Fraserburgh
Academy

Some Handy Hints for the Examination

REVISE: You will not do well if you do not work hard before and between the exams. There are no real guidelines as to what will appear in the exam, so the safest course of action is to revise everything you have worked on and studied.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS: Do not ignore the list of instructions that appears on the front of the exam paper. The instructions detail the number and combination of questions that you are required to answer. Read them to remind you what you are expected to do.

TIME YOURSELF CAREFULLY: Divide your time according to the mark allocations for each question or part of the question. Markers are not convinced by you writing 'ran out of time' at the bottom of you answer paper. If you have a problem in finishing in the time given, then make very quick notes on what you would have written in detail about. Remember if you do run out of time it is not bad luck, but bad technique.

READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY: This is very important and is sometimes forgotten about. All exam questions are the result of a long process of refining and modifying by the examiners and the words used in the questions are carefully chosen. The most important word in a question can often be 'and'. If a question says 'Explain and discuss', it is asking for two separate actions to be performed - to identify what a quote or something means and to write about the arguments for and against the issues raised by it.

ANSWER THE QUESTION SET IN ALL RESPECTS: The importance of relevance cannot be over stressed. There is nothing worse than a 'write-all-I-know' answer. To identify the correct area of work the question deals with and then to write everything about it whether the question wants it or not is basically a waste of your time. The solution is fairly simple. You must take a little time to identify exactly what is being asked and use a few minutes to plan and organise the best way to answer the question. You must work out what the question is asking you to do, what it wants you to do about it and then do it. Fairly straight forward?

READ ALL THE QUESTIONS FIRST: Candidates often begin a question, then cross it out, start again, reject it and then find another question they feel they could do better the first time. The worst thing you can do is pick a question just because you recognise the general topic and you prepared for that topic. The first thing to do is to eliminate the questions you are sure you cannot do, hopefully this is not all the questions in the exam paper. Then choose the four you are certain you can write an answer for, after you have looked at all the questions. Start with the question you feel most confident about, plan and organise your answer and watching your time answer the question. Do not leave the 'best' questions until the end of the exam, especially as time may be short by then.

WRITE FOR AN APPROPRIATE LENGTH: Do the question justice. Write for a realistic length for the question and the marks awarded. Remember it is not always the candidates who write and write and write who are best rewarded. Think before you write!

WRITE CLEARLY: The main point here is not 'bad writing' which examiners make every effort to decipher, but the way you express yourself. Examiners must mark what is on the page, not what they think you mean. So, if you organise your material badly, or express yourself clumsily and miss important words out then you cannot be given any credit for your answer.

IF YOU ARE OUT OF TIME, USE NOTE FORM: If you are out of time do not just leave the question unanswered. A series of points which make relevant statements about a question can score marks. With little time left some candidates just give up, remember a very short statement may pick up marks.

NUMBER YOUR ANSWERS TO MATCH THE QUESTIONS: This is very important. Make sure you have clearly marked which question and which part of a question you are answering. If the examiner has to guess where part (i) and part (ii) of an answer are separated, you may lose marks you might have gained. There is no need to answer questions in chronological order, but whatever order you answer them, make sure you clearly and correctly label them.

THE END: Finally, unless you are amazing and are really composed and efficient, you should not have a lot of time at the end of the exam after answering all the questions. If you do find that you have a little time, do not just pack up and feel relieved that it is all over, do not waste the time by dreaming or just leave. Check your answers. Check your answers for spelling and other mistakes. You might remember other relevant points you can add.

THE MARKER: The main thing is to keep calm as possible in the exam and do your best. You cannot be faulted by anyone if you tried. And spare a thought for the poor marker who has to read your answers and dozens of others. When your ordeal of the exam is over, the markers ordeal is only just beginning.