HINTS & TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE EXAM TECHNIQUE

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1 HINTS & TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE EXAM TECHNIQUE MATHEMATICS As soon as the exam starts write down the formulae that you remember A = πr 2 C = πd SOH CAH TOA Show your working out (even in a calculator paper!) Go back and redo the first few questions as these are often where silly errors occur. Always write the UNITS for an answer. Check to see if the question requires you to round to 1 decimal place or 3 significant figures. Go through the paper when you have finished and count the marks you think you have scored. Try any questions you left out you may score 1 or 2 marks even if the question is difficult. Make use of tracing paper for transformations GEOGRAPHY Refer to data from resources to support your answer. Use distance, direction, scale and place names when asked to locate a place. Aim to answer questions at the rate of 1 mark per minute. E.g. you should spend no more than 4 minutes on a 4 mark question. Use as many keywords in your writing to show that you understand the issues. For higher mark questions (6, 8 and 10 marks) aim to link the different parts of your answer together to show that you understand and use Point, Evidence, Explain to increase the marks you can gain. Revise exam command words such as Describe, Explain and Suggest to make sure you know what you are being asked to do. With higher mark questions, try to talk about sustainability where it is appropriate to do so. Make sure that you understand the difference between a process and a landform and can give examples of both. Refer to Social, Economic and Environmental issues where appropriate.

2 City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Hair & Beauty Studies Theory Exam Read the questions carefully before answering. Use technical vocabulary wherever possible. If the question is a true or false make sure you re-read the question and check the wording. Check every question before you finish the exam Keep an eye on the time remaining and don t panic! Move on and answer the ones that you can and return to any unanswered questions at the end. Remember your theory folder use this for revision prior to the exam Attend the afterschool and/or the break time revision sessions. Use the revision cards at home. Written Assignments (Controlled assessments) Prepare before the assessment begins, Revise using your theory folder Use technical vocabulary wherever possible Check that you have used all of the key words Remember it is a timed assessment so look at the learning objectives and decide roughly how long you need to spend on each one. Attend the after school catch up/revision sessions to clarify the expectations and gain confidence in your understanding of the task set. Familiarise yourself with the examples of work and the level that you should be working at. Focus on one learning objective at a time. ART GCSE Be well prepared by bringing your sketchbook, which is up to date so you know what you are doing, what media/ colours you are using If you need anything special (eg a specific coloured tissue paper, sand etc) please let your teacher know before the exam You have 10 hours, so take your time Don t rush when enlarging and drawing your idea Check that everything is accurate and in proportion Plan your time effectively (don t finish it in the first day, it should look like 10 hours work) Have an aim for what you want to have completed by the end of the first day Think ahead and plan for drying time (when using paint and glue) to enable you to work in more detail and layers

3 GCSE MUSIC Read questions carefully before you respond. Use musical vocabulary wherever possible. If the question is a comparison, make sure you explain WHICH example is different to which and how. E.g. Example A is faster in tempo than example B. In section A, make sure you double check exactly what you are being asked to talk about. It s no use talking about the bass ostinato if the question wanted to know what was significant about the melody. Remember that in section B you choose either question 9 or 10, not both. In section B, check which 5 elements you are being asked to comment on do not use it as an opportunity to write down everything you know about the set work! Make a note of the definition of each element. Ensure you use appropriate musical vocabulary and try and give references or examples. Section B is marked for quality of written communication, including punctuation and spelling. GCSE DRAMA Speak up and share your ideas in the Unit 1 and 2 exams. Your teachers are marking your collaboration, creativity and focus as well as your drama knowledge. Ensure everyone is involved in the work leadership is in the top two mark bands All three units of coursework will require you to take notes that are as detailed as possible on what you do and what you see. Organise your notes as soon as possible after the exam Remember to bring your notes to your controlled assessment! When planning your Unit 3 performance make sure that you include a range of techniques and make sure everyone has enough to do to show off the best that they are capable of. You will need to rehearse outside of lesson time to be ready for the Unit 3 exam. Plan these for when everyone can attend and make sure you turn up! Swapping contact numbers with your group might help you remind each other, or even set up a Facebook page for your group Unit 1 6 hour exam on a stimulus plus 2000 words coursework done as a controlled assessment in an IT suite Unit 2 6 hour exam on a play script, plus 1000 word coursework on the exam and 2000 word coursework on a live theatre production Unit 3 Performance exam in front of a visiting examiner, of a devised or scripted performance, or a combination of the two

4 FRENCH Make the most of your 5 minutes reading time for the listening comprehension Look at the number of marks allocated per question e.g. if it is 4 marks then you will need to cross 4 options. Don t jump at the first word you recognise, but listen attentively to negatives for instance or in the reading, read the whole sentence. When the tape is still playing but there is no sound this is because they want you to read the question and to look at the possible answers they give you. This is not a time to chill out or to daydream. If the questions are in English particularly the last question, then make sure you answer in English. They are checking your comprehension. Look for words that are similar in both languages. Bonne chance! 10 TOP TIPS FOR GCSE DANCE EXAM This exam is not just about what you know. There is a trick to answering and beating the system. You could know everything there is on the specification - but if you don t know the answering strategies, you could lose a lot of marks. So here are 10 Top Tips for Success in Answering Strategy. Use them in the exam and you will be fine Read ALL the questions on the exam paper before you start answering. Make a note of the questions that are tied - eg the answer to a] might need to be used in b] as well. Make sure your chosen answer for a] can meet the requirements for the rest of the questions in the tie. Look for the set/costume/lighting questions and decide which dance work has the most to say. Only then choose which one is dance work 1 and dance work 2 (Swan Song & Nutcracker). Read the question carefully. Underline any important words. Make sure you understand what it is asking. Don t give dynamics if its asking for action, don t waffle on about costume if its asking for a movement example. If it asks for a moment, select a specific moment, not just a section. Know the difference between Identify, Describe and Explain. Underline these words in the questions so that you know how you need to answer. Look at the amount of marks on offer. Don t write an essay for a 1 mark question and 1 line for a 4 mark question. The more marks on offer, the more ideas/detail you need to provide. [This doesn t mean you only give 1 word for a 1 marker though - you need to be very precise with these] A motif should be a series of movements, not just 1 basic action. The examiner will accept 1 action but it is impossible to get the higher marks this way. Always use a phrase of at least 3 movements for motif description. That way you have something to work with when you are asked about development later on.

5 Know how to describe accompaniment. It is more than upbeat and slow. Describe the type of sounds/instruments, how many sections, the rhythm, the mood. Don t assume an examiner knows your song/track- you must describe it even if its obvious to you. Practise that now. Whilst Silence is accompaniment, it can be dangerous using it in an accompaniment question, because there just isn t that much to say. Avoid it if you can and describe the music instead. Look out for the word contribute. This means you need to explain how something adds to the meaning of the dance. Make sure you have selected and pre-prepared excerpts from both dance works to describe for set, costume, lighting, accompaniment and key motifs. When selecting key motifs, make sure you choose ones that have clear developments later in the dance. GCSE SOCIOLOGY Read questions carefully before you respond. Underline/highlight key words. What is the question really asking? Take note of the number of marks available for each question. Does it need a P+E or P+E+E or P+E+E+L style of answer? Use sociological terms and references to theories and studies to show AO1. Use examples to show AO2. Where relevant, identify strengths and weaknesses to indicate AO3. Know which topics are on Paper 1, 2 and 3. Remember that in Paper 2 you only do 3 sections. You must NOT answer more than 3 as the fourth one will not gain you any marks. Each section has a 24 mark essay that each need to be done in approximately minutess (including planning time). Remember that all questions of 12 marks or more are essays. They need planning in the AO1, A02, AO3 structure you have learnt. All papers are marked for quality of written communication, including punctuation and spelling, so be practising these things over the year. Keeping a dictionary or glossary of key terms and definitions that someone can test you on would be a big help. BTEC Business First Award Unit 2 Finance for Business Read the questions carefully before you answer. Use technical vocabulary wherever possible. Flag any question you are unsure of and revisit at the end of test Use the on screen calculator to work out any numerical questions Keep an eye on the time remaining- it is shown in the corner of the screen The test is worth 50 marks and you have an hour to complete it When you have finished the test make sure you look at the review page to check all questions have been answered Check every question before you click finish exam

6 BUSINESS STUDIES In order to do well in business studies you need to master two key issues. First of all you need to be secure on subject knowledge. Secondly you need to be able to show your knowledge in the way the examiner wants to see it. Getting the knowledge secure Key terms Can you explain different business terms?, Go through glossaries, the key terms book and read through terms. You could use a traffic light system red, amber and green for terms you don t know, sort of know and are OK with. See if you can describe the terms to a friend or to your parents. Learning the calculation You will be given the ratio formulae but you still need to be confident with working out cash flow and working out gross and net profit. Topic cue cards can be useful to make to help learn the key concepts. Showing your knowledge in the right way Examination questions have key words that prompt you to answer in a certain way. In business studies they often ask you to describe or explain issues. This means you need to answer in sentences not in lists. You will be asked to analyse or consider advantages and disadvantages. In these questions you need to explain the good and bad points of an issue. Lastly you will be ask to make decisions and justify these or evaluate an issue. In these questions you need to consider the best idea/alternative based on the advantages and disadvantages that you have presented. To help practice these skills and try the following: Take an issue e.g. should firm A raise its prices? Identify why it might be a good or bad idea. Then try to identify things that will swing the decision one way or the other e.g. how many competitors are there? How will they react? Will people pay higher prices? You can also draw mind maps. Put a key topic or question in the middle of a sheet of paper and then try to develop links or other questions in a diagram. Try revising with a friend. CHILD DEVELOPMENT Revision material 1) You can revise from your class notes 2) Passed assessments and passed papers which you have done in class. 3) Use your OCR child development text book centring on key tasks and questions 4) CGP GCSE Child Development: The Revision Guide. Available from school at 4 5) OCR website- you can download and have ago at several past papers. You need to put Home Economics Child Development Top Tips for Child Development GCSE exam: 1. On the OCR website there are all past papers and mark-schemes attached for you practice these papers under exam conditions and mark yourself using the mark-scheme. 2. If you have questions, don t leave it, come and ask Mrs Baker or Miss Smith. 3. Be guided by the number of marks each question carries this how many points/sentences you need to write. 4. Do not repeat yourself in the same question you would be wasting valuable time. 5. Read what the question actually asks of you and answer the question, not the topic that the question is on.

7 6. When before the question there is a scenario given, you must refer to that scenario in your answer, because if you don t, you will lose 50% of marks for that question. 7. Use correct terminology in your answers, eg. Don t say period, say menstruation. 8. Be precise in your answers, eg. Pregnancy last not 9 months, but 40 weeks. 9. Read carefully the command words in the question, eg. Make sure you know the differences between explain and evaluate. 10. If the question asks to identify or state, do not write explanations, simply state what is the question asking, these type of questions do not require because, so do not waste your valuable time. Graphics Exam Techniques The first section will be 15 short questions which are mostly single marks- this means make a single point, not use a single word to answer your question. Don t spend more than a minute answering single mark questions. Read all answers in multiple choice questions, don t just select the first reasonable sounding answer. Learn the glossary of words given to you! Use of specialist terms always scores higher. For design questions the Specification is the key- use it like a checklist to make sure each point is covered. If asked to do initial ideas- or a range, never do less than 3 different ideas. Make sure you annotate your ideas as well as label them. For sustainability questions ALWAYS think of your design s eco-footprint. For 6 mark questions you don t need 6 points! You need 2 or 3 explained well, with examples showing a clear understanding of the issue, using specialist terms and structured sensibly. Don t be afraid to point out what seems obvious to you, some questions will be easier than others- the examiner wants to know you understand. When you have finished, go back and read over your answers, making sure that every question has an answer- if you re not sure write something! FOOD TECHNOLOGY Spend time before the exam researching the context referred to in the preliminary material. You should then score well in Section A. Read the questions carefully, read twice if necessary. Attempt all the questions. Look at marks given for each question this should indicate how many answers are needed. You are advised how long to spend on each question so do just that. Try to use technical terms/keywords where appropriate. When answering the question that will be assessed for Quality of written communication ensure you write in sentences, using correct punctuation and spelling. When asked to design ideas, remember to annotate (label). Think about the different finishing techniques. Remember the product is aimed at a target market. Not yourself. Think about air miles, environmental and ethical issues. Food allergies. Nutritional value.

8 When thinking of the stages of making a product, take into account quality, hygiene and safety checks. Remember what the different functions of ingredients are, for example flour thickens sauces by the particles rupturing. What happens to a cake if there is too much sugar etc.? Revise quantities, for example creaming method for cakes, 100g flour, 100g sugar, 100g fat, 2 eggs. Traffic light system on labelling Raising agents, how they scientifically work. Health problems from too much salt, fat in the diet. Understand the higher the kcal rating, the more fattening and unhealthy the product is. Why manufacturers use additives Understand and revise the codes on packaging Standard components and what they are. Use by and best before dates and their meanings What different kitchen equipment is used for.. This revision guide will also assist you. HOSPITALITY AND CATERING Read the questions carefully, read twice if necessary. Attempt all the questions. Look at marks given for each question this should indicate how many answers are needed. You are advised how long to spend on each question so do just that. Try to use technical terms/keywords where appropriate. When answering the question that will be assessed for Quality of written communication ensure you write in sentences, using correct punctuation and spelling. Suggested areas for revision are HACCP Four methods of cake making Use of knives and specialist equipment Types of counter service and their advantages/disadvantages What each chef does/job roles within the industry Health and safety, high risk foods and hygiene (comes within HACCP). Food labelling Standard components Storage and food poisoning Cooking methods and presentation Culinary terms and skills

9 Nutrients Packaging of food Air miles locally sourced products Risk assessments Dietary needs Identifying different menus Portions and costing Communication and record keeping The three R s Use this guide to help you CAMBRIDGE NATIONALS Take every minute you have when preparing for your exam for Cambridge Nationals. It is one of the main sections of the course and makes up 25% of your final GCSE grade, as well as R002, R006 and R007 which make up the other 75%. Remember that the exam is just as important as your controlled assessment, which means that you need to put in just as much effort when preparing for it. When answering the questions, it is important that you take your time that you put in as much detail as you can, you need to look at the number of marks which each question is worth which will give you an informed decision as to how long to take for each question, if you are struggling to answer a question, do not spend too long on it and move on to the next question, and then come back to the question which you are struggling with, if you are not sure of the answer, have a guess, it is better to write something than nothing at all, as you could get some grades for the section you write. Remember that any pieces of the information that you are researching for the exam could come up in the exam which is why it is important that you try to remember as much as you can. It is important that you are able to distinguish between the key words which will be asked, if you are asked to identify something, this means to just list, as where as if it asks you to explain, then you will need to justify your answer and provide an explanation as to what your answer is. There are books which you are able to use which can help you with your revision, as well as lots of online materials, remember to keep looking through your presentations which you have made in preparation for your exam, as this will have loads of information which you can to help you. The books which you can use for research are as follows: You can also look at past papers which can help you at the following website:

10 COMPUTING Make the most of every minute you have when it comes to revising for the computing examinations and controlled assessment. Remember to keep revising through your revision notes which you have been taking in class. The computing course is made up of the two controlled assessments A452 and A453 which are worth 30% each and the Examination A451 which is worth 40% of the grade, all of the units combined will make up the 100% of your GCSE. It is really important that you put as much effort as you can into all of your controlled assessment for your GCSE. Make sure that you attempt to answer all of the questions, even if you are not sure of the answer, you may get some of the marks which is better than none. When answering the questions, look at how many marks each question is worth which will allow you to make an informed decision as to how much detail needs to go into your answers. Make sure that you keep an eye on the time which you have left when answering the questions, it is important that you spend the most amount of time on the questions which are worth the most amount of marks. If you are struggling to answer a question, leave it and answer the next question and then go back to it, don t spend too long thinking about the answer as this may not allow you enough time to be able to answer the rest of the paper, so it is important that you come back to this if you are not sure. The books which you need to help you with your revision are as follows: You can also look at past papers on the following website: Good luck! GCSE ICT When preparing for your exam it is important that you spend every minute you have on the revision element of the exam, you need to make sure that you have all of the content covered, as this will make the exam easier for you. Try not to panic when you enter the exam hall, and attempt to answer all of the questions which have been asked. If you are struggling with a question, move on and then come back to it, don t spend too long on the same question, as you may not have enough time to finish the rest of the questions. During the exam, take note of how many marks the question is worth, this will then give you an idea of how long you need to spend on each of the questions, the more marks the question is, the longer you need to spend on it, remember to think about the key words which are being asked, if they are asking you to identify, then you just need to list what they are looking for, whereas, if they ask you to explain, then you need to provide an example of your answer. The exam for ICT GCSE is worth 40% and there are 2 assessments which are 30% each which make up 100% of the GCSE grade. As you can see that the exam is the heaviest weighted of all of the 3 units from the course, so you need to make sure that you put the revision time in to revise for the exam. The books which you will need to revise for the GCSE ICT exam are as follows:

11 You can also look at past papers which can help you at the following website: Good luck! Additional / Core and Triple science revision techniques: Don t forget to use the periodic table and equation page provided many answers can be found by simply looking at these pages. Read questions with tables and graphs carefully. If the question says use the graph or table you must quote data in your answers. Look out for questions with a pencil next to them these are six mark questions and you will be marked on the quality of your grammar and spelling. Ensure you pace yourself, don t spend too long on the first two sections of the paper and run out of time on the last section. Go over the paper first answering the questions you know, then go back to more difficult questions. This way you should achieve more marks. Don t forget your calculator for all science exams! (They are called scientific calculators for a reason) In the last section of the additional paper you will have a section of questions based upon a graph. The graph can be about any topic and it may not be one you have studied. Don t let this put you off, you will not be questioned on the topic just your graph reading skills. Look at the question and identify key words, try to ensure you have used key words in your answer. Look to see if questions ask you to describe or explain. Describe means to include characteristics, descriptions to tell a story about the issue in the question. Explain means to say HOW and WHY some thing has happened not to tell a story about what has happened. OCR Science: General Science: Revision: Don t forget to use your revision guides they have Revision sections Level Ladders for each section Questions for each section

12 GCSE PE Revision Course information The course is 60% practical and 40% theory (assessed with a 90 minute examination). The practical assessment is challenging and the grade boundaries high, it is essential that students maximise their examination grade. The examination The examination is worth 80 marks and consists of 3 types of questions- Multiple choice (10 marks) Short answer (58 marks) Essay style questions (12 marks) Revision Revision Guides All students have been issued with a revision guide and accompanying workbook, this covers all areas of the course and contains a section that advises students how to answer each type of examination question. Students should be working through these books as the course progresses. They read the revision guide and answer the questions on the corresponding page in the revision workbook. Once they have answered the questions they should self-mark using the mark scheme in the back of the revision workbook. Past papers Students can download past papers and the accompanying mark scheme from the Pearson website, there is a quick links option to get to past papers on the home page. We highly recommend that students complete past papers and then self-mark them using the mark scheme. Online The Teach PE website has good resources. The Electronic Quiz Flashcards are particularly good.