Exams Advice & Revision Guides

Revision literally means to ‘see again’ and this is the key to successful preparation and performance. ‘Re-viewing’ material regularly helps to check understanding and helps direct information to your long term memory.

 

Ask yourself these questions and then look for practical solutions:

• Do you have a good grasp of each subject paper and how marks are awarded?
• Do you have a revision plan for each subject?
• Do you review work covered on a weekly or monthly basis?
• Do you feel that you always perform as well as you can in tests?
• Do you always attempt all the questions on a test?

 

TOP FIVE REVISION TIPS

• Know what you have to do – relate all you revision to the format of the exam papers. Use revision guides and checklists plus mark scheme information. This will help you to match Syllabus sections and exam topics to you revision timetable. Plan to cover certain sections each week. Prioritise the more important sections. Talk to your teachers for help to do this.
• Revise in chunks – break up information into manageable chunks that can be reviewed regularly. This helps when you are tackling your least favourite areas and helps morale because you feel that things are being done. Use ‘flash cards’ which you can keep in your pocket for quick recaps. These are especially good for definitions, vocabulary or formulae
• Prepare by doing – work with a pen and paper, write down points, sketch model answers and then check your results. Just as learning is better through doing so your revision must be active.
• Revise from the top down – it is easier to understand and remember information if it is organised. Start with the main ideas or concepts and then follow up with the sub topics and details. Try to keep the ‘big picture’ of each subject in mind during all revision sessions then ask yourself; how does this topic relate to the main syllabus sections and what are the most likely exam questions. Hopefully you will then avoid getting bogged down in unimportant details.
• Beware of new material in the final weeks – near the end of your revision you need to consolidate what you know and build on this foundation. Don’t chase new or additional material ‘just in case’, stick to the main road.

Practise Makes Permanent!

 To prepare properly you need to practice doing what the exam will ask you to do; that is giving out information not taking it in!! Make use of past exam papers, attempt exam answers, use the mark scheme to check for gaps and to look for trends in the information that is required. Using past papers helps you to decide on your strategy for the real exam, the sort of questions you will want to attempt, your timing, the sort of points that you will need to make. It will also help you become familiar with the type of language used, for example, define, discuss, sketch, draw, plot. This way the real paper will not have any major surprises.

 

Dealing With Stress

 Coping effectively with stress is the difference between dealing positively with events or resonding irrationally.

In the run up to exams you need to identify the stress triggers and put some coping mechanisms in place. Here are some useful tips

• Realistic Goals – if your goal is manageable your system doesn’t over react. Review your targets for each subject and get feedback from your teachers to make sure that you are aiming at the correct level.
• Talk Talk – talking through what is on your mind with a parent, a friend, a teacher and so on is a good way to get things into focus. Discussing your goals in a rational and objective manner helps to focus on the positives and gives you support for your efforts.
• Get Organised – divide work into manageable chunks and time frames so that what looks like a huge task becomes more realistic. Use checklists to keep you on track.
• Relax – When you are tired concentration is more difficult, you are easily distracted and your memorisation is less effective. Take the opportunity for a mini-break during the day. When you get home from school lie down for 20 minutes, use simple relaxation and breathing exercises, have some ‘you time’, to relax your brain ‘muscles’. Make sure that you get enough sleep; a regular 8 hours is better than trying to catch up on lost sleep at the weekends.
• Exercise – physical activity is an excellent way to relieve stress. Even a short walk or jog or a cycle ride helps to clear the head and get it ready for revision. At especially frustrating times more vigorous exercise such as a long run or even a punch bag will help.

 

PERFORMING ON THE DAY

• Get a good nights sleep – There is always the temptation to try and cram in last minute facts. A final nights studying will make little difference to your knowledge, but a mind that is refreshed, alert and ready to work will be of much greater benefit.
• Be on time – to perform well you need to be relaxed and in control. This is difficult if you are running late having missed breakfast or have missed your bus. You need about 15 minutes of quiet time to mentally rehearse and prepare before starting the exam.
• Be equipped. – Each exam has different requirements. You might need a calculator for science or maths, you might need coloured pencils for technology or geography, you might need an anthology or a novel for English. You will certainly need a pencil and a black pen for every exam. Be prepared as a lot of nervous energy can be wasted on hassles if you haven’t checked in advance.
• Positive Mental Attitude – remind yourself of the good things, (the material you know well, previous good performances, your strengths in a subject), rather than dwelling on areas of weakness. Good self belief will give you confidence to trust your judgement and make the right decisions in the exam hall.
•  Stay focussed – there can be a lot of tension and drama in the air on exam days. You need to keep the balance of interacting normally with your friends and maintaining your focus. Try to find a quiet spot to ‘warm up’ before the exam. Surround yourself with people who will help you to stay calm rather than wind you up.
• Beware of post exam analysis – you can’t change what has happened and the more that you take part in a post-mortem the more confused and disheartened you are likely to become. Focus on the present and the future, keep your motivation and your energy levels high.

 The Examiners View

 The examiners job is to give you marks not take them away but you need to avoid falling into the common traps and mistakes. These are the most common pitfalls identified by examiners:

 

• Not reading the paper correctly – this is the most common error. You have a pre-prepared answer ready but you don’t look at the exact terms of the question and therefore supply the wrong information in your answer.
• Not finishing the paper – mismanaging time can cost you a grade by leaving suitable questions unanswered. It is much easier to get the first 25% of the marks for any question than the final 5%. If you find yourself stuck for time as you struggle through the third question out of five don’t spend time trying to perfect and extend that answer. Move on and do the remaining questions. You can always go back later if there is time. If you only answer 3 questions instead of 5 then the maximum mark that you can get is only 60%.
• Ignoring the marking scheme – Take the marks allocated into account whenallocating time and detail to an answer. If the marks show that only one or two points need to be made don’t waste time writing an essay. Avoid the temptation of writing everything that you know about a subject; just make sure that you give the information required
• Repetition – Make a point once. Repeating information, even phrased differently will not bring extra marks. It wastes valuable time.
• Missing part of a question – sometimes a question can carry over to the next page and you fail to notice it. You might miss a compulsory part of a question or miss an option that might have suited you better. Always familiarise yourself with the whole paper before you start.
• Irrelevant quotations – only use quotations if they are an important illustration for your answer. Don’t use quotations just because you have learned them, again it wastes valuable time.
• Rough Work – always include it with your answer. Don’t do all your scribbles on the back page for example. Keep all your work relating to a question together even if you don’ intend it to be marked. You might get some credit for a formulae, for calculations or for planning notes.

 

Success in exams involves two ingredients – thorough knowledge and effective exam technique. Both of these can be learned, practised and refined through careful preparation over time!

 

GOOD LUCK!!!