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How To Excel In Exams Part III

8a - The Day Of The Exam: Introduction
So, the big day has arrived. You wake up, nicely refreshed from a good night?s sleep, and you are quietly confident as you have followed the advice in the rest...

8b - Breakfast Is Essential To A Good Exam Performance
First, you should ensure that you have breakfast. Many people feel too nervous to have food on the day of the exam, but you really must make an effort to...

8c - Relax, It Is Too Late To Revise Now!
Revision on the morning of the exam is probably not going to do much good - if you don?t know it now then there is not much likelihood you will suddenly grasp...

8d - Read The Front Of The Exam Paper Carefully
Now onto the exam itself. When you enter the exam hall and find your desk (usually in candidate number order), then sit down and take a couple of deep breaths...

8e - Use The Correct Ink Colour
Remember that you should never write in red pen (unless specifically told to), and it is best to avoid green as well. Examiners tend to mark in red, and...

8f - Don't Mess Up The Paperwork
Put your equipment on the desk, and fill out the boxes on the front of the exam, if applicable. Double check you write your candidate number and centre...

8g - Familiarise Yourself With The Exam Paper
OK, so the supervisor says ?you may begin.? What now? Depending on the paper, it may be useful to have a quick look through at the questions, and see how...

8h - Exam Technique - Read The Question
A key piece of advice, although obvious, is to read the question. This is so important, as if you do not answer the question, however eloquent the answer...

8i - Show Your Working In An Exam
Second, you should always give working for your answer, where appropriate. If you are giving essay answers, then it is usually helpful to just have a quick...

8j - Working Is A Must For Maths Exams
We have just mentioned that as a rule you should show working. There is one exam where it is a must - any to do with maths or a mathematical calculation. ...

8k - Check How Many Marks There Are For A Question
Third, look at the marks available for the question. If there are five marks available, then they may be looking for five words/key points. If one mark...

8l - Pace Yourself Carefully
Fourth, pace yourself and do not rush. If you cannot do a question, come back to it later. You should always try and attempt a question. Even if you do...

8m - Write Clearly In The Exam
Throughout, make sure your writing is legible. There is no points writing great things if the examiner, usually marking the hundredth script in a row late...

8n - How To Manage Your Time In An Exam
You do this by looking at three things: - the length of the exam - the number of questions you must answer - the number of marks for each question and the...

9a - Getting Inside The Mind Of The Examiner - Introduction
So, you are in the exam. Everyone else is busy scribbling away and seems to be writing lots and lots having no problems, whilst you are sitting there...

9b - What The Examiner Is Looking For
What is the examiner looking for? Not waffle! They want a clear, concise answer. In many exams, they are looking for certain words to tick. So you need...

9c - Use Precise Language
Use the technical terms where appropriate. Do not say, for instance, ?germs? in a biology exam, when you should use the word ?bacteria?....

9d - Be Specific, Use Examples Where Possible
You should think about what you have been taught during the course and thus should have a good idea of the sort of answer/response needed. Think how what...

9e - Show Understanding Of The Subject For Top Marks
The examiners are looking for you to be able to think on your feet and be perceptive. This shows true understanding, and the whole point of an exam is to...

9f - One Point Equals One Mark
Generally it is a safe rule of thumb that for each mark, there is one point that needs to be made. Hence if you are asked the similarities and differences...

9g - Use Your Brain If You Don't Know The Answer To Get Marks
You can probably get some marks on the above question just by being intelligent even if you know nothing about DNA and RNA. OK, this is a biology question...

9h - Analyse The Question And Think Logically
If you have a history exam, you may be asked what the strengths of a particular piece of source material are. Let's imagine, to show you the power of...

9i - Good Exam Technique WILL Gain You Marks
Just like with coursework, where many students outperform their peers not because of knowledge, but due to better coursework ?technique?, so in exams two...

9j - Exam Technique: Essay Writing
If you are writing an essay, remember the essay plan. This will show that you have thought about the answer and have many points you could mention, but...

9k - Length Is Not Always An Advantage
Do not waffle and repeat points lots of times; this wastes your time and frustrates the examiner as well. If you are asked for the advantages and...

9l - How To Discuss Advantages And Disadvantages
Imagine you're asked for the pros and cons of having a monarchy, you could write a brief list of each and write them in an order, e.g. Pros: brings in...

9m - Evaluation Gets You The Extra Marks
Examiners are looking for evaluation in your answers, and this is often where the extra marks lie. Above, giving pros and cons may get few marks; saying...

9n - The Benefits Of This Pros And Cons Method
Also, by doing it in this format, it will become clear which side outweighs the other and why, and gives a structure to your essay. Give a clear and...

9o - Recall The Syllabus If Unsure How To Answer
Remember, all questions test something on the syllabus for the subject - therefore if you are unsure how to answer a question, try if you can to recall what...

9p - Passing Exams: Summary
All the above may seem an awful lot to have to remember and take into account, but it really isn?t. A lot of it is just common sense, yet it is amazing how...


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