Exams

Surviving the exam

Go to http://owll.massey.ac.nz/about-OWLL/studyup-resources.php to download the slides for this session.

• What to take in with you

• Six steps to surviving the exam

• Strategies for answering different questions

What to take in with youIn a clear plastic bag or ziplock bag

– 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 positiveRemind yourself of what you do know Avoid panicFind 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?

• What if I get writer’s cramp?

Distract yourself: take a sip of water, change position Relax: take some deep breathsFree writing: brainstorm ideas on a blank piece of paperIf these techniques don’t help, move on to the next question

Practice writing before the examTry gripping your pen loosely (or using a fatter pen)Put your pen down and flex your hand in between questions

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

During the 10 minute reading time

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

During the 10 minute reading time

Read the instructions• How many questions 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.)

During the 10 minute reading time

Allocate your time• You want to complete all the compulsory

questions• 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

During the 10 minute reading time

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).

Allocate your time is so that you can move from question to question and get through the entire

exam

During the 10 minute reading time

Choose your question order• If you can, consider deciding what order

you are going to complete your questions• It’s a good idea to attempt the questions

you feel most confident about first• Can also choose which sections to answer

first – do you want to write your essays first or last?

At the start of the exam

Memory dump• Write down all the information you can

remember for the questions you are answering

Start writing• Don’t leave until you have checked your

answers and attempted the right number of questions

Strategies for answering questions

1. Essays2. Multiple-choice3. Short answer questions

Essays

Choose the questions 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 referencesdo acknowledge theory and research using relevant

names

EssaysUnderstand 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 pointsupported by an example, explanation, evidence

Essays

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.

Multiple choice

• Do not read through the test during reading time

• If the correct answer looks obvious, still check to make sure

• Read the questions carefully and highlight key words

• Go through and answer the easier questions 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 yourselfo Look at the options and choose the one

which most closely matches your answer

2. Try eliminating answers you know are definitely wrong

Short answer questions

• 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 questions are sometimes allocated different marks – marks ranging from 2 to 6, for example

Short answer questions• 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…..

Short answer questions

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 examsFor 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 textbookFor seen exams: • don’t try to memorise entire essays• practice writing a intro and conclusion, and

leave the rest in plan form

As the exam proceeds…• Check you are keeping to time

• If one question is taking too long – leave a gap and move on

– 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.

Mini quiz

• What sort of question is it?• How would you go about answering it?

You would not expect covered in an exam seminar how to:

A) Answer essay questionsB) Prepare for the examC) Cook dinnerD) Be strategic in your response to multiple choice questions

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!