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Visualise yourself being successfulPay special attention in class for hints, tips and exam ideasClarify confusions with your teacherAvoid people that are stressing out
Power of VisualisationLesson plan:
Activity 1Share story of visualisation in success: Marilyn King (Black line master below)
Share the following story with the class- it can be printed out for them to read individually, in small groups or to the class.
Background Information“You can until you can’t”
Visualise your success daily. The power of such a simple tool as visualisation is immense. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich said, “What the mind can conceive and believe it will achieve.” Have youseen yourself being successful?
Have you seen yourself passing your exams? The mental images you create are important.
Believe you can succeed and expect success.
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Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - Avoid stress infographic Student activity sheets- Marilyn King story
Identify strategies they can use to maintain a positive attitude when
preparing for exams
At the end of this section students will be able to:
Olympic pentathlete, Marilyn King, is a great example of how well visualisation works. She had trained hard for three years, and there was one more year before the Olympics. Just as she was gearing up to peak before the Olympics, she had a serious car accident. She was laid upon her back in hospital for six months. Without any opportunity for physical training, Marilyn practised her routines over and over in her mind. Every day, she exercised with visualisations. When she finally left hospital, she had just two months to get fit for the pentathlon, one of the most gruelling events at the Olympics. At her first physical try-out her coach was amazed. Her muscles and fitness were at
such a level that she was able to bring her fitness up to Olympic level in just four weeks from leaving hospital. Her mind had literally trained and toned her body. She not only succeeded in passing the trials, she succeeded at the Olympic Games.
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Reflection - why do you think that visualisation helped Marilyn in her quest for the Olympics? What are some visualisation practices that could help us in preparing for study, tests and exams?
Follow up activity: If time allows - students can search for examples of people who have used visualization successfully e.g. sports people, business people, entrepreneurs. Then collate this research and present to the rest of the class. It could become an online resource for other students or be a printed display as motivation to students.
Activity 2Explain to students that the brain is amazing and is always working to help us achieve what we think about.
Everyone stands up facing the front of the classroom. Give the following instructions to students:
1. Hold the right arm directly out in front of you, with your thumb up.
2. Without moving your feet, twist your body around, to the right, as far as you can and note where your thumb is pointing
3. Then come back to the front.
4. Students then shut their eyes and imagine that they can spin around even further, imagine what it would look like going 5cm further around, what about 10cm, imagine going 20 cm further.
5. Students, eyes open, put their arm out in front of them and twist as far as they can without moving their feet. Notice how far they go around this time
6. Usually we find that they have twisted far more than they thought they might have earlier.
Pay Special Attention in Class Lesson plan:
Remind students to use symbols when note taking to ensure they know what is important.
Some useful symbols are:
• ! or * before text that is important
• Highlight key concepts/words
• Red for things you want to stand out
• Draw a box or bubble around information that you need to remember
It is useful to give students time to practice their note taking and adapt their current notes to make the important material stand out.
Remember them to be selective about what they highlight, it only stands out for the brain if it is used sparingly… as the saying goes “if everything is important then nothing is important”.
Follow up activity: Take some notes that you have written recently, what can you do to make the most important material stand out? Try highlighting or adding symbols to your notes.
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Clarify Confusions Lesson plan:
Make it clear to your students that smart learners ask for help when they need it. Asking for help when needed reduces stress, ensures that you are learning the correct material (if you practice something the wrong way you will get good at doing it the wrong way) and helps make study time more valuable. Remind students about any extra support that may be offered through your school such as study clubs, teacher availability in non-contact time, online support.
Online support outside of school sites could include: • utunes - a site with thousands of University lectures and videos FREE• www.khanacademy.com
• www.studyit.org.nz (for New Zealand students)
Follow up activities: Encourage students to explore these (and other) websites and rate them according to their usability for different subjects.
Create a class list of resources/supports that are appropriate for the content that you are covering
Avoid People that are Stressing Out Lesson plan:
Share the following article with students about stress being contagious. (www.inc.com/anese-cavanaugh/how-to-protect-against-second-hand-stress.html)
Students brainstorm, as a class or in small groups, productive strategies that could help reduce catching stress from other people.
Share the following infographic with the class• Turn the TV off • Avoid violent, angry or stressful games, movies, music or programmes • Limit contact with negative people • Listen to positive music • Get enough sleep • Drink water • Eat breakfast • Have some quiet time - try yoga or meditation • Get moving, exercise, shift your position, stretch • If you can’t avoid the stress, it helps to notice the signs of stress early and practice communicating I statements to those stressing around you
Follow up activity: Encourage students to choose 1-2 strategies that they think would work for them and try them over the next week or two. Have a discussion after a few days to see what is/isn’t working.
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Power of VisualisationBlackline Master 1
Explain how you think visualisation helped Marilyn in her quest for the Olympics?
Olympic pentathlete, Marilyn King, is a great example of how well visualisation works.
She had trained hard for three years, and there was one more year before the Olympics. Just as she was gearing up to peak before the Olympics, she had a serious car accident. She was laid upon her back in hospital for six months.
Without any opportunity for physical training, Marilyn practised her routines over and over in her mind. Every day, she exercised with visualisations.
When she finally left hospital, she had just two months to get fit for the pentathlon, one of the most gruelling events at the Olympics.
At her first physical try-out her coach was amazed. Her muscles and fitness were at such a level that she was able to bring her fitness up to Olympic level in just four weeks from leaving hospital. Her mind had literally trained and toned her body.
She not only succeeded in passing the trials, she succeeded at the Olympic Games.
Avoiding Stress InfographicBlackline Master 2
If you can’t avoid the stress, it helps to notice the signs of stress early and practice communicating “I” statements to those stressing around you
Get enough
sleep
Turn the TV o�
Listen to positive
music
Eat breakfast
Limit contact with negative people
Have some quiet time. Try yoga or meditation
Avoid violent, angry or stressful games, movies, music
or programmes
Drink water
Get moving, exercise, shift your position,
stretch
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Spend 10-15 minutes each week planning your week
Draw up a calendar and stick to it
Prioritise what you need to learn
Learn the information you DON’t know
My Study TimetableLesson plan:
Activity 1 Students look at the example given of a study timetable - note which subjects are being studied and which study time seems to be most productive for this person. (see sample study timetable below)
Students create a schedule for an evening’s study based on criteria given. They can complete this individually or in small groups. Then share and compare. See Activity sheet: Planning study for just one night
Guide students to consider their week ahead, what subjects will they need to study (thinking about what subjects they will be doing, what content they are learning/don’t know or feel comfortable with), what other commitments they have and when they are most alert.
Follow up activity:
Encourage students to create their own study timetable for the next week. Where time allows check in with them to see how they are going. (See timetable activity sheet below)
Background InformationProper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance
#1 time management tip: when you spend time planning what you are going to do, it gets done faster and more e�ciently
First, prepare your work list for the following day the evening or night before. The best exercise is for you to plan your entire next day as the last thing you do before coming home from work. When you plan your day the night before, your subconscious then goes to work on your plans and goals while you are asleep. Very often you will wake up in the morning with ideas and insights that apply to the work of the day.
A major bene�t of preparing your daily list the night before is that this exercise lets you sleep more soundly. A major reason for insomnia is your lying awake trying not to forget to remember everything that you have to do the following day. Once you have written down everything you have to do on your list, it clears your mind and enables you to sleep deeply. This will help you increase productivity throughout the next work day.
Create a daily plan. Plan your day before it unfolds. Do it in the morning or even better, the night before you sleep. The plan gives you a good overview of how the day will pan out. That way, you don’t get caught o� guard. Your job for the day is to stick to the plan as best as possible.
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Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - Proper planning poster Student activity sheets- Sample study plan - My study plan - An evening of study
Describe di�erent planning strategies to support them
in preparation for exams and tests.
At the end of this section students will be able to:
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Activity 2
This is a chance for students to practice planning even on a short term basis, remind them that planning before we study will help us to be better prepared and get the most out of the time we spend studying.
Hand out or display the following study situation to plan for (also found on Blackline master 4) - students may work through this individually or in small groups. Encourage students to share the timetable they have created with others and share their reasoning behind the choices they have made.
Planning study for just one night: You have an hour and half to study all these subjects tonight. How would you revise all these subjects and in what order?
You must include - the order you will study each subject in.You may make a plan on rough paper first if this helps you.
• You have a spelling test tomorrow, lesson one and you need to be able to spell 10 words correctly. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
• Your Maths teacher has told you that she will be testing you on your ability to complete algebra equations, but this is not until next week.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
• The science teacher is preparing you for an external exam which is at the end of the month, three weeks away. You know the basics but you need to get to get to grips with the detail.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
• You want to pass your history exam in two months time so you can get into college and study, this is not urgent but you do need to keep working on the information so you remember it.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Learn the information you don’t know Lesson plan:
Activity 1
How to find out what you don’t know
Discuss with class about how we can find out what it is that we don’t know - this could be a brainstorm that is recorded on a board or students could keep their own notes to add to their study workbooks. (see background information for some ideas)
Spelling words activity:• Test students on the following words.
• Mark the test to get a score out of 20.
• Then students go through and identify those words they don’t know (the ones they got wrong) Give them time to practice those words they don’t know then re-test to see if focusing on what they don’t know gets them a higher score on their spelling test.
Follow up activity: Over the next week encourage students to look at their own test papers and remarks from teachers on work to work out some areas that they need to focus on learning.
Background InformationTHIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STUDY TIP EVER
This may sound obvious however many people study the information they already know. It is sometimes easier to go over the information you got right as this is comfortable. However it’s not where the learning is. Go back through old tests, exams and assignments and learn the information you got wrong.
How can you help students work out what they don’t know?
Giving clear learning outcomes (WALTS, learning intentions) at the start of lessons or units of work will help students identify the areas that they need to master.
Give students speci�c feedback so they know what they have got right and what they need to work on.
Celebrate student achievement - 7/10 is great - then help them to identify the 3 they didn’t get right and how they can improve.
Have old exams and other tests for students to practice.
Be available for students to seek your advice.
Encourage students to search online or in text books.
Flash cards are also useful. If you are learning a foreign language, write the foreign word on the front of the card and your native language translation on the reverse. Test yourself using both sides of the cards, looking at your native language side �rst. Remember to sort them into piles of ones you know and ones you don’t know, so you can practice the ones you don’t know more often.
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1. Separate
2. Definitely
3. Manoeuvre
4. Embarrass
5. Occurrence
6. Consensus
7. Unnecessary
8. Acceptable
9. Broccoli
10. Referred
11. Bureaucracy
12. Supersede
13. Questionnaire
14. Connoisseur
15. Diarrhea
16. Entrepreneur
17. Particularly
18. Liquefy
19. Conscience
20. Parallel
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Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance Blackline
Master 1
Sample Study Plan
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Blackline Master 2
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Create your own Blackline
Master 3
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
• Remember to add in meal times, sport, cultural and work / family commitments
• Add assignment dates
• Now add times to focus on different subjects
My study plan - afternoon/evening schedule
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Planning study for just one night Blackline
Master 4
You have an hour and half to study all these subjects tonight. How would you revise all these subjects and in what order?
You must include - the order you will study each subject in.You may make a plan on rough paper first if this helps you.
• You have a spelling test tomorrow, lesson one and you need to be able to spell 10 words correctly. …………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
• Your Maths teacher has told you that she will be testing you on your ability to complete algebra equations, but this is not until next week.…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
• The science teacher is preparing you for an external exam which is at the end of the month, three weeks away. You know the basics but you need to get to get to grips with the detail.…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
• You want to pass your history exam in two months time so you can get into college and study, this is not urgent but you do need to keep working on the information so you remember it.…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
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Spelling test Blackline
Master 5
Write the words to the commonly confused spelling words test in the first attempt column. Practice those that you get wrong. Then fold your page in half and repeat the test… did focusing on what you didn’t know help you improve?
First attempt Second attempt
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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Revise Notes Lesson plan:
Activity 1Remind students that we need to focus on learning what we don’t know.
Teach students the read, cover, check method. This is really useful for specific words or phrases, formula, facts, diagrams or speeches. (see below for a poster to remind the students about this method)
- Read - students a chunk of text or specific word or diagram
- Cover - after reading this the students cover it and either write, draw or say the content they are trying to remember
- Check - students then check the original material to see that they have recalled the important information
Background Informationsomething about di�erence between memory and visual recognition
From wikipedia: Recognition memory is a subcategory of declarative memory. Essentially, recognition memory is the ability to recognize previously encountered events, objects, or people. When the previously experienced event is reexperienced, this environmental content is matched to stored memory representations, eliciting matching signals.
Recognition memory can be subdivided into two component processes: recollection and familiarity, sometimes referred to as "remembering" and "knowing", respectively. Recollection is the retrieval of details associated with the previously experienced event. In contrast, familiarity is the feeling that the event was previously experienced, without recollection. Thus, the fundamental distinction between the two processes is that recollection is a slow, controlled search process, whereas familiarity is a fast, automatic process.
Mandler's "Butcher-on-the-bus" example: Imagine taking a seat on a crowded bus. You look to your left and notice a man. Immediately, you are overcome with this sense that you've seen this man before, but you cannot remember who he is. This automatically elicited feeling is familiarity. While trying to remember who this man is, you begin retrieving speci�c details about your previous encounter. For example, you might remember that this man handed you a �ne chop of meat in the grocery store. Or perhaps you remember him wearing an apron. This search process is recollection.
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Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - Read, Cover, Check - Sleep infographic
Prepare themselves for exams adequately
At the end of this section students will be able to:
Cramming Does NOT work Lesson plan:
Activity 1Chunking - Number Recall Challenge
Invite the students to take on the number recall challenge. Tell them you are going to say a list of numbers and to recall them inside their head. No writing down is allowed.
Read this list of numbers to your students (only once): 6, 14, 1, 22, 10
Invite students to recall aloud. (It is likely they will recall all of them)
“OK here’s another list of numbers to remember” Read out the following (only once):
5, 27, 64, 101, 54, 31, 10, 29, 64, 73, 29, 15 and 3
Ask how many the students they can recall. Review who remembered the first, the last and the repeated numbers to reinforce the earlier memory keys. “For most of us it is hard to remember a list like that and this is because the brain prefers to have smaller chunks of information.”
Background Information'Chunking' refers to organising or grouping separate pieces of information together. When information is 'chunked' into groups, you can remember the information easier by remembering the groups as opposed to each piece of information separately. The types of groups can also act as a cue to help you remember what is in each group.
The long term memory can hold millions of pieces of information.
In contrast, the short term memory can remember between 5 and 9 pieces of information in one chunk. When we are asked to recall a long series of numbers our brain can almost feel fuzzy!
When learning information for the �rst time, the brain processes this in the short term memory, or sometimes known as the working memory.
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Share this study smarter strategy: study like a snowball - remember 3-4 pieces of information for a start and when you know that add another 3-4 pieces ... like a snowball rolling down a snow covered mountain – it keeps collecting snow as it rolls...
Follow up activity:For the next week of study encourage students to do the follow-ing: When you need to remember a lot of things remember to study 3-4 things first, then add the next lot of information.
SleepLesson plan:
Activity 1
Reassure students that if they are not able to sleep the night before the exam - this is OK - just relax, listen to calming music, read light fiction, do a meditation etc.
Hand out, display or share digital copies of the Sleep Infographic below.
To reduce anxiety that may prevent sleep encourage students to
pack for their exams the night before - remind them that it pays to have extras as well.
As a class create a list of items that people might need to take for an exam or test (pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, calculator, jacket, water bottle (if allowed) etc.)
Follow up activity: Individuals create their own exam item lists for what they will need to pack so they can prepare early (see blackline master below).
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Infographic/Poster: Read, Cover, Check Blackline
Master 1
Students then check the original material to see that they have recalled the important information
After reading this the students cover it and either write, draw or say the content they are trying to remember
Infographic: Sleep
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Blackline Master 2
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What I will need to pack for my exams Blackline
Master 3
Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Exams I am taking on this day
What I will need to have for each day
Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Exams I am taking on this day
What I will need to have for each day
What I will need to pack for my exams
Eat BreakfastLesson plan:
Activity 1
Share the following Breakfast recipes with students www.joybauer.com/photo-gallery/joy-bauers-6-best-break-fasts-to-eat-before-the-sats/intro.aspx
Display, share or hand out a copy of the infographic below to students
Follow up activity:
Encourage students to try some different breakfast ideas if they are able. You could even host a breakfast study session at school sharing some of these recipes.
Background InformationThe brain is greedy when it comes to the energy you consume - for only 2% of our body rate the brain uses 20% of our energy… all the time. In order to help avoid stressing the brain and body out when sitting exams/tests ensure you supply it with helpful food (slow release energy is best so avoid simple sugars for an exam, they burn up too quickly) and keep breathing deeply.
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Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - Great food for exams
State foods that could be eaten for breakfast before exams
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Infographic: What to eat before an exam Blackline
Master 1
www.goodluckexams.com/what-to-eat-before-an-exam/
Eat light meals
Eat enough to feel satisfied but not so much as to feel full. Try a light lunch such as a salad with chicken or salmon.
The B vitamins especially strengthen brain functioning. Iron, calcium, and zinc can boost your body’s ability to handle stress.
Snack intelligently
Carry healthy snacks, such as protein bars, trail mix, energy bars, granola bars, almonds, walnuts, or fruit for such times, to keep your energy high.
Get enough sleep
On the night before the exam, stop studying in the early evening. To function at your best on exam day, you need not only the energy that comes from healthy nutrition, but also the energy that comes from adequate, restful sleep.
Background InformationTell yourself “I can do this”Take your time, relax, breathe
SCAN THROUGH THE EXAM PAPER
When you are told to start: Scan through the exam paper quickly to give you an idea of what is coming up. Then go back and do the easy questions �rst. Then the hard ones.
This sets up your subconscious mind to think about the answers while you are focusing on the question you are working on. Have you ever forgotten someone’s name? Three days later - 2 o’clock in the morning - your brain goes “ping” and remembers the name. This is because your subconscious has been working on it in the background. You are not even aware of this. Starting with the easy questions also will give you some con�dence and help you relax into the exam.
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Exam tips �ip bookStudent activity sheets- Charts question activity
Describe strategies that can be used to prepare themselves for answering questions as well as
possible during an exam
At the end of this section students will be able to:
Scan through the exam paperLesson plan:
Activity 1Talk students through the strategy listed in the background information… what does scanning look like? Give them opportunities to scan through material in class and talk about key points that they gather before they read more closely.
Explore an exam question to demonstrate how to read questions closely. You can use the activity sheet Charts or any old exam papers.
- Get students to read through the question- Highlight key words - Then clarify what the question is actually asking them to do
Sit up Straight Lesson plan:
Activity 1Explain to students that your physiology or posture is very important in an exam. -- when we sit up straight, we are more likely to remember positive memories or think of something positive in general.
Try this: Slouch down low into your chair -fold your arms, pull in and frown - now, without moving a muscle, feel happy
Try this: Sit up straight, shoulders back, smile wide - now, without moving a muscle, feel sad - it is hard - your physiology can determine how you feel.
When you slouch it inhibits the spinal pump and makes learning more challenging.
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Blackline Master 1
CHARTSIn January, the new CDs of the bands 4U2Rock and The Kicking Kangaroos were released. In February, the CDs of the bands No One's Darling and The Metalfolkies followed. The following graph shows the sales of the bands' CDs from January to June.
QUESTIONIn which month did the band No One's Darling sell more CDs than the band The Kicking Kangaroos for the first time?This question has been sourced from: www.oecd.org/pisa/test/form
Lesson plan:
Activity 1Teach students about how to divide their time in an exam paper. Below is a simple formula that students can use:
• If the exam is 60 minutes long and has 100 marks
• Take 5 mins for reading the paper - and leave 5 mins to
check at the end this gives you 50 mins to complete the paper. That is 2 marks per minute. 0r 30 secs per mark.
• So if the question is worth 10 marks, you have 5 mins to complete the question
• Once your time has expired - move on to the next question - you can always come back to it
Follow up activity: Give students time to look at old exam papers and work out timings
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Exam tips �ip bookStudent activity sheets- Charts question activityOld/sample exam papers
Calculate a basic timing for answering exam questions
At the end of this section students will be able to:
(in the exam)
Background InformationStaying in the moment
Breathe deeply… often when we get stuck we get stressed which makes us feel worse and sets up a negative thinking pattern that can make it hard for us to get going again, our hearts beat faster and our breath becomes shallow. To help break this cycle take a few deep breaths when you start to feel stuck. You can also try this simple calming mindfulness meditation to get you back into the moment
25
Breathe Deeply Lesson plan:
Activity 1Teach students a mindfulness strategy.
Try this simple calming mindfulness meditation to get you back into the moment… (as you are doing this you might have thoughts come through that are stressful, just let them go and focus again on your breath or your body)
1. close your eyes 2. breathe deeply, noticing your breath going in and out 3. focus on your feet, one foot at a time… notice the parts of your right foot that are touching the floor, notice how your toes feel, notice how your foot feels in your shoe/sock… then change to focus on your left foot. 4. now move to how you body feels in the seat, notice the parts of your legs and buttocks that are touching the seat, notice how your back feels against the seat 5. now breathe in deeply and open your eyes, it is time to go back to your exam
Ask yourself some questions Share the following questions for the students to use to prompt their thinking, they may have others to add that they would find useful. These could be displayed as a poster or shared with the students either electronically or handed out.
When did I learn this?Did we do this in class?What do I know about this?Which colour was it written in?Which side of the page is it recorded?What was the example I/teacher used?
If you are not sure, leave it out, you can always come back to it later.
Activity: Students can make up their own posters/bookmarks/postcards as reminders of what to do when we get stuck. These can be displayed around the classroom, in the halls or shared electronically, even shared worldwide if appropriate.
Exam tips �ip book
Describe strategies to manage their emotional state when undertaking exams so they can calm down and
complete the exam
At the end of this section students will be able to:
My Study TimetableLesson plan:
Activity 1 Share the do’s and don’ts from the background information, especially with students who you notice become fatigued when writing.
Share the poster showing seating, paper and hand positions with students and encourage that they use this during class to practice.
Background InformationIf you are not used to writing, your hand may get tired in an exam.
It may be because you are holding your pen too tight.
- Don’t hold your pen like it’s covered with grease
- Don’t press down!
- Don’t use your �nger muscles!
- Don’t use some whacky grip from your primary school days!
- Do practice your handwriting!
- Do have proper posture!
- Do take it slow!
www.pentorium.com/2014/02/24/prevent-
ing-hand-fatigue-during-long-writing-sessions/
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Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - Images showing best paper, hand and body positions
Demonstrate what a relaxed pencil/pen grip looks like
when writing
At the end of this section students will be able to:
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Infographic: Save Your Hand And Back Blackline
Master 1
Background InformationRemember that multiple question correct answers do not follow a pattern nor do they �t into a set percentage (i.e 25% will be A, B,C,D) - they are random. Think about it, just because there hasn’t been a C for a while does not mean that the next one will be a C.
The people making up the exam papers will not always make it easy on you so tricks and tips can help but knowing the answer because you have learned the information is always best.
Always remember with multiple choice questions you are looking for the BEST answer.
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Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - Tips and Tricks for Multiple Choice Questions
Identify strategies that will help them answer multiple choice questions more con�dently
At the end of this section students will be able to:
Revise Notes Lesson plan:
Activity 1Explain the background information to students – clarify that multiple choice questions do not follow a pattern
To help demonstrate this play a game of heads or tails knockout.
- Everyone stands up.
- Appoint a caller who needs a coin.
- The caller now says, "Place your hands on your head if you think it will be a head". Place your hands on your bottom if you think it will be tails.
- The caller now tosses the coin.
- Everyone who guessed incorrectly can sit down.
- You continue this process until just one person is left.
So we need real strategies to help us master multiple choice questions: Gather ideas from students about some strategies they already have then share the Multiple Choice Tips and Tricks infographic
Infographic: Multiple Choice Tips and Tricks
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Blackline Master 1
Please note: the people making up the exam papers will not always make it easy on you but these tips and tricks can be helpful… knowing the material you are supposed to have learned will make the biggest difference in getting these right.Always remember with multiple choice questions you are looking for the BEST answer.
All of the above
Are you
sure?
Lesson plan:
Activity 1Share the following information with students:
Being neat is important in the exam, however you do not have to be perfect. It is however important that the examiner can read your writing. If they are unsure of what you have written it will be marked incorrect.
Ensure your numbers are clear - making sure your 1’s and 7’s look different and your 6’s and 0’s are not too similar
Avoid spending time crossing out mistakes so the examiner can’t read them, as they will not have time to read what you didn’t want to write. They are making the paper and are looking for the right answers. Cross out mistakes quickly and move on.
It is Ok to cross ideas out, draw arrows, add asterisks, and renumber paragraphs. Do not rewrite it again - you do not have time.
Follow up activity: Observe students work in class and give them feedback on how easy it is for you to read and understand their work. They can also have peers give them feedback on how easily read their work is.
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Exam tips �ip bookState why neatness counts in exams
At the end of this section students will be able to:
Background InformationAssumptions (have you explained them all, even when not explicity asked.)
Calculations (have you checked them all - doing things di�erent ways if possible and time permits. Did you press those calculator buttons right? Do the answers to di�erent parts of the question agree? Check, and check again.)
Units (have you written the units you're using? Do the units for all formulas make sense and agree - this is a very powerful technique for checking that your derivations are right and you're using the right formula.)
Truth (have you done all the parts of all the sections in the questions? If asked to make a list and explain why, don't just make a list. This is probably the biggest cause of -unnecessary lost marks - read the question and answer the question, the whole question, and nothing but the question. Just like the truth in a court of law.)
Explanations (have I explained what I'm doing at all stages - good explanations will get marks for method even if the answer is wrong; miss out the explanation and you're throwing away easy method marks.)
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Never Leave an Exam Early Lesson plan:
Activity 1 The only possible excuse for leaving an exam early is when you are absolutely sure that you have got 100%, and that is usually highly unlikely.
There is always something you can do to improve your paper. Check, and check again. When you’ve finished, start back at the beginning, and try to do the questions in different ways, and check they agree. Add more explanations.
If you've got time left at the end, try remembering the mnemonic: ACUTE (hand out or share the infographic ACUTE with the class).
Go over skipped questions.
An exam is a formal test and requires formal writing so no text words or abbreviations.
Activity 2 Comparing text and whole language to help students remember to avoid text language in their exam answers.
Exam tips �ip bookInfographics and posters - ACUTEStudent activity sheets- Text language chart
Describe checking strategies that can be undertaken at the end of an
exam to ensure they have completed the exam as well as possible
At the end of this section students will be able to:
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Poster: ACUTE for checking your work Blackline
Master 1
AssumptionsHave you
explained them all, even when not explicity asked?
Calculations
Have you checked them all - doing things
di�erent ways if possible and time permits.
Did you press those calculator buttons right?
Do the answers to di�erent parts of the
question agree? Check, and check again.
Truth
Have you done all the parts of all the sections in the
questions? If asked to make a list and explain why, don't just
make a list. This is probably the biggest cause of - unnecessary lost marks - read the question and answer the question, the whole question, and nothing
but the question. Just like the truth in a court of law.
Units Have you written the
units you're using? Do the units for all formulas make sense and agree - this is a very powerful
technique for checking that your derivations are
right and you're using the right formula.
Explanations Have you explained what you’re doing at all stages?
Good explanations will get marks for method even if the answer is wrong; miss out the
explanation and you're throwing away easy
method marks.
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TEXT LANGUAGE - avoid this in your exam answers Blackline
Master 2
TEXT WORD/ABBREVIATION
LOL Laugh out loud
wit or w with
4
2day
2moro
@
B4
2
FULL WORD or STATEMENT
We have done the first two for you - fill in the others and then you can write your own in the spaces below that
