Revising and preparing for exams

Study Skills Workshops 2015

Planning effectivelyTime saving and time management

Organisation

Session Aims

• Revising and preparing for exams• Planning and structuring exam

answers• Overcoming blocks and anxiety

Preparation before the exam• Organise your time and break revision into

sections• Don’t be tempted to write endless notes or

copy sections of text• Make your notes memorable and visualHighlightersSub-headingsSymbolsMind-maps• Revise from different formats e.g. audio notes,

videos, discussion with others etc.

Why post-its, pictures and PCs?

• Visual aids – links to memory• Flexible• Accessible• Time saving• Motivational

Post-its• Note post–its• Index post-its• Action pointers• Coloured post-its• To do lists

Pictures• Mindmaps• Photos• Films & videos• Colour

PCsE.g. Personal computers, laptops, Macs, phonesUse for:-• Making notes – voice, written or

images/diagrams• Researching• Internet• Open source software

How to get started...• Start with an overview of each part of the course• Selecting appropriate texts – how much detail?• Reading with a purpose – what do I want to find

out? BE ACTIVE!!• Taking notes• Use free software• Recognising and

supporting visual stress

How to manage revision Time management is the key to success

• Shift your balance between social activities and study time

• Be independent – no-one will do it for you!• Be self-aware – of learning styles, distraction etc.• Set realistic targets• Split up tasks into manageable chunks• Prioritising – use coding system/lists• Timetabling – setting a routine helps • Work backwards from deadlines

Revision Tips• Think about the end goal – I need to pass this exam

to ....• Get to the job of revision – DON’T waste time

thinking about it!• Do not mistake boredom for tiredness• Allow plenty of time – set reminders on your phone• Take breaks & move – it will increase your

productivity• Set study times when you concentrate

best

Types of examsMultiple Choice Questions

Short Answers

Open Book

Oral Exams

Essay style exams

Consider the format of the exam• Divide your time up equally for the total number of

questions to be tackled or according to the proportion of marks each question attracts.

• Look for the task word e.g. what you are being asked to do. Check that there is not more than one task to perform. How much description/critique is needed?

• Don't miss answering part of the question!• Consider the topic that the question is about – do

you have sufficient information to address the task. • Set the question in context – how does it fit with the

key issues, debates and controversies?

Multiple Choice Questions

• Read the directions very carefully before you start. • When looking at the questions, always try to work out what the

answer is before you look at the possibilities. • Use a ruler to make it easier to see where to enter each answer. • Answer the questions you know first, mark the ones you are

fairly sure of and go back to them - leave the difficult ones till last. Don't dwell on a question – move on and come back to it if you have time.

• If you finish before the time is up, go back over your questions and answers to check for reading errors.

The answers required are usually more concerned with terms and definitions.

Short Answer Questions

• Allocate your time according to the proportion of marks each question attracts.

• If you have questions which are a mix of short and essay answers, check the instruction carefully so you don't miss answering part of the question.

• Each part of the question should show the maximum marks you can get for answering it. Don't waste a lot of time worrying about a part of the question that only attracts a very few marks......

Usually require a briefer and more descriptive answer than essay questions

Open Book Exams

• Don't forget to take the text to the exam room! You won't be able to borrow someone else's.

• Plan your essays without referring to the text - otherwise you may be tempted to use a previously planned, but irrelevant answer. Remember that what's being assessed is your understanding of the topic.

• Think before you quote - make sure quotes support your argument, not replace it. Note that you will only gain marks for your own arguments, not someone else's words, so don't waste time copying long quotes.

(those where you are allowed to take and consult texts into the exam room) may feel less stressful because you know you won't need to

remember facts. However, this means the marks you can get will depend on your ability to use this information to build an argument, so be careful

to avoid just giving a list of quotes.

Oral Exams

• Act confident even if you aren't. Smile when you enter the room and shake hands with the examiner. Make eye contact during the exam. Ask questions as well as responding to them.

• Breathe deeply and regularly to calm nerves. Take a bottle of water in case your mouth is dry

• Take your time! Don't rush into giving an answer before you've thought about what you want to say - you will get confused and make mistakes. Take a breath and think before you speak.

• Listen to the whole question carefully before you start constructing your answer. It's tempting to latch on to one word that you recognise and start thinking of your answer, but don't- you may miss an important part of the question.

• If you missed part of a question or didn't understand it, ask for it to be repeated.

Such as a ‘Viva’ or ‘Crit’...provoke similar anxieties to giving presentations. In both cases, the more prepared you feel, the less anxious you will be.

Essay style exams

What are your initial responses to the task/question?What you think your conclusion might possibly be?• Note down key words that might be useful• Mindmap initial ideas• Link together key points• Prioritize ideas and select those to cover• Decide on the order of points

These exams require you to discuss and expand on a topic – more analysis is expected than short answer questions.

Planning and structuring

Introduction: Address the question, show why it's interesting and how you will answer it.Main Body: Build your argument. Put your groups of ideas in a sequence to make a persuasive argument. One main point in each paragraph.Conclusion: Summarise your arguments and evidence, and show how they answer the original question.

ParagraphsPoint• State the main idea that you will be explainingExpand• Clarify difficult or unclear terms• Provide evidence to support your idea• Include supporting and opposing

perspectives/ideasComment• Summarise main idea• Provide a link to the next paragraph

Academic writingAvoid shortened forms: • Shouldn't, it's for it isAvoid popular phrases or cliches such as: • at the end of the day; in a nutshell; when it comes to

the crunch• Replace with: finally, in summary, in a crisisAvoid casual everyday words such as really, okay, maybe. Avoid subjective descriptions such as ‘this brilliant

business’Avoid writing in the first person• where possible use the third person (“it can be argued”

rather than “I think”)

Managing the writing process in exams

• Look ahead – what should you expect?• Reduce stress – before, on the day

and during the exam• Plan – outline a writing

frame and stick to your timings

Common Pitfalls

Don't try to shoehorn in something interesting just because you have revised it. If it isn't relevant to the question it can lose

you marks.

Don't use text speak or

colloquialisms.

Don't say "I think" or "in my opinion".

Instead have ideas that are supported or

opposed by your evidence.

Beware the post-mortem – it's natural to want to discuss how it went with your

friends, but keep it in perspective. Exams are dramatic events, and the temptation

is to describe them dramatically

Useful linksText reading & mindmapping software https://www.dnamatters.co.uk/resources/ Pronunciation software www.howjsay.com