Exam writiting guidelines

1. Examination Skills

2. Most NB skills
• What are the most important exam skills?
– Reading
– Writing
• Corner stones of examination skills

3. Study scheduling
• What is the goal for writing examinations?
– Perform at your peak

4. Performing at your peak
• How do you do that?
– Study Schedule
• 3 to choose from
– Semester/year planner
– Weekly planner during term
– Weekly planner during exam

5. Semester/year planner
Major events (incl. academic and social) for an
overview

6. Weekly planner during term
Plan activities for each day

7. Weekly planner during exam
• What time of day are you most alert?

8. Examination stress and anxiety
It is normal to be nervous

9. Exam stress
• You need to understand:
– What stress and anxiety are
• What causes it
– How to prevent it
– How to recognise the signs and symptoms
– How to manage it

10. Facts about stress
• Stress = pressure / worry / tension

11. Facts about stress
• Stress = the reaction to a problem or event

12. Facts about stress
• The causes of stress are known
• It is temporary
• Can be managed

13. Facts about stress
• Anxiety = tension and fear
– Goes with stress

14. Facts about stress
• High levels of anxiety?
– Talk to a counsellor
• May be due to low self-confidence

15. Facts about stress
• Unmanaged stress + anxiety = depression

16. Facts about stress
• A small amount of stress + anxiety =
motivation

17. Signs and symptoms
• Know the signs as be aware of them
– Could be different for each person
– What are your signs?

18. Signs and symptoms
• Physical

19. Signs and symptoms
• Mental

20. Signs and symptoms
• Emotional

21. PREVENT ANXIETY AND STRESS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zxq5KqX1T4&feature=player_embedded

22. Prevent anxiety and stress
• Get organised

23. Prevent anxiety and stress
• Eat and sleep well

24. Prevent anxiety and stress
• Learn how to relax
• Mediation

25. Prevent anxiety and stress
• Avoid stressful situations
• Hazardous subjects

26. Prevent anxiety and stress

27. Prevent anxiety and stress
• See life as a challenge and take control

28. Prevent anxiety and stress
• Life management

29. MANAGEMENT OF STRESS AND ANXIETY

30. Before the examination
• Do not sleep less
• Banish neurotic thoughts
• Positive frame of mind
• Avoid others who are stressed out

31. MANAGEMENT OF STRESS AND ANXIETY

32. During the exam
• Use breathing exercises
• Use thought-stopping techniques
• Use (positive) self-talk
• Use a bridging object (lucky charm)

33. SO WHAT IS STRESS MANAGEMENT?

34. The ability to maintain control when people and
events create tension that affects you

35. EXAM WRITING SKILLS

36. Essay exam
• Analyse the question
– including instruction words
• Use relevant examples
• Process to write:
– Get right to the point
• State your main point in the first sentence
– Discuss these points in more detail
– Back your points up with specific details/examples
– Make sure you understand – no point otherwise
– Assessors look for
• Compactness
• Completeness
• Clarity

37. Multiple choice exam
• Read the question and try to answer it
– Don’t look at the answers yet
• Then read through all the answers
• Eliminate those you know is wrong
• Eliminate answers that are illogical
• Answers that you don’t understand = often wrong
• Never, always, all and none often make answers false
• Be careful of negative questions:
– Which of these are NOT
• Watch your time
• Don’t guess – negative marking

38. Open book exam
• Don’t underestimate it.
• Tests understanding not recall
• Be familiar with the content
• Do the following:
– Keep up to date with readings & assignments
– Prepare short notes
– Select the material to bring into the exam venue
– Anticipate model questions
– Organise your material – coloured stickers

39. Maths, stats & accounting exams
• Prepare well in advance
• Make sure you understand each step BEFORE
moving to the next
– Get help if needed
• During the exam:
– Read the question carefully (interpret it correctly)
– Write your answer step by step
– Keep checking your calculations
– If you get stuck
• Move to the next problem and come back later
– Recheck all your work

40. Managing the exam writing process

41. Before the exam
• Use your time productively
– Prioritise what to study
– Plan before you start (Study timetable)
– Listen for clues from the lecturer
– Arrange a group study session
– Identify the difficult areas and work through them
– Work on test and exam papers
• Discuss your answers with your classmates
– Make your own test papers and review your answers

42. Getting the best out of revision
• Avoid hitting a blank
– Revision gives you an overview
• Revision how to:
– Revise during the term
– Plan in advance (weekly planner)
– Have effective summaries
– Use pocket size cram cards (you can read them anywhere)
– Make revision active
• Ask questions
– Practice using past exam papers
– Prioritise topics nearer to the time of the exam (don’t
spot)

43. Be prepared
• Check the date, time and venue of exam
• Put stationary together
• Plan your transport
• Visit venue in advance

44. The morning before the exam
• Have breakfast
– Keep coffee to a minimum
• Leave enough time to get to the venue
• Stay calm
– Avoid panic talk at the venue

45. During the exam
• Avoid stress talk outside the exam
• Complete all information on the cover page
• Read through the entire paper before you start
• Read the instructions
• Jot down key words
• Look at the mark allocation
• Start with the easy questions
• Analyse questions – underline key phrases
• Use bullets
• Write neatly
• Leave black spaces after each question so you can go back and add
information
• Do not leave the exam room early
• Never leave out a question totally
• Compare the number of questions in the question paper to the answer
book

46. After the exam
• Avoid discussing the exam afterwards
• Reflecting on exam will help prepare for the next
• Consider
– Did you revise effectively?
– Did you learn in a way to be able to recall facts?
– Did you run out of time?
– Did you understand all the questions?
– Why did you find some questions difficult?
– Write down where you wasted time and adapt