3.1 Before you start writing the exam

As you enter the examination hall and find your seat take a good look at your surroundings. See where the clock is and check that the time it is showing corresponds to the time on your watch. There is nothing worse than being told that the exam finishes at 12.30 and then being told to stop writing at what you think is 12.25 simply because your watch is 5 minutes behind the exam hall clock.

If at any stage in the exam there is a problem with your seating position then tell an invigilator who will do all that is possible to help. For instance the sun may be in your eyes or you are unable to see the clock in which case you will probably be re-seated somewhere else. If your desk wobbles then use some paper to stabilise it. Whatever happens make sure that you are completely happy with where you are sitting. After all if something is irritating you now then it will be irritating you even more in an hours time when you are trying to concentrate and you will be distracted from the task in hand.

The minute you feel yourself starting to get nervous or panicky start taking deep breaths and stop thinking about the exam until you’ve calmed down again.

If you are feeling unwell, even if it’s just a cold, then tell an invigilator before the exam starts. It can’t do any harm and they might make an allowance for it if you don’t do as well as you are expected to do.

Check that you have been given the correct exam paper and read the instructions carefully. Make sure you understand how many questions you are expected to answer and, if the paper is split into sections, how many questions from each section you should attempt. Also make sure that you know how much time you have for the exam. Many people get so used to doing past papers that they invariably assume that they know exactly what they have to do and don’t bother reading the instructions. Just be aware that the format of the exam may well have changed so read the instructions carefully. If there is anything you are unsure of either before the exam starts or during it then ask an invigilator to explain.

On the front of the paper you will be told how many questions there are. Check that there really are that many questions. This not only confirms that your paper has been printed correctly but also makes you aware of questions which you may well have missed, for instance on the back page where many people forget to look.

As soon as you are allowed to, start jotting down all the things from your revision that you think you might forget, for example anything you learnt in the last few minutes before you entered the exam. Sometimes you might be allowed to write from the time you sit down but often you will have to wait until you are told you can start writing. Don’t write unless you are sure you are allowed to. Ask if you are unsure.

Summary

Check your watch shows the same time as the clock
If you are unhappy with your seating get it changed
If you feel nervous breathe deeply
If you feel unwell tell an invigilator
Check that you have the correct paper
Make sure you understand the instructions
Check there are the correct number of questions

3.2 HOW TO PICK YOUR QUESTIONS

When you are allowed to start take a few deep breaths and then briefly read through all the questions just to overcome your initial anxieties. Hopefully having seen the questions you will heave a sigh of relief. If not then take some more deep breaths and relax – you’ve done the work and you’ll be OK.

Go back and read through the questions again, more carefully this time. Every time you read a question it will begin to make more sense and your confidence will grow. This time mark all the questions that you feel able to attempt. Don’t worry if you pick too many or too few. Just mark the questions you feel you could do if you had to.

From the questions you have marked as possibles pick what looks like the easiest and attempt it first. When you’ve completed this question go back and briefly read through all the remaining questions again. Pick the easiest again and answer it. Continue this process until you’ve completed the required number of questions. The continual reading of all the questions in between answering them allows your subconscious to mull things over in preparation for the questions to come while you get on with writing your answer. By answering your best question first you will be boosting your confidence.

Don’t worry if all the questions seem impossible. It is more likely that you are just nervous rather than unable to do them. Your mind has just gone blank for a few minutes. Think of something else – a friend, a joke, or anything unrelated to the exam. Take your mind elsewhere for a few minutes. Now take a few deep breaths and go back to reading the questions. You should find that you are now calmer and more relaxed. Continue reading through the questions. The more you read them the more familiar they will become and the more relaxed you will become. You will soon find yourself in a position where you are able to attempt a question. (Remember seeing an ugly person for the first time and thinking to yourself, “wow! They’re ugly”! However the second and third times you see them whilst you still think of them as ugly it doesn’t hit you so hard because you’re getting used to the sight of them. It’s the same with exam questions – even the really ugly ones don’t look so bad after a while!).

Use a ruler to measure how long each question is and, if you can, attempt the longest questions. This may sound strange but the reasoning is as follows.

The longer a question takes to ask the more information it is giving you and providing you know the information required then the easier it is to answer. Very long questions are virtually telling you want they want in the answer.

For example consider two similar biology questions. The first asks you to describe how reproduction takes place in plants. The second lists some of the reproductive organs and asks you to describe what function each one plays in reproduction. Obviously the second question takes longer to ask.

It is fairly easy to see that the first question is fairly open-ended and is only giving you a vague idea of what is required in the answer. On the other hand the second question is telling you exactly what to write – it wants a description of each part and details of its reproductive role. Providing you know the function of each part you stand a much better chance of gaining full marks on this question than on the first in the time available. In the first question there are so many points that they could be looking for that it would need quite a lengthy answer to guarantee full marks. So the general rule is that the longer a question takes to ask, the more it is telling you about what is required in the answer and therefore the easier it should be to write a good answer.

A question commonly asked by students is should an extra question be attempted if time is available. The answer is – “well, maybe”. When you’ve completed the required number of questions the first thing you should do is go back and check them all thoroughly. If you have a lot of time available for checking then make use of it. It’s surprising how of ten you can spot a horrendous mistake in something you’ve already checked and thought to be a perfect answer.

If you’ve been back over your answers and checked and checked them and you are sure that they’re as good as you’re going to get them and you still have time on your hands then by all means attempt an extra question.

Make it known to the examiner that this question is an extra one by writing ‘extra question’ at the top and handing it in at the back of all your other answers. You will not pick up extra marks for doing an extra question. However if you’ve made a real mess of one of your other answers and you’ve scored better on the extra question then they will probably take the highest score if they’re feeling kind. And that is basically the only advantage of answering an extra question – it’s a safety net. Unless you’ve got loads of time on your hands I would suggest that time spent checking your answers would be far more profitable. Even after hours of checking you will still spot mistakes.

Summary

Read through paper and mark possible questions
Answer your best question first
An impossible exam paper will begin to look easier as you become more familiar with it
The longer the question, the easier the answer
Spend time checking rather than answering an extra question

3.3 HOW TO PACE YOURSELF

Work out how much time you have available for each question allowing time for checking your answers at the end. Never allow more time for questions that look as though they might take longer. The questions are written such that a person who is capable of answering them has a sufficient amount of time in which to do so. If you run out of time on a question don’t over-run unless you are within a few minutes of finishing. Leave it and return to it later if you have time.

Be aware of the number of marks awarded for each section of the question and have a rough idea of how they will be awarded. Don’t spend hours writing an answer to a question that only carries a couple of marks. Ask yourself what the examiner is looking for and answer accordingly.

If you find that you’ve completely run out of time on a question then make a list of the points you were going to make and move on to the next question. This makes sure that you don’t lose marks for not raising the points although you might lose some for lack of style. The fact that you’ve run out of time probably means that you weren’t answering the question concisely and your time would therefore be better spent on another question. Cut your losses and try and do better on the next question.

Keep an eye on the time as you write and be aware of the rate at which you should be picking up marks. For example, in an exam which lasts 120 minutes and has a total of 100 marks available you should be aware that you have to try and score a mark at a rate of almost one a minute allowing time for checking at the end. Every time you make what you believe to be a good point think to yourself – “that’s another mark”. This should help you to keep your score rate up.

Attempt what you believe to be the easiest question first followed by the next easiest, then the next and so on. If a question is easy then you should be able to answer it both well and quickly. This should give you time in hand later on to tackle the harder questions.

If you get stuck or bogged down at any stage and it looks as if the problem might take a while to sort out then leave the problem to your subconscious to sort out while you go and attempt another question. You can return to the ‘sticking point’ later if you have time. It is amazing how a fresh look at a question after your mind has had a while to think things over can suddenly make the solution seem obvious.

It is easier to score a mark at the start of a question than at the end. At the start you are fresh and will tend to be making your points thick and fast. Towards the end you will be looking for ways of winding up and completing your answer having already made most of your points. If you are having trouble composing a nice ending then just quickly finish it off and go on to another question where your time will be better spent. If you have time you can always return later and make a better finish.

Make sure that you always have the paper you require. If you are running low then put up your hand and ask for more before you run out so that you can continue writing while you wait. A pause in the middle of answering a question while you await the arrival of more paper will disturb your flow and your train of thought as well as your concentration.

Never waffle. Linking phrases are OK but always stick to the facts. Examiners are very good at spotting waffle and they also get very bored with it. Since you won’t get marks for waffle don’t waste valuable time writing it!

Summary

Work out the time available for each question
Allow time for checking at the end
Be aware of how the marks will be awarded
Attempt the easiest question first
If you get stuck try another question and return later
Be aware of how often you should be scoring a mark – If you run out of time then list the points you were going to make
Marks are easier to gain at the start of questions than at the end
Don’t waffle

3.4 SECRETS OF ESSAY QUESTIONS

When attempting an essay question the first thing you should do is read through the question carefully a number of times and underline the key words such as summarise, compare and contrast, discuss etc. etc. You would be amazed at how many people spend the whole of a ‘compare and contrast’ essay just comparing and consequently throw away half the possible marks by simply not doing what they were asked to do.

Having spent a few moments thinking about what the question is asking start noting down everything that comes into your head on the subject no matter how irrelevant it may seem. Try and keep your notes brief, to the point and as neat as possible. You should spend anything up to a quarter of the time available to you for the question (and maybe even longer), for the writing of these notes as they are the foundations for your essay. A house without foundations will fall down!

Once your rough notes are written you can start deciding which bits you do and don’t want to include in your answer. Go through your notes and number the parts you want to use in the order in which you want to use them. You are now formulating the structure of your essay. Don’t cross out unwanted notes because they may still be of use later on.

Now you are in a position to start writing your essay bringing up the points you made in your notes and putting them together in a smooth, flowing style.

This method of essay writing helps you to come up with a well structured and well thought out answer. Simply launching into writing an essay without any thought means that you could well get halfway through and suddenly think of other points which should have been raised earlier on, or a different angle from which to tackle the subject. By using notes you are able to empty your mind of the subject and then try and put your thoughts into some sort of logical order that hopefully makes sense.

Never forget one of the earliest rules you were taught regarding essay and story writing – beginning, middle and end. Start an essay by saying what you intend to do, then do it, then reach your conclusions and perhaps summarise what you have said.

Never be radical in your answers. Despite what you may think even at degree level free thought appears to be fairly limited.

Write what the examiner wants to hear and you will do well. Be radical in your answer and unless your argument is that of a genius then you risk losing more than you stand to gain. The rule in all exams is to play it safe, no matter what you really think.

Use examples and quotations as often as possible. Use of an example to back up your argument is a good essay technique and can only gain you marks. Don’t worry if the example or quotation is not quite 100% accurate – providing it’s close no one should mind too much.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the more you write, the more marks you will get. Waffle will gain you no marks and will bore the examiner maybe even to such an extent that he misses a good point when you make one simply because it’s surrounded in waffle.

As you write your essay you should be consciously thinking to yourself as you go along “1 mark” for every good point you think you make. This is the way the examiner will probably be thinking when it is marked so if you can think in the same way it will probably help you to write quite a good essay.

If you find yourself running out of time then make a neat list of the points that you were going to raise at the end of your uncompleted essay. Write a note to the examiner in the margin such as “sorry, ran out of time”. Also, always hand in your rough notes. You may well pick up marks f or the points you were going to raise even though you didn’t have time to incorporate then into your essay.

If you know the person who is marking the exam, (i.e. it is an internal exam), then you are in an even better position to do well. Write what you think the marker will be looking for and if they taught you the subject then think back to the lectures and discussions you had with them. Write what they think and you can’t go far wrong!

Always hand in your rough notes with your essay. Write at the top of them – “Essay Plan”. This shows the examiner that you thought through what you were going to write and that you. Carefully planned your essay. You may well pick up a couple of extra marks for this. Handing in your rough notes also has the advantage that if you run out of time whilst writing the essay the examiner can still see what points you were going to make and also the way in which they would have fitted into the essay. Once again this could well pick you up marks which you wouldn’t have got if you had just stopped writing and handed in an unfinished essay.

If you make what you consider to be a good point near the beginning of your essay then try making the same point again later on. Use different wording and bring it up in a different way and you may just fool a weary examiner into giving you marks for it again! After all he’s probably seen hundreds of answers to this question so was it you who made the point or was it someone else? You can gain the odd free mark like this but don’t go overboard and use this trick more than a couple of times or your ploy will be spotted!

Summary

Read the question carefully and note key words
Make rough notes
Put rough notes into order and compose essay
A good essay has a beginning, a middle and an end
Never be radical in your answers
Use examples and quotations
Don’t waffle
If you run out of time then list the points you were going to make
Hand in your essay plan.

3.5 SECRETS OF MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (KCPE)

Many people assume that multiple choice exams are easy. After all the answers are given to you so all you have to do is to choose the right one. It is strange therefore that many people don’t do particularly well in multiple choice exams. Multiple choice is easy providing you go about it in the correct way. There is a right method and a wrong method for attempting these types of exams and most people use the wrong method.

The wrong way of answering multiple choice exams is to read the question, look at the answers and choose the one that looks to be correct. The reason for this is that whilst there is only one correct answer there are other answers which are very plausible and are put there simply to mislead you. It is amazing how good we are at looking at an incorrect answer long enough to convince ourselves that it is correct!

The correct way to choose your answer is as follows. Use a blank piece of paper to cover up the questions and gradually pull it down to reveal the question but not the answers. Read the question carefully and work out the answer without looking at the answers you are given, (i.e. work it out just as if it were an ordinary exam question). Then reveal the answers and choose the one that matches yours.

If none of the answers matches then make a note of the question number and return to it later when a fresh approach may help you to come up with the right answer.

Don’t dwell on a question for too long. Time is limited and you could be picking up marks elsewhere rather than wasting time on a question that you can’t do.

Having completed the paper, hopefully with time to spare, go back and attempt the questions that you had trouble with. Your subconscious mind has had time to work on the problems and you may also find that other questions that you have done may have triggered your memory. Once again be careful not to get bogged down on a particular question. If you still have trouble then once again you should note down the question number.

Finally you will be left with a list of the questions which you really can’t do so the time has come to start guessing. Be careful, marks are sometimes deducted for wrong answers so make sure you are aware of whether this is the case in your exam.

Obviously there is no easy way to correctly guess an answer if you don’t know what it is in the first place! The best method is to divide the answers into ‘possibles’ and ‘impossibles’ thus narrowing down your choice. With the answers now visible you may be able to see where you went wrong in your initial workings out. At the end of the day though, if you really can’t work out the correct answer the only solution is to pick one of the ‘possibles’ at random and hope for the best. If marks are to be deducted for wrong answers then it is better not to guess but to leave the answer blank. You will then score nothing as opposed to losing a mark. In fact the whole point of marking multiple choice exams in this way is to discourage people from guessing. Looks like it works! Obviously if marks are not deducted for wrong answers then you have absolutely nothing to lose by guessing so pick the most likely of the ‘possibles’.

Most multiple choice exams consist of a question paper together with an answer sheet. They are often marked by computer and you indicate your answer by marking the appropriate box on the answer sheet. Make sure you are equipped with a soft pencil and a good rubber. Don’t use ink because you won’t be able to correct your mistakes.

Make sure that you know how many questions there are and how long you have to answer them. Always allow 10 to 15 minutes at the end for checking and completing unfinished questions. Rather than divide your time up on a per question basis, (i.e. 60 questions in 60 minutes is 1 question per minute), you should group the questions into blocks of, say 10, and allocate your time accordingly, i.e. 10 questions in 10 minutes. This is because some questions will be very quick and easy to answer while others will take longer. Grouping the questions in this way will even out the peaks and troughs in the timing.

Make sure that your mark on the answer paper corresponds to the correct question number. If you have left a question to go back to later it can be very easy to continue marking the answer sheet and forget to leave a space for the missing answer. If you do find that your answers have got out of step then tell an invigilator. You may be allowed some extra time to sort the mess out.

This problem can be avoided if you always crosscheck the question number with the answer number as you write the answer. Say to yourself, “question 7, answer 7” as you mark the answer sheet.

It is even more important than usual to read the instructions carefully in a multiple-choice exam. Make sure that you understand exactly how to indicate your answers on the answer sheet.

Sometimes marks will be subtracted for an incorrect answer, (e.g. 1 mark for a correct answer, no marks for no answer but 1 mark deducted for an incorrect answer). Make sure that you understand the marking procedure in your exam as it will affect the way you answer questions you are less sure about.

If there is anything that you don’t understand then ask an invigilator immediately.

Make sure that you understand the different styles of question throughout the exam paper. Some may give 5 different answers and ask which one is correct. Some will give 5 statements and ask which combinations are correct. Each time the style of question changes make sure that you understand how to answer it. Once again if you have any problems understanding what you have to do then ask an invigilator.

Do all your rough working on a piece of scrap paper but lay it out as if it were to be handed in, (i.e. don’t scribble and jot all over the place). This makes it easier to go back to a question and check your working if you need to. Clear notes will also make it easier to work out answers on problem questions when you return to them since your earlier mistake may be obvious. Untidy notes won’t help at all.

If you think you have worked out the answer to a particular question but you are not 100% sure about it then make a note of the question number and return to it later. When you return to the question work out the answer again. If it is the same as you got last time then you can be reasonably sure that you have got it right.

If you find yourself becoming stuck on a particular question then make a note of the question number and go back to it later. If you find a question easy then you are more likely to get it right so it makes sense to go through the paper and answer all the easy questions first. Once you’ve scored all the easy marks you can return to the more difficult questions.

Always get to the end of the paper. Very often there will be 10 easy questions at the end. If you get bogged down in the middle and don’t have time to finish then you have thrown away easy marks. These easy questions are often put at the end of a multiple choice paper to test your exam technique. People with poor technique may not get this far and will throw away some easy marks. People with good technique work through all the easy questions first and then return to the more difficult questions.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you’ve got a lot of answers the same, (e.g. a lot of questions have the answer ‘C’), that you’ve got some of them wrong. Never let your choice for a particular answer be influenced by your other answers. Anyone who thinks that an answer to a question can’t be ‘C’ simply because the previous four questions have had the answer ‘C’ is only fooling themselves and will lose valuable marks.

In mathematical and scientific multiple choice exams watch out for the units. Very often you will find that you’ve got an answer in metres and the answer is given in centimetres. (e.g. You’ve worked out an answer to be 1m and the answers given include 1cm and 100cm. Obviously 100cm matches your answer but you would be amazed at the number of people who answer 1cm simply because they fail to look at the units). Remember, the answers are designed to mislead you so watch out for the examiners little tricks.

Summary

Understand the instructions
Understand the different question styles
Understand the marking procedure
Use a soft pencil on the answer sheet
Make sure question and answer numbers correspond to each other
Cover the answers up until you have worked out your answer
Do the easy questions first
If you get stuck, return to the question later
Do your rough working neatly on scrap paper
Divide questions into ‘blocks’ and allocate time per block
Divide answers into ‘possibles’ and ‘impossibles’ for guessing
Watch out for trick answers

3.6 SECRETS OF SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Treat short answer questions in the same way as you would treat an essay question. The only difference is that your answer must be much more concise and to the point. Short answer questions really test your ability to give only the vital points. If you waffle then you will run out of time. So cut out all the waffle and just stick to the facts.

Be aware of the marks available for the question. Simply put down the points you think the examiner is looking for and move on to the next question. Some people make the mistake of writing virtually a complete essay for their answer. Not only is this a waste of time but it is not what the examiner is looking for. So as an example if a question asks which two elements are present in water then you should answer hydrogen and oxygen. A detailed essay in greater depth will gain you no more marks.

Summary

Treat like an essay question
Be concise and to the point
A lengthy answer is a waste of time
Don’t waffle

3.7 Secrets of picture essay questions

In certain foreign language exams you may be asked to write a story based on a series of pictures. This is a very easy exam to do well in even with just a basic knowledge of the language.

There will normally be a guideline as to the number of words you are expected to write, e.g. 150 words. Your revision should include the learning of, say 100 words, word and grammar perfect. For example, (in English!) – “One day in June Paul woke up to the sounds of the birds singing in the trees. As he climbed out of bed he rubbed his eyes, stretched and thought to himself, I wonder what will happen today”, etc. etc. By changing a few of the words these set pieces can be applied to any story set at any time of the year and to any person. The fact that the pictures might not show someone getting out of bed and rubbing their eyes doesn’t matter because you will be using the remaining words to describe the pictures.

In your opening you should include a few clever phrases and unusual pieces of grammar, (e.g. an unusual tense). This may earn you some bonus marks for good use of the language.

Don’t worry about the quality of the story that you are writing because the majority of marks are usually awarded for the correctness of the language.

For the part of the story you write which you haven’t committed to memory use plenty of speech and keep everything very simple, thus minimising the number of mistakes you are likely to make. Whatever you do don’t try and be clever because you will lose more marks for mistakes than you stand to gain.

The use of speech means that you can use the present tense a lot which is of course the easiest tense to use. For example,

“Good morning mother”, said Paul.

“Good morning Paul”, said his mother. “Are you going to school today?”

Note too that ‘said Paul’ and ‘said his mother’ use up 5 words each time and can be used after every piece of speech, i.e. they are simple, correct phrases that you can use time and time again.

If at any stage you are unsure of the spelling of a word or the grammar you are using then change it. With a little thought you will nearly always find a way around the problem by making use of vocabulary and grammar which you are confident is correct.

Don’t write many more words than you are asked to. If you are asked for 200 words then 210 or so should be your maximum. You have nothing to gain by going a long way over but a lot to lose simply because of the extra mistakes you make. After all, the more you write, the more chance you have of making a mistake. If you do find that you have written too much then go back and edit out the parts you are less sure about.

Write well spaced out on alternate lines and keep everything neat and tidy. This will make everything more legible to the examiner and enables you to correct mistakes and change things more easily.

Don’t be tempted to copy out your story neatly when you have written it unless it really is a complete mess. Copying is so easy to do that your brain will go to sleep and it is very easy to miss out words or make mistakes. Play it safe and hand in the original.

Summary

Learn a perfect opening by heart
Don’t worry about the quality of the story
Use speech
Keep everything as simple as possible
If you are unsure of something then change it
Don’t write more than you have to
Don’t copy the final version out neatly

3.8 HOW TO PICK UP EXTRA MARKS

Keep your rough working as neat and tidy as possible even though it might be in note form. Title these notes ‘Rough working’ and always hand them in with each of your answers. If you have made a terrible mistake in your answers you may be able to salvage some marks from your rough working. In mathematical and scientific questions you should always show all your working at all times – it should never be in rough. You will be awarded marks for using the correct method in your answer even if you get the answer itself wrong.

In essay questions your rough notes will show the examiner that you have taken time to think about your essay and to plan it and this may earn you some extra marks.

If you spot a mistake whilst checking your answers and haven’t got time to correct it then put a note beside the mistake saying ‘mistake here’ and if possible include details of what the error is. Once again although you made a mistake the examiner will see that you knew where you had gone wrong and may be more generous with the marks. After all, exams are about showing the examiner that you know what you are doing and not just about getting the correct answer.

Try and write your answers in a similar style to that in which the question was asked. For example, if a question asks you to ‘compare and contrast’ then your answer should contain linking phrases such as ‘in direct contrast to’ or ‘by comparison with’. Obviously you don’t want to overdo it. Just use this technique enough to emphasise the examiner’s belief that you are doing exactly what the question asked. The more he believes you are writing what the question asked the more marks he is likely to give you.

Don’t be radical in your answers. Despite what you may think there is no room for new ideas and free thought in examinations even at degree level except for the odd genius. Write exactly what you think the examiner wants to hear, not what you really believe. To take an extreme example, if you are asked to write an essay about Darwin’s theory of evolution and you believe that Darwin was wrong don’t say so. You are perfectly entitled to your own personal views, (and you may well be right), but you must remember that teachers, lecturers and examiners are always right, (or so they seem to think), and to tell them otherwise in an exam will only annoy and upset them resulting in less marks for you. In particular if you know who set your exam or who is marking it then write exactly what you believe they want to hear and take advantage of this inside knowledge.

Check every single page of the exam paper for questions. People often miss a question on the back page that obviously limits their choice and are potentially just throwing marks away.

Never allow yourself to get bogged down on a question. If you get stuck leave the question and go back to it later. Don’t waste time on a question you can’t do when you could be picking up marks elsewhere.

If you are unsure of your spelling or grammar at any time, particularly in a foreign language exam, then change it for something you are sure of. Never think that the odd marks here and there don’t matter – they do. After all there is only one marks difference between passing and failing.

Make sure you know how the marks are allocated. If a question carries a fifth of the total marks then you should allocate a fifth of the time available to it, (allowing checking time). In multiple choice exams make sure you know if marks will be deducted for incorrect answers because it will affect your guessing technique.

Be as neat and tidy as possible at all times. The person marking your exam will already have marked hundreds and will have hundreds more still to mark. You can make the marker feel more positive towards you if you present them with something that is a pleasure to read.

If you find yourself running out of paper, (or in need of graph paper etc.) then put your hand up for more before you actually need it so that you can continue writing while you wait. Too many people throw away valuable time waiting for the invigilators to react to their request.

Never cross anything out such that it can’t be read. Use a single line through the word or section not required or a big cross in the case of larger errors. This means that if you suddenly realise that what you thought was a mistake wasn’t actually a mistake, (as can often happen), it is very easy to put a note by it saying – ‘crossed out in error. Please read this’.

Don’t be afraid of writing little notes to the examiner in the margin such as – ‘sorry about the mess here’ or ‘I think this is where I went wrong’. Usually it will raise a smile, (after all, they’re doing a pretty boring job), which will make them feel more warmly towards you which can only be in your favour. Throughout your exam you should not only want the examiner to like what you’re writing but to like you too. The more he likes you the kinder he is likely to be when marks are thin on the ground. (I should point out that this is using psychology on his subconscious and he won’t be aware that he is being nicer towards you than towards others but it is a fact of life that if you like someone you will help them more than someone you have no feelings towards).

If you find yourself running out of time on a question then make a list of the points that you were going to make. Obviously this is not as good as completing the question but it is dangerous to run over time on a question. At least you’ve said what you were going to say even if it isn’t as stylishly as you would have hoped. If you have time at the end you can always return to the question and tidy things up.

It is easier to gain 2 marks at the beginning of a question than at the end. In other words if you run out of time on a question, (although hopefully you will be disciplined enough with your time keeping that you never encounter this problem), don’t worry if you don’t manage to finish it nicely. You will have already made most of your good points and you stand to gain more marks by starting another question than by neatly finishing this one. Even good essay writers will often be scoring marks less quickly at the end of an essay than at the beginning simply because they are no longer fresh but are tiring of the question. A new question will revive your interest and give you something to get your teeth into again.

In questions where you are asked to ‘prove’ or ‘show that’ you are given an answer to work towards. Normally you will work from beginning to end but, should you get stuck, try working from the answer backwards. Hopefully this new approach will enable you to complete the question but if it doesn’t then try joining the two halves together, (i.e. the working forwards bit and the working backwards bit). The examiner may well miss the join, (after all he may be tired, bored or both), and you could easily gain marks that you don’t really deserve. Shame!

If your exam is set internally then watch and listen very carefully for hints and tips from your teachers, lecturers and tutors. Whilst the rules don’t allow them to tip you off human nature is such that they will want their own students to do well and may well drop subtle or even unsubtle hints as a consequence.

An example of this is a biology teacher of mine who suddenly out of the blue gave us a practical on a topic completely unrelated to the subject we were covering at the time. Everyone got the hint and grinned broadly as a very similar practical appeared for our exam a few weeks later. We all did quite well too – funny that!

Be aware of how the marks are to be awarded for individual questions. For example, if you are asked in a 2 mark question to name the two elements present in water the answer hydrogen and oxygen will obviously gain 2 marks, one for hydrogen and one for oxygen. Writing anything more complex as an answer would be a waste of time. 2 elements – 2 marks, as simple as that.

Wherever possible use quotations, diagrams and examples in your answer to emphasise the points you make. They will add weight to what you are saying as well as punctuating your answer and will count in your favour when it comes to the marking. A student who quotes passages from a poem when answering a question related to the particular poem is demonstrating that he knows the subject well and should therefore gain marks as a consequence.

Take a look at this very simple question and answer: –

List ten fruits (10 marks)

Apple
Pear
Banana
Orange
Kiwi fruit
Pineapple
Apricot
Pear
Peach
Melon

Did you by any chance notice that I mentioned pear twice? An examiner who is marking hundreds of scripts may well miss this and award 10 marks for only 9 fruits. I admit that this would be a fairly foolish answer to give but it illustrates the point I’m trying to make.

If you are writing an essay and you make a good point at the beginning then change the way you make the point and use it again later on in the same essay. At worst the examiner will just think you are repeating yourself and at best he will not remember whether it was you who made the point before or if it was in an essay he read earlier. If you’re lucky you might pick up an extra mark or two for no extra work!

Similarly when labelling diagrams you could label one point twice, (keeping the two labels well apart so they’re not easily spotted), and you may well pick up a bonus mark here too.

Beware! Don’t use this technique too often or you will be spotted. Once or twice in an exam gives you the chance of a couple of ‘free’ marks. Use it too much and the examiner will become cautious and examine your answers a bit more closely than you might like. Remember that you want the examiner as a friend, not an enemy.

The beauty of this technique is that if it is used well then it looks like a genuine bit of accidental repetition made under the pressure of exam conditions. However when marks are short it can help boost your score if used carefully.

Summary

Keep rough working neat and tidy
Hand in all rough working with each answer
Write answers in the style of the question
Don’t be radical
Check every page of the exam paper for questions
Never get bogged down on a question – return to it later
Know how the marks will be allocated
Ask for more paper before you need it
Never cross anything out such that it can’t be read
Hand in everything
List the points you were going to make if you run out of time
It is easier to gain marks at the beginning of a question than at the end
Listen for hints and tips on internal exams
Use quotations, diagrams and examples
Be friendly towards the examiner and get him to like you

3.9 WHAT TO DO IF YOU DRY UP

There is nothing worse than sitting in a exam and your mind going completely blank. You may be halfway through a question or you might not have even started writing. The main thing to remember is that this is purely a nervous reaction to the pressure you are under. Don’t worry because everything will eventually come back to you if you keep calm. Remaining calm is the most important thing at this time because the more you panic the harder it will be for you to recover.

The first thing you should do if your mind goes blank is to sit back, relax and breathe deeply. The fact that your mind has gone blank indicates that you are suffering under pressure so the first step towards recovery is to stop worrying about the exam and relax. Think of things other than the exam. Think about a joke, a TV programme, a friend, it doesn’t matter what so long as you take your mind off the current problems.

When you’ve calmed down you will be in a position to start getting your brain working again. The first thing to do is to calmly read through the question again and if you’ve already answered some of it then read through your answer. That will get the question straight in your mind again as your panic may well have confused things. Now read through any other questions you’ve attempted and the answers you wrote. Hopefully your memory will be triggered by what you are reading.

Think back to similar questions you did as part of your revision. Think of the books you read and try to picture your course notes and your revision notes in your mind. If you made use of the revision and memory techniques mentioned in earlier chapters then you should hopefully find it fairly easy to recall things. You should also try and define the topics involved in the area in which you are having difficulty. This can help focus your mind on to the relevant parts of your revision and hopefully get you back on the move again. Try also to picture any model answers you looked at as part of your revision. In fact you should be trying to think back to any revision you did related to the subject of the exam.

You will notice that the basic technique for getting unstuck is to think of your revision and not of the question you are actually trying to attempt. In effect you are trying to get into your memory via the back door. Normally you read the question and use that to trigger the relevant memory areas. If you dry up then this technique effectively gets you remembering all the work you have done on a subject with the hope that you will suddenly stumble upon something relevant to the current problem.

Summary

Stay calm
Breathe deeply
Relax and don’t panic
Take your mind elsewhere for a while
Read through all that you’ve already done
Think back over all your revision
Try and trigger your memory via the ‘back door’

3.10 AFTER THE EXAM

“Stop writing”, the invigilator calls and you put your pen down and heave a sigh of relief. Whatever you thought of the exam there is nothing more you can do now – what’s done is done. However if you don’t treat this post-exam period carefully then it can have quite a detrimental effect on your future performance.

Whatever happens don’t let yourself get involved in a post-mortem of the exam with your friends and colleagues. People seem to enjoy swapping morbid horror stories after exams and it is well worth staying well away from them. You may well have an idea of where you went wrong but the more you discuss the exam with others, the more you will find your answers differing with theirs and the more worried you will become. It’s very easy to walk out of an exam feeling that you’ve done quite well and 10 minutes later being convinced that you’ve failed after chatting to others. However well you’ve done your mind will always focus in on the bad points and the silly mistakes you made. The more you worry the more you will harm your future efforts. Remember what’s done is done, you can’t change it now so it’s pointless thinking about it. Put the exam behind you and concentrate your efforts on the future.

Don’t worry if you found the exam hard. If you’ve done the work for it then there is no reason why you should have done badly. If it was a difficult exam then everyone will have found it hard and it will cause the average mark to be lower. Usually this will be taken into account by the examiners. If the average mark is low then they will often adjust the pass mark accordingly to compensate for the fact that it appears to have been a hard exam.

As you leave the exam you will no doubt be confronted by a mixture of opinions from your colleagues as to how they liked the exam. In general if you’ve worked hard for the exam you should find that most of their opinions are the same as yours. So don’t be put off by the inevitable cocky so and so who finds everything easy. This is usually an act and when the results come out you will often find their name near to the bottom. So when they come out of an exam saying, “wow, that was easy”, you can smile to yourself as you know they’re only trying to convince themselves that they’ve done well.

(I’ve often been in a class with a few of these individuals. They spent all their time asking clever questions and gave the impression that they really understood the subject well. Usually I did much better than them in the exams though! They were doing their best to appear clever and keen and as a consequence got a good end of term report but at the end of the day they could not pull the wool over the examiners eyes when they had to show how much they really knew).

Allow yourself time to relax and unwind after you’ve finished an exam before you start working again. Until you sit down and relax you won’t realise how exhausted you really are. If you feel annoyed or angry that you didn’t do as well as you know you should have done or it was simply a very tough exam then go and get rid of your aggression. Take it out on a football, a squash court, go for a run but whatever happens get it out of your system. You’ll feel a lot better for it and will be in a much better position to deal with the next lot of work.

Whenever you finish an exam clear away all your notes and books even if you intend to use them again straight away. Clear your desk completely. This is a great psychological way of telling yourself that the exam is over and behind you and that it’s time to make a fresh start on the next phase.

When leaving an exam if someone asks you how you got on tell them that you thought the exam was fine and that you had no problems with it no matter how you really feel. This will have the effect of boosting your morale no end especially if they found the exam really difficult. Even if you found it hard yourself at least you haven’t given them the chance of getting one up on you by telling you that they found it easy.

It’s amazing how a positive attitude such as this can improve your overall performance. Even when you find an exam hard, telling other people that it was easy and seeing their reactions will boost your confidence like nobody’s business!

Summary

Don’t get involved in a post-mortem
Don’t discuss your answers with anyone
Don’t listen to other people’s discussions or opinions
Beware of ‘know-alls’
If it is a hard exam then everyone will have found it hard
Try and appear confident
Get rid of any aggression
Clear away your books and notes
Relax and unwind before starting work again