Exam technique

Writing Development Centre
University Library
facebook.com/NUlibraries
@ncl_wdc
Dr Helen Webster, Dr Caroline Crow
On behalf of the Writing Development Centre
Robinson Library
Exam Technique
For enquiries about workshops, please email wdc@ncl.ac.uk

University Library
@ncl_wdc
Slides are available online
Slideshare
http://www.slideshare.net/WDCNewcastle

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What is exam technique?
'Exam technique' refers to all the skills you need to use in
exams other than subject knowledge and
understanding. Even if your ability in your subject is very
good, your mark may not reflect this if you neglect:
 Time management
 Close reading of instructions
 Planning
 Good presentation
 Personal organisation
Exams do not primarily seek to test these skills, but by their
nature, they will still require competence in these things to
ensure a good performance.

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What do you want to get out of this
session?

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Horror Stories….

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How to fail an exam
 Getting the time or place of the exam wrong
 Not reading the ‘rubric’
 Misreading the question, not answering the question
 Doing the wrong number of questions
 Doing questions from the wrong sections
 Missing a page or not turning over
 Focusing on the beginning of the question, not the sections with
higher marks
 Forgetting forbidden notes or other things you’re not supposed
to have
 Perfecting one question at the expense of others
 Getting stuck on the first question and not moving on
May 13, 2015

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Getting some perspective
The lecturers…
 want you to pass and do well!
 want to give you marks wherever possible
 want to see what you know, not what you don’t know
The exams….
 are not a test of everything in the curriculum, just your working
knowledge
 test your ability to think on your feet and apply it to new questions under
time pressure- deeper understanding and critical thinking on the day are
as important as memory
 Rely not just on your knowledge and ability to think on the day, but on
exam technique- largely a matter of being calm, sensible and
methodical
You…
 Shouldn’t work excessive hours, but take frequent breaks and time to
relax

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Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Analysis
Evaluation
Synthesis
ideas
connections
extensions
What do exams test?
Bloom’s taxonomy (revised)

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Before the exam – fact finding
What practical issues do you
need to make sure you know
about the exams?

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Checklist
 How many exams do you have, and for which modules?
 Are you registered for them?
 What days are they on? What dates?
 What time do they start? How long are they?
 Where is the location? How will you get there and how long will
it take?
 What kind of questions will they be? Will there be a mix?
 Approx how many questions will there be? How many sections?
Does the marking weight differ?
 Do you have a choice of questions or do you have to do all of
them?
 Do you know what you are allowed to / have to take? What are
you not allowed to take?
 Do you know how to contact relevant people in the School or
Student Progress if you need to?

University Library
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Dealing with the unexpected
Sources of support:
 The Student Union Advice Centre: Advice on Personal
Extenuating Circumstances and Appeals
http://www.nusu.co.uk/welfare/sac/advicepages/academic/
 Student Progress: process for Personal Extenuating
Circumstances and Appeals
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/help/
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/Regulations/SPS/appeals.htm
 Student Wellbeing: Reasonable Adjustments
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/disability-
support/support/examinations.htm

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The Revision Process: the final
stages
select
break
down
Learn
revisit
test
Practise
apply
synthesise
Organise
rework

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Diamond ranking: which last-minute
revision activities would be most
worth doing?
 Memorising new key facts, dates, etc
 Doing past papers
 Reading new material which presents what
you’ve learned differently
 Not doing any revision
 Testing what you’ve already memorised
 Question spotting on past papers
 Reworking material into new formats
 Testing or revising with a friend
 Reading over your revision notes
 Reading over your original lecture notes
and coursework

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The night before…

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Things to do in the exam
 Make sure you are actually in the right room on the right day at the
right time in the right exam in the right seat.
 Make sure you can see a clock and have everything you need /
nothing you’re not allowed
 When indicated, read the rubric first, then skim the exam paper and
check it is as you expect. Check all the pages.
 Perform The Calculation*
 Read through all the questions first and shortlist/select which you’re
going to do by topic
 Decide in what order you will address the questions (easiest/quickest
first)
 Analyse your first question carefully and check it says what you think it says.
What is it really testing?
 Plan your answer briefly (and then cross it out)
 Write the number or question on the answer paper
 Write up your answer
 Read over briefly
 Move on

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The Calculation
 How much time do you have in total?
 How many questions do you have to do?
 How many marks are they worth?*
 Subtract 10 mins at the beginning for reading the paper and
planning your approach (incl for this calculation)
 Subtract time at the end for reading through and checking all
your answers, and to accommodate slippage
 Divide the remaining time by the number of questions
(*adjusting for marking weight)
 (Factor in experience from doing past papers about how much
you can expect to write in that time and allow for slippage)
 Split the time per question into three – reading and planning,
writing, checking.
 Don’t panic if you need to abandon a question and move on /
come back to it

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Read and analyse the question
“Candidates are encouraged to read the questions with
similar care: several erroneously, if ingeniously, wrote about
‘casual explanation’ rather than ‘causal explanation’.
(Examiners report)

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What if….?
 What if you go blank?
 What if you’re running out of time?
 What if you get stuck halfway through a
question?
 What if you realise you’ve gone off on a
tangent?
 What if your first answer is taking ages?
 What if you think you can’t answer any of the
questions?

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Sources of guidance and support
 The Writing Development Centre: one to one tutorials,
blog http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/
 The Student Union: Stressed Out Students events
http://www.nusu.co.uk/news/article/6516/SOS-Stressed-
Out-Students/
 The Chaplaincy: Available for a chat in the Library 13th
May – 3rd June (see Robinson Library reception for more
details)
 Student Wellbeing

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The Writing Development Centre
 Understanding assignment types, questions, instructions and marking
criteria
 Critical thinking, critiquing and reviewing literature
 Note-taking from lectures and reading
 Planning and structuring writing (incl. paragraphing)
 Academic writing style (incl. fundamentals of grammar)
 Understanding and using feedback to improve your work
 Referencing, citing and avoiding plagiarism
 Managing time, work and writing (incl. writers block and
procrastination)
 Exams and Revision
 Managing research projects, dissertations and theses
 Presentations and posters
 Learning effectively in lectures, seminars, classes, labs etc

University Library
@ncl_wdc
The Writing Development Centre
Level 2, Robinson Library
Our team offers:
- One-to-one tutorials on study
skills and all stages and types of
academic writing
- A programme of workshops on aspects
of study and academic writing
- Online resources
You can book appointments and workshops with us
online: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wdc/

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