Preparation of final exams

Why is preparation important?

After spending best part of a year studying your course you will obviously want to do your best in the end of module exam, so planning for the exam itself is vitally important. Make sure that you are fully aware of how the exam is structured, what you need to take with you, where the exam venue is and how to get there. These details will all help to put your mind at rest and allow you to concentrate on the subject itself. Your confidence, that you will be doing your best, will also be improved.

How do I prepare myself before the exam?

The day before your exam you must check you have all your equipment together and have read any restrictions such as on the type of calculator, for example, that you are allowed in an examination room.You also need to double check the time and location of your exam and plan your route, taking into account public transport delays or traffic congestion, aiming to arrive at least 30 minutes before the exam is due to start. The evening before the exam, take some exercise or watch something light and funny on television. Get plenty of sleep and try not to cram another long revision session in. Just finish by reading an overview of your subject and then close the books and get to sleep.

Top tips for exam day:

• Eat a good breakfast. Not eating breakfast can affect your concentration levels and will leave you with a lack of energy.
• Try to relax. Once in the exam room take a deep breath and focus positively on your subject. Plan your answers and do not be tempted to start writing immediately even if the person next to you does!
• Read all the questions through carefully. Also read any instructions, such as which workbook to write in and how to enter your name and course code on the answer booklet.
• Start with the questions with the most marks. This technique means that if you do run out of time you will, hopefully, have gained enough marks to pass.
• Start with a question that you like/feel comfortable with. This will enable you to build your confidence.
• Do not spend too long on one question. If you spend too much time on one question you may not have enough time to answer the remaining ones and you could lose a large number of marks.
• Dealing with difficult questions. If you get stuck on a particularly difficult question and you have other questions still to answer then leave it, you can always come back to it later.
• Allow time to double check your answers. By double checking your answers you still have enough time to correct any errors. Double-checking is essential as it can mean the difference between losing or gaining marks.