time off away from studying to relax and have fun.
CONCENTRATION
Forward planning by using your timetable will allow you to identify what subjects or topics need to be covered. It is more productive to cover one topic in one go and be clear on that before moving on to something else. Switching between subjects or topics will be confusing.
It often helps to tackle the things you find most difficult first, as once completed they will not be nagging in the back of your mind distracting you from your other work.
WHERE AND WHEN
When it comes to revising it is really helpful to find a quite uninterrupted space that you feel comfortable to study effectively in. This is easily said than done! You may have to negotiate with your family some quiet times that you can be left alone to study and combine these with times in the library or if your lucky enough an empty classroom away from any distractions.
Use your timetable to identify where, when and what you are going to study over the week ahead and STICK TO IT!
The completion of this target and feeling you have done some successful revision will not only give you a sense of achievement but confidence in your studies as well.
BREAKS
To stay motivated it is important to have regular breaks away from your desk. Get a drink or some fresh air and then return to your revision refreshed and ready to tackle something new.
However make sure you do not get distracted in your break by the T.V. computer games or anything else. That's why it is important to set yourself rewards such as if you study for a long period at the weekend and complete your targets have a night out with friends or family and forget all about your study.
Relaxing and having fun is just as important as studying hard!
GENERAL
- It is important to review and check your progress.
- Make appointments with teachers to go through your notes or practice essays you have done.
- Get together with friends and people studying the same subjects as you. It is helpful to share information and help each other out on the bits you find most difficult.
- Plan a fun event for when the exams are over such as a day out or a party. It helps to keep you motivated if you have something to look forward too.
IN THE EXAM
DO NOT PANIC !
- With preparation and planning you will not need last minute cramming the night before. It is important to get ready making sure all your equipment is packed and you are not running around in the morning getting flustered. Have a good nights sleep and how ever nervous you feel try and have some breakfast - it will help honest!
- Make sure you allow enough time to get to the exam and take a moment to get a drink and go to the toilet. It is often best to avoid other people straight before going in to the exam as they may make you feel more tense.
- Once you are ready to start the exam take some deep breaths and slowly and carefully read through the instructions. Make sure your details are correct and that you are clear how many and on what questions you have to answer.
- It is important to spend the start of the exam planing how much time you will allocate to each question. It is important to stick to this, as it is better to have a few good answers that just one outstanding one. The examiner will be looking to award you as many points as possible so you need to get down as much as you possibly can.
- When starting each question you must write a plan or brainstorm your ideas depending on the type of question. This helps you to stay focus and get the main points or concepts down whilst keeping to a structure.
- Allow some time at the end of the exam to check over your answers. The examiners will not be expecting your work to be neat but it must be legible and any mistakes crossed out appropriately and simple spelling mistakes changed.
- If you are running out of time and not completed your answer write the main bullet points of what you intended to put. This way the examiner will know what you wanted to say and will still be able to award points for it.
Once the exam is over do not waste time worrying about what you did or did not put. Use your time productively to forget about it and concentrate on your next exam.
TYPES OF EXAM QUESTIONS
Essay Questions
- Review old assignments and exam topics.
- Practice essay plans.
- Practice timed essays.
- If checked by a teacher re-write with the correct points included.
- Make sure you do all of what the question is asking.
- A good conclusion will give you good marks. It is worth brainstorming your ideas in your essay plan.
Short Answers
- Review notes from your lessons and those from textbooks.
- List important terms.
- Write down definitions and examples of each term.
- Diagrams are useful when learning this type of information.
- Make sure answers are clear and to the point.
- These types of questions don't usually carry many marks so may not require you to spend lots of time on them.
Problem Solving
- Practice with past exam papers.
- Go back to any you got wrong a few days later after you have spent time learning them.
- Show all your workings out.
- Get some one to test you on random problems regularly.
Multiple Choice
- Study past papers to practice questions.
- Read questions properly on weather they require only one or more answers.
- If you change your mind about a question make sure it is clear which answer you have chosen.
- Do the questions you are most comfortable first and then tackle the more difficult ones.
- Pay attention to groups of facts or ideas that are similar and look closely at what the differences are.
