- Give plenty time for getting to the exam. Even if it’s just a one minute walk away, get there with time to spare.
- Don’t revise as you’re walking into the exam! If it’s not in now, it won’t go in with seconds to spare…
- Read the question properly. The difference between
taking five seconds to read the question and half a minute is not that
big. The difference in your answer will be huge…
- Wasting time on less important points is pointless when you’re against the clock. Stick with the big issues. Mention minor detail in passing and move on.
- Try to retain your focus on the bigger picture. C. A. Mace wrote about the psychology of study in 1932. Now it’s 2010 and the information is just as relevant:
“The failure to recall what is well known may be in large measure
due to a type of over-concentration of attention and consequent
restriction to the free play of the mind over the total field of
relevant information.”
In short, try not to panic and close your mind off to the many
possibilities. It’s similar to reading the same two or three words
again and again as if you’re not taking them in. Let go and feel the flow!
- Spend the right amount of time on each question.
If marks are equally weighted on questions, give them roughly the same
amount of time. If one question is worth 10% and another is worth 90%,
it’s pointless spending half the exam worrying solely about the 10%.
- Explain each point as clearly as possible. It’s no
use burying the important stuff halfway through a paragraph. Markers
are only human. If they don’t understand the point you’re making, or if
they miss exactly how vital your point is, you’ll miss out on marks
unnecessarily.
- Set aside time for notes before you tackle the question. Before you get writing, spend a few moments preparing your answer with brief notes and key features you want to mention.
- Read over the answers when you’re done. Give
yourself a few minutes before the exam ends to make sure you’re happy
with what you’ve written. Even if you don’t change anything, you’ll
feel better having checked. And if you do change something, you’ll be
happy you spotted it. Either way, you win.
- Present your work neatly. Don’t rush your writing
so it can’t be read by the markers! And if you need to make additions
or changes, make sure it’s clearly set out.
- If you have selection of questions to choose from, take them in carefully.
Don’t rush into a choice. When you think you’ve made your choice,
carefully read the question again to make sure you didn’t just pick up
on a key word. Be absolutely sure you’re happy to answer that question.
- Answer the questions in the order you want to.
It’s often best to start working on the question you’re most comfortable
and confident with. Many exams don’t force you to answer in number
order. For instance, question 2 before question 1 should be fine. If
in doubt, ask!
- Don’t bash the point home too much. This isn’t a lengthy essay or dissertation effort. Make the point, justify and show working, then move on.
- Keep a basic sense of order, but don’t worry about a beautifully planned work of art. Timed
essay answers still need to have some flow, but you’ll be forgiven the
occasional stumble. You writing doesn’t need to be as tight as in your
coursework.
- Don’t panic! If you can’t think straight, stop
trying to concentrate for a few seconds. Take a few deep breaths and
start again. If you’ve calmed down slightly, make some basic notes to
help get back on track. If you still feel a mess and it’s getting
worse, have a toilet break or ask to be escorted out the room for a
breather. Walking away from the exam may sound like wasted time, but a
massive panic is likely to waste even more time!
- When short on time, do a mind dump. Briefly list
the points you would have made and give short examples if you can.
Expand on is as you can until the exam’s over. You may not have
produced a fully formed answer, but that list should gain you some extra
credit.
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