What if... Surviving the exam. What to Expect: The Exam Room. What to take in with you. What to take in with you

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1 Exams Surviving the exam What to take in with you Six steps to surviving the exam Strategies for answering different Go to to download the slides for this session. What to take in with you In a clear plastic bag or ziplockbag Student ID Card (or other photo ID if you do not have a student ID card) Several pens that work for exams Highlighter Calculator and other permitted equipment Clear plastic water bottle No food If open book, text and permitted notes What to take in with you Sense of calm Sense of confidence Think positive Remind yourself of what you doknow Avoid panic Find the exam room ahead of time, check the time If you are feeling stressed, try breathing in and out slowly it works! What to Expect: The Exam Room You will be allowed in 15 minutes before the start Time to get settled Listen to the instructions 10 minutes reading time Desks are allocated according to papers, not people Likely to be several different papers being examined at the same time Clock clearly visible On the desk Exam paper/s Answer booklet What if... What if I go blank? Distract yourself: take a sip of water, change position Relax: take some deep breaths Free writing: brainstorm ideas on a blank piece of paper If these techniques don t help, move on to the next question What if I get writer s cramp? Practice writing before the exam Try gripping your pen loosely (or using a fatter pen) Put your pen down and flex your hand in between University 1

2 Six steps to surviving the exam During the ten minute reading time Step 1: Check the exam paper Step 2: Read and re-read the instructions Step 3: Allocate your time Step 4: Choose your question order At the start of the exam Step 5: Memory dump Step 6: Start writing Check the exam paper Are you in the right room? Does your exam have all the pages it should have? Can ask the invigilator for a blank piece of paper Read the instructions How many do you have to answer? are all sections compulsory or do you get to choose from different options? check for words that indicate options ( either, choose two ) Check for other specific instructions ( all working calculations must be shown, etc.) Allocate your time You want to complete all the compulsory You don t want to run out of time Allocate your time for each question based on: how much it is worth the type of question whether the section is compulsory Allocate your time One way is to turn the marks the section is worth, into the percentage of time you ll spend (e.g, a section worth 60 marks, spend 60% of your time) But remember that multiple choice often take less time (another option is to allocate 1 minute for each question). Remember too, that you might: plan, write, and check. (If you have 45 minutes to write an essay, you might: brainstorm points for five minutes, write for 35 minutes, and spend 5 minutes at the end checking what you ve written). Choose your question order If you can, consider deciding what order you are going to complete your It s a good idea to attempt the you feel most confident about first Can also choose which sections to answer first do you want to write your essays first or last? Allocate your time is so that you can move from question to question and get through the entire exam University 2

3 At the start of the exam Memory dump Write down all the information you can remember for the you are answering Strategies for answering Multiple-choice 3. Start writing Don t leave until you have checked your answers and attempted the right number of Choose the you will answer during reading time During the first 5 minutes write down the relevant points you can remember (if you haven t done this during the memory dump) No need to provide references do acknowledge theory and research using relevant names Understand the question examine keywords and command words understand what aspect of the topic you ve been asked to write about For the structure of the essay, follow the structure of the question develop a thesis statement from the question and include it in your introduction As a general rule: one paragraph = one point supported by an example, explanation, evidence Example Question: In this essay, identify and describe both the institutional and the personal bases of the power of the New Zealand Prime Minister. New Zealand s Westminster system of government means there are core institutional bases of power for the Prime Minister, however, there are also crucial personal bases of power. Multiple choice 2. According to Cantor and Harlow, successful problem solving requires: 1. self-regulation. 2. clearly defined behavioural plans. 3. a personal value system. 4. constant feedback. University 3

4 Multiple choice Do not read through the test during reading time If the correct answer looks obvious, still check to make sure Read the carefully and highlight key words Go through and answer the easier first come back to the tougher ones later Multiple choice Try and choose the most correct answer - Sometimes they all mostly right, but there is no all of the above choice Top two tips: 1. Cover the answers and try answer the question yourself o Look at the options and choose the one which most closely matches your answer 2. Try eliminating answers you know are definitely wrong Keep your answers short Usually a paragraph Sometimes only 2 or 3 sentences (7 lines max) Answer the question given Think of what points, key words, phrases and ideas the examiner will be looking for Don t fall into the trap of writing everything you know Be aware that short answer are sometimes allocated different marks marks ranging from 2 to 6, for example Sometimes can fit this pattern: Statement: answer to the question/definition/ description Support: evidence/explanation, the why, the because Apply: provide examples or case studies Example: Name the three countries that are said to have unwritten constitutions. The three countries that are said to have unwritten constitutions are ***. This is because For example.. Top three tips Leave 1 or 2 lines after each answer in case you remember something else important later on Stick to the time you have allocated Keep your answers short, sharp and to the point Open book and seen exams For open book: check what information you can take in with you make sure you are familiar with the book and the material before the exam you ll need to be able to retrieve information quickly and efficiently. don t just copy from the textbook For seen exams: don t try to memorise entire essays practice writing a intro and conclusion, and leave the rest in plan form University 4

5 As the exam proceeds Check you are keeping to time If one question is taking too long leave a gap and move on Mini quiz What sort of question is it? How would you go about answering it? You are likely to get more marks by starting another question than adding to one that you have already written some information on If time is very short write an answer in brief notes. You would not expect covered in an exam seminar how to: A) Answer essay B) Prepare for the exam C) Cook dinner D) Be strategic in your response to multiple choice Define the terms exam and panic, explaining how they can be differentiated (5 marks). The term exam can be defined as a method for assessing the level of knowledge a student has about a paper or course. The term panic can be defined as feelings of extreme anxiety often eliciting a fight or flight response. Exam and panic can be differentiated in that while sometimes people experience them together, with careful preparation and good study habits, panic can be reduced to productive stress. Why is calmness considered to be such a valuable commodity during an exam? Calmness is considered to be a valuable commodity during exams for four main reasons: it aids memory, helps with the writing process, being relatively calm helps get you through if you ve got more than one exam, and it increases your overall enjoyment of life. Good luck with your exams! University 5