Revising for and sitting exams

1
Revising for and sitting exams

• Before the exam
• During the exam
• Immediately after the exam
• Getting your results

2
Before the exam

• Find out when, where, and how long
• Investigate the nature of the paper
• Past exam papers
• Exemplar exam papers
• Outlines of the papers format (verbal or
  written)
• Gather your notes together

3
Making connections

• Map connections between notes
• Look out for connections between topics
• for example, common theoretical/ methodological
  approaches to different topics, or different
  theoretical/ methodological approaches to similar
  topics
• Look out for gaps undertake extra reading where
  appropriate
• However, dont spend too much time on a single
  topic

4
Assessing the lie of the land

• Get a fresh overview of your subject discipline
• What are the key approaches?
• Where are key areas of debate/conflict?
• Where do you stand on key issues?
• What values and ways of conceptualising the
  subject are evident in the texts/ materials you
  have read?

5
Ways of revising

• Suggestions for revision
• Create a visual map of key ideas
• Make audio tapes by recording notes
• Work alongside a friend or fellow student, if it
  helps
• Dont rely on that vague kind of silent reading
  which has no focus

6
Practise skills

• Review and practise skills you will need.
• These may include
• Analysing exam questions
• Rapid essay planning
• Arguing effectively, using appropriate kinds of
  theory, within a time limit
• Writing appropriately and accurately
• Close analysis of texts (verbal or visual) or
  other kinds of evidence

7
Practise skills and ask questions

• Review and practise
• Ability to select areas of knowledge as examples
  to support an argument
• Time management and ability to prioritise
  appropriately
• Ability to synthesise and reach a conclusion
• Ask your tutor for advice about particular skills
  needed in the exam
• Find out about assessment/marking criteria for
  each exam

8
Look after yourself

• Get enough rest before the exam
• Remember to eat and drink!
• Consider strategies for nerves
• breathing deeply and rhythmically for 60 seconds
  will fool your body into feeling more relaxed
• Remember that you can only do what is reasonable
  in the time

9
During the exam

• Spend 10 minutes reading and thinking before you
  start to write
• Read the exam rubric very carefully
• Work out exactly how long you have for each
  question
• Take one question at a time answer your best
  question first. (You dont need to answer them in
  any particular order.)
• Leave time to re-read/check answers

10
Immediately after the exam

• Dont get involved in a post mortem with
  colleagues
• Many approaches can work if youve answered
  differently from one another, you could still all
  do well
• Take time to relax before focusing on the next
  exam

11
Getting your results

• Dont criticize yourself for things you didnt
  write, or marks you didnt get exams should be
  a learning experience in themselves
• Take time to consider feedback and dont jump to
  conclusions about what comments (and marks)
  really mean

12
Learning from the experience

• Learn from what you did well, as well as from
  what you did less well in
• Target particular areas to work on next time for
  example, broadening your knowledge base, or
  honing your analytical skills
• Take time to value your achievements