1. EXAMS The Learning Centre Grace Conti g.conti@curtin.edu.au
CURTIN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

2. Exams? What have your exam experiences been so far?
What Learning styles do you know work for you?
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3. 1. Get organised today!
Take a blank timetable and block out one hour time slots for exam study.
Don’t forget to make the most of those spare 15 minutes (on the bus, waiting for lectures...).
When do you study best? Are you up with the birds or more of a night owl?
Organise your notes.
Prioritise – which units require more study?
Where will you study?
Adapted from ‘The Learning Centre UNSW, Studying for Exams Some Basic Guidelines’
Refer to blank schedule sample on The Learning Centre Exams flyer H/O p.4
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4. This is really important!
2. Set Goals
Before you begin studying, set yourself goals.
‘By the end of this 50 minutes I will have revised and summarised chapter 2 on the topic of...’
Why are goals so important?
What might happen if you don’t set goals?
This is really important!
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5. 3. Develop Strategies for learning
Concept/Mind Maps
For more,
see Tony Buzan
Adapted from
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6. Strategies for learning
Engage as many of the
5 Senses as you can:
see, hear, touch,
taste, smell AND
Articulate the
Information in as many
ways as you can:
Read it
Write it
Say it
Sing it
Visualise it
Draw it
Touch it.
Strategy adapted from Steiner Education (origin Stuttgart, Germany)
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7. Mnemonics
Learning and Remembering work best when you are actively involved.
The previous 2 techniques are mnemonics.
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8. 4. Organise
Learning and Remembering also work best when YOU organise what YOU are learning.
Negotiation
Johnson’s
Win-Win
Theory
CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT
Equity
Strategies
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9. Have a go!
1. In 1 minute, organise these into as many categories or clusters as you can think of. 2. Would you believe me if I said these can be organised in over 100 groups? You can, when you think of a context. So, see these items from the eyes of your School. For example, if you are from the School of Geography, what categories might you come up with? Or from the School of Art and Design? School of Geology? School of Economics? School of Nutrition/Dietetics? School of Chemistry? Etc… To illustrate the effect of contextualisation on creativity and learning.
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10. Key features of organising Ideas
Organisation – help to organise large amounts of information
Key Words – identifies key concepts / vocabulary
Association – identifies the relationships among ideas
Clustering – can identify how ideas are clustered around a main idea or concept
Visual Memory – a picture is worth a 1000 words
Outstandingness – highlights the importance of key concepts over others
Conscious Involvement – visualises relationships and is involved intimately with the map
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11. http://sparkinsight. wdfiles
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12. 5. Take Control – Reduce the Uncertainty Factor
What do you know about the exam?
What kind of exam will it be?
What is the relative importance of exam in the course requirements?
What is the emphasis on various topics?
What needs to be studied?
What do you already know?
Refer to TLC Exams H/O p.2
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13. Summary so far… Make a study schedule and use it.
Review past exam papers in Curtin Library
Make summaries, mind maps, diagrams.
Memorise key formula or basic concepts (Mnemonics).
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14. 6. Dealing with THE EXAM during the exam time
Mixed format – might be a good idea to do multiple choice section FIRST. Why?
Answering multiple choice might get your mind into gear for short answer and essay sections.
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15. Checklist At start When I first sit down to the exam?
In the 10 minute reading time?
In which order do I answer the questions?
At end
Make sure you have answered all the required questions.
Proofread and check calculations.
Complete required ID and label information on booklets.
Avoid leaving early.
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16. Multiple Choice
Look out for cues in the questions that match the correct answer
Check that every part of the answer is correct
Watch out for absolute terms such as never, none, every, always, only, entirely – usually are an extreme or impossible claim
Partial qualifiers such as: ‘sometimes, often, frequently, generally’ open up possibilities in statements and so are often true
Grammatical agreement such as singular/plural
Give H/O Exam Day that has tips on answering Multiple Choice included
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17. Short Answer Questions
Short answer tests require you to demonstrate your knowledge on specific topics clearly and concisely.
Write your answers in direct sentences that contain all the information you can remember that relates to that question.
For example, in the question ‘ Describe the various challenges students might experience in their first year at university’ the words describe, various and might all give you clues as to how to answer the question, while the words challenges, students, first year, and university tell you what content your answer needs to cover.
H/O Exam Day – see section on Short Answers
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18. Essay Exams Read questions VERY carefully.
Do the easiest question first – this will give your brain time to warm up!
Underline key words.
Work out how much time you can spend on each essay.
Plan your essay first.
If you go blank with the plan – start writing the essay and the points may come to you. If you start to run out of time, jot down as many notes as you can. You will be given points for every relevant part that you write.
Keep to your time allocation for each question.
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19. See The Learning Centre online programs for more about taking tests and exams
Footer text - slideshow title

20. Overview of doing the exam
Settle in as quickly as possible, and avoid distractions.
Check the instructions on the exam paper.
Start with an overview of the paper.
Identify those questions you can answer or prefer to attempt.
Eliminate those which you can’t answer or prefer to avoid, if you have the choice. Answer these after you feel more confident by answering the questions you are more sure of.
Adapted from pg 4.
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21. 7. Stress and Anxiety Many learning difficulties are related to STRESS
Find techniques that help you focus
Emotional anchors help you get to your goals faster
Rappaport (1971) proved that emotion is linked with memory
Students Steps to Success
Sandy MacGregor (1994)
EUSTRESS is Good Stress!
Eustress – the good stress. We need it to get going!
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22. But there’s good news about STRESS
There’s a healthy stress called EUSTRESS
It’s the sensation that athletes experience before the big race and that musicians experience before the big performance.
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23. 8. After the Exam - Reflective Practice
When? Within 24 hours after completing the exam
Where? Anywhere you can block out external distractions
How? Jot down notes in dot points or journal free style writing
What? Went well, not so well, could improve.

24. Find a Peaceful Place and Breathe
Eye porpoising – Sandy MacGregor
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