general strategies for EXAM

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1. Preparation in brief • Practice for the exam. Make up exam questions and answer them. Share questions and answers with your friends. • Find out as much as you can about the exam: the type of questions (eg. multiple choice, essay, short answer, open book); the length (eg. one hour plus fifteen minutes perusal); the distribution of marks (eg. 10 marks per essay and one mark per multiple choice question); the time you are due to arrive at the exam (always arrive about 20 minutes early); and the exact location of the exam (visit the room before the exam). • Discuss the exam (format and subject matter) with classmates. • Make sure you sleep well the night before the exam. • Eat well before the exam. • Choose layers of clothing which allow you to feel comfortable with the room temperature. • Take supplies of tissues, cough drops, pens, pencils, erasers, liquid paper, calculator, pet lizard, etc., as required. • Paste your ID card to your forehead! • In the 20 minutes before the exam, relax. Sit quietly, tense and relax each of your body muscles, take a few deep breaths, and don’t rehearse your material. If you are tempted to have a look inside your memory banks, you are quite likely to find them “Not open for inspection”. Don’t worry, the gates are unlocked with the wallop of adrenalin after reading the exam paper. • Exam fatigue is when you cannot stand the thought of sitting another exam. Don’t attempt to study immediately after an exam. Give your batteries a chance to recharge. 2. Seating • If you are allowed to choose a seat, consider ... ... the angle of the sun on your desk. ... whether you prefer the front, the back or the aisle seats. 3. Perusal • This is a crucial time for planning. • Read all the instructions thoroughly. It is quite common for students to do two out of three essays when only one was requested. No extra marks are obtained. • Plan the amount of time you should spend on each question. This will depend on the number of questions, the mark value of each question and the total amount of time available. • Read the entire paper, re-read it (this is not a waste of time!), and, if necessary, decide on the order in which you will answer the questions. Do the easier questions first to boost your confidence, and the more difficult ones last when you are warmed up. Be prepared for strong fear, if not sheer terror, to whip through your veins when you first read the questions. It’s called adrenalin. The questions often look totally unfamiliar. Just hang in there! Start on something easy and you will soon oil up. • Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the period when questions are allowed. 4. Time Management • Time is of the essence! • It is crucial that, during perusal, you write the time allowed for each question on the exam paper next to the question. For essays, note down the exact time at which the essay must be started. • It is wise to stick rigidly to your times. • Round off the question as the time runs out, not after. • You are likely to score higher marks if you write something for each question rather than if you answer only half the paper and run out of time. Always attempt every question!!! 5. Check Answers • Avoid spelling errors. • IF you have time at the end of an exam, check your answers for spelling errors, omissions, ambiguity, and accuracy. In multiple choice exams, make sure that your final choice is easily identified. 6. Handwriting • Practice the balance between fast and legible writing. • Always write in pen. • Marks are hard to obtain for unreadable material. Remember staff members have many papers to mark and may be marking papers late at night. Don’t irritate your marker.