Contents
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Section One:
Core Concept
Section Two: Qualities Required
Section Three: Common Reasons For Failure
Section Four: More Reasons For Exam Failure
Section Five: Exam Preparation
Section Six: Handling Exam Questions
Section Seven: Time Management
Section Eight: Structuring Exam Answers
Section Nine: Answering Exam Questions
Section
Ten:
Concluding
Comments
Appendix One: A List of Common Exam Words
Appendix Two: ‘A’ Level Grades
Aims
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Having completed this document, the student should be in a position to attain the highest possible mark of which they are capable. He or she should be able to: -
1. Recognise The Qualities Required To Obtain A Good Exam Pass
2. Prepare
For Exams In An Effective Manner
3. Handle Exam Questions With Quiet Confidence
4. Follow A Definite Timetable When Answering Exam Questions
5. Structure Their Exam Answers
6. Answer ONLY The Questions That Have Been Set
7. Discern And Avoid The Causes Of Exam Failure
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Section
One:
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Examination skills are those skills, which enable the student to obtain the highest possible mark, (after allowance has been made for personal ability and other factors, i.e. health or sickness). Examination skills aim to help the student to: -
1. Minimise The Risk Of Failure
2. Gain The Best Marks Of Which They Are Capable.
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Section
Two:
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The qualities necessary to gain a good mark during an exam are: -
2.1 Efficiency - Keeping To A Timetable
2.2 Focused Concentration - Always Bearing The Question In Mind
2.3 Organisational Ability - Knowing How To Clearly Present A Beginning, Middle And An End
2.4 Pragmatism - Tackling Only Those Questions Of Which The Student Has Some Knowledge.
2.5 Prioritisation - Sifting The Relevant From The Irrelevant
2.6 Subject Knowledge - Gained Only With Thorough Revision.
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Section
Three: Common
Reasons for Failure
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The most common reasons for exam failure are: -
3.1 A Poor Intellectual Grasp Of The Subject Matter
3.2 An Inability (Or Laziness) To Have Learnt From Previous Mistakes
3.3 A Lack In Seeing Both Sides Of An Issue
3.4 A Weak Or Missing Central Theme
3.5 A Lack Of Planning And Preparation
3.6 Possessing Only A Small Amount Of Subject Knowledge
3.7 The Over-Use Of
Emotive Language Or The Giving Of Dogmatic Assertions (To Try And Obscure An Innate
Lack Of Knowledge)
3.8 Giving An Irrelevant Answer - Cramming In Everything Known About A Topic
3.9 Giving Unjustified Conclusions, Or Conclusions Which Simply Repeat The Main Body Of The Assignment
3.10 Being Over Or Under Confident
3.11 Relying Too Heavily
Upon Either Primary Or Secondary Research When Both Are Required
(This Only Applies To The Larger Assignments)
3.12 A Poor Selection Of Questions
3.13 The Presentation Of Only One Side Of An Argument
3.14 Blatant Plagiarism. (Presenting Other People’s Answers As One’s Own).
3.15 Rushing Into A Question Without Due Care And Attention
3.16 Rushing Into Giving An Answer, Lacking Either An Introduction, Conclusion Or Any Basic Structure
3.17 Using Poor Quality, Irrelevant, Or Too Narrow A Range Of Source Material
3.18 Using Poor Quality Stationery
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Section
Four:
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Other reasons for exam failure consist of: -
4.1 Answering Another Question, Other Than The One Being Asked. This Is Done By: -
4.1.1 Answering A Question Which The Student Had Hoped ‘Would Come Up’
4.1.2 Answering A Question Which Came Up In The Previous Year’s Exam
4.1.3 Answering A Question
Which Had Been Previously Discussed With The Tutor Or With Other Fellow
Students
4.2 Omitting Vital Pieces Of Information Due To: -
4.2.1 Exam Time Running Out
4.2.2 A Lack Of Subject Knowledge
4.2.3 A Lack Of Realism
- Assuming That If The Examiner Knows
It Already (Which He Should), Then Really, It Needn’t Be Said At All!
4.3 Poor General Presentation, Including The Use Of: -
4.3.1 Bad Grammar, Punctuation And Spelling
4.3.2 Inadequate Vocabulary Along With The Use Of Clichés And Slang
4.3.3 Irrelevant Material
4.3.4 Scrappy And/Or Over Detailed Diagrams And Tables
4.3.5 Verbosity - Making Use Of Unnecessary Or Long Words When Short Words Or Phrases Would Have Sufficed.
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Section
Five: Exam
Preparation
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Before any exam, it is important to: -
5.1 Acknowledge That While A Certain Amount Of Bodily Tension Can Be Productive, Should It Reach The Point Where Distressing Physical Symptoms Occur (I.e. Sleeplessness Or Vomiting) Then PROFESSIONAL HELP MUST BE SOUGHT. It Would Be Detrimental To Exam Success Should The Student Simply Suffer In Silence.
5.2 Employ The Final Days Before An Exam ‘POLISHING UP’ WORK WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE, Rather Than Trying To Imbibe Any Further Work Which Has Been Neglected.
5.3 Ensure That Any Thorough Revision Is Balanced By Plenty Of Sleep And Outdoor Exercise.
5.4 Examine Any Stationery To See That It Is In Good Working Order And Spare Pens Etc. Are Available.
5.5 Get To The Exam Hall In Plenty Of Time, Giving Generous Allowance For Delays.
5.6 Go To The WC 10 Minutes Before The Exam Starts. Also, Avoid Having More Than A Few Sips To Drink About 20 Minutes Before The Exam Begins.
5.7 Neatly Arrange Any Stationery And Resolve Only To Look Up At The Ceiling, Or At The Clock, But NOT At Any Other Person During Pauses.
5.8 Understand The Meaning Of Common Exam Words (Appendix One).
5.9 Understand Who The Examiners Are Likely To Be, And What They Are Wanting. (In ‘A’ Level, Examiners Rarely Have More Than Ten Minutes To Spare For Each Essay - See Appendix Two).
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Section
Six: Handling Exam
Questions
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When approaching an exam question it is necessary to: -
6.1 Avoid Any Trace Of Wishful Thinking - Hoping The Question Means Something Different From What It Actually Says.
6.2 Decide PRECISELY What The Question Is Asking.
6.3 See Whether ALL Parts Of The Question Can Be Answered.
6.4 Sift CAREFULLY Through The Wording To Identify:
6.4.1 The Main Subject, And ‘Box’ This Around, I.e. Racism
6.4.2 The Precise Instruction, And Underline It, E.g. Evaluate
6.4.3 Key Words And Phrases - Carefully Lettering And Double-Underlining Them, I.e. (A) Causes
6.4.4 The Relevant Time-Scale - Enclose With Square Brackets, I.e. [In Britain Since 1945]
6.5 Write An Outline Plan Of The Answer. This Could Be Done In Simple List Form. However, Be Careful Not To Use Up Too Much Time On This. See Appendix Two.
Section
Seven: Time
Management
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With a standard four essay, three-hour exam, it could prove useful to follow this timetable: -
Time: -
0.00 Turn The Question Over
0.05 Read Through The Paper Carefully, start question dissection. Appendix Three)
0.15 Begin To Answer The First Question - Spending No More Than 5 Minutes On Writing Down An Outline Plan.
0.50 Complete Answering The First Question (35 Minutes Long)
1.15 Plan Out The Other Three Questions, In A Similar Manner To The First
1.50 Write Out The Second Answer In Thirty-Five Minutes
2.25 Write Out The Third Answer In Thirty-Five Minutes
3.00 Write Out The Fourth Answer In Thirty-Five Minutes.
In the event of any spare time, ensure that the question NUMBERS are correct. Insert any missing information into appendices or footnotes at the end of the essay. Correct any serious spelling and linguistic mistakes.
It may be best to begin answering the easiest question first, rather than following a strict numerical sequence. However, if this approach is followed then EXTRA CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CHECK THAT THE ANSWER NUMBER CORRESPONDS TO THE QUESTION NUMBER. This would guard against unnecessary failure.
Also make sure that that the procedures for handling documentary evidence are known beforehand. (Appendix Four)
A degree of variation could be permitted in the timetable, i.e. two essay plans could be written out at the beginning, followed by another two around the middle of the exam. Doing this would serve as a mental "break". What should be avoided at all costs is a protracted period spent of writing out four long essay answers. This would simply create exhaustion and a loss of marks through poor concentration.
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Section
Eight: Structuring
Exam Answers
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When answering an exam question, it is usually necessary to adopt the following structure: -
8.1 An Introduction Containing: -
8.1.1 A Gripping Opening Sentence, (Which May Be A Quote)
8.1.2 An Outline Of The Subject, (With A Brief Explanation Of Its Importance)
8.1.3 Key
Definitions And An Outline Of Main Assumptions
8.2 A Main Body Consisting Of: -
8.2.2 An Ordered Line Of Reasoning Which Follows Three Or Four Core Ideas
8.2.2 Backing Evidence I.e. Examples And Illustrations
8.2.3 Diagrams And Tables,
Unlike Major Projects. These Can Go
Into The Main Body Of The Essay, They Don't Interrupt The General Flow Of The
Work.
8.3 A Conclusion Containing: -
8.3.1 A Brief Summary Of The Main Ideas.
8.3.2 A Firm Or Tentative Answer, Related Both To The Exam Question And The Main Body Of The Essay.
8.3.3 A Mention Of Wider Implications, I.e. Likely Future Trends And The Possibility Of Further Research.
8.3.4 A Concise Closing Comment Or "Punch line" That Brings The Essay To A Definite And Final Stop.
Section
Nine: Answering
Exam Questions
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When attempting to answer an exam question it is necessary to: -
9.1 Answer ALL The Questions That Are Required.
Remember It Is Easier To Gain The First
50% Of Marks Rather Than The Second
50%. See Appendix Three.
9.2 Answer THE Question Being Set (Failure To Do So Almost Guarantees Failure)
9.3 Clearly Define Any Terms Used.
9.4 Disagree POLITELY When Giving Valid Reasons Against Something.
9.5 ENJOY The Work As Much As Possible.
9.6 Be As Honest As Possible, And Not Hide Any Ignorance Behind: -
9.6.1 Apologetic Pleading
9.6.2 Empty Superlatives I.e. "Fantastic", "Marvellous" Or "Terrific".
9.6.3 Excessive Dogmatism I.e. "Unfair" Or "Unjust".
9.6.4 Pomposity.
9.6.5 The Skirting Around Of Key Topics.
9.7 If An Important Point Has Been Missed Out, Do NOT Try To Cram It Into The Main Part Of The Essay. For All That Usually Results In Is An Untidy Mess. Instead Place The Point At The End As A Footnote Or (If It Is A Very Long Point) As An Appendix.
9.8 "Discuss Means To Argue Points "For" And "Against".
"Outline Means Briefly To Describe - It Is Not Narrative".
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Section
Ten:
Concluding
Comments
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Perhaps the most tragic situation in exams is not failure itself but failure when the student possessed ability to obtain a good pass. It is precisely this kind of situation that examination techniques are designed to prevent. Their importance can’t be overstated. Finally ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TURN OVER THE EXAM PAPER. it is amazing how many otherwise sensible students can forget to observe this simple, common-sense rule.
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Appendix
One: A List of Common Exam Words
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1. Account for...
2. Analyse...
3. Assess...
4. Comment...
5. Compare And Contrast...
6. Consider...
7. Criticise...
8. Define...
9. Demonstrate...
10. Describe...
11. Discuss...
12. Distinguish...
13. Enumerate...
14. Evaluate...
15. Examine...
16. Explain...
17. Give Reasons For...
18. How far...
19. Illustrate...
20. Interpret...
21. Justify...
22. List...
23. Outline...
24. Prove...
25. Read...
26. Reconcile...
27. Relate...
28. Review...
29. Show How...
30. State...
31. Study...
32. Summarise...
33. To What Extent...
34. Trace...
For The Meaning Of These Words, Please Consult The Oxford English Dictionary.
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Appendix
Two: ‘A’ Level
Grades
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GRADE |
% |
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A |
70 |
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B |
60-69 |
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C |
53-59 |
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D |
46-52 |
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E |
40-45 |
FAIL!
|
N |
35-39 |
|
U |
Not Graded |
Marks in the 40% area are classified as "borderline".