3rd Sep '25

Exam Technique

Your examination needs careful preparation if you are to do yourself justice. Everyone feels nervous on the day of the exam but with careful revision and good examination technique you should do well. The following checklist should increase your confidence and, hopefully, your final grade:

In the run up to the examination:

Make sure you have competed a detailed revision programme.
Check the date and time of each paper.
Practise past questions, some as a timed mock, in examination conditions.
Sort out your pencil case:
- Clear set through pencil case
- 3 x black ink or ball point pens: one for you; one spare and; one to lend
  Make sure they aren't too cheap that they will run out or break.
  Make sure you can write neatly with them.
- highlighter
- pencils
- sharpener - preferably one that collects its sharpenings
- 30cm ruler - preferably see through for lines of best fit
- Set squares - for accutrately reading graphs
- calculator - with new batteries or solar powered
- rubber
- a watch

The day before the examination:

Read through your notes to refresh your memory of the key concepts.
Go over important formulae.
Quickly note down some key theories.
Do not do past questions at this stage.
Do not labour over each section of the course, time will pass quickly and panic can set in if you think you haven't looked at everything.
Remember the purpose of today is to refresh and remind, revision has been done so feel confident about how much you know and understand.

The night before the examination:

Check the length of the paper and calculate how long you should spend on each question.
Get your clothes and equipment ready.
Have a bath to relax.
Check the location of the examination.
Check the start time - Set your alarm clock, giving yourself plenty of time to get to the exam.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour - it is better to approach an exam fresh than to stay up cramming all night.

The day of the examination:

Have breakfast/lunch before leaving home.
Pick up your equipment.
Leave in plenty of time, especially if dependent on public transport.
Check the location of the examination on your arrival.
Check the start time, be there well before hand.
Make sure you won't need the toilet during the exam.

In the examination room:

Make sure you sit at the correct desk! - Check the number!
Make sure your desk and chair are stable.
Lay out your equipment on the desk.
Read the instructions on the front of the paper carefully.
Read each question carefully. Identify the command word in the question.
Highlight the key facts and figures in the question.
Take time to plan longer answers and essay questions.
Don't panic if there is a question you can't do. 'Star' the question and come back to it at the end. You will frequently recall what you need whilst thinking about something else.
Write as clearly and neatly as you can - it makes your script easier to mark and keeps the examiner on your side!
Do not doodle on or deface your exam script - it shows you are not serious about your exam and you will lose 'benefit of the doubt' of the examiner.

Exam Question Command Words

These are the words used in exam questions to tell you what is required.

Draw / Plot

Draw a bar chart
- Where the axes are labelled and scaled, you need to plot as bars a series of values.
- Where the axes are labelled and not scaled, you need to add scales and to plot as bars a series of values.
Draw a graph
- Where the axes are labelled and scaled, you need to plot as points a series of values, and then to draw a straight or curved line appropriate to the relationship between the points.
- Where the axes are labelled and not scaled, you need to add scales, to plot as points a series of values, and then to draw a straight or curved line appropriate to the relationship between the points.

This is different from sketching a graph