After studying and revising, you’re left wondering how to approach the questions now in front of you. We understand how difficult it may be to transfer all that knowledge from your mind to paper. Thus, remember the following important dos and don’ts before taking the exam.
The Dos
1. Study, study, study!
Being organized can help you be less anxious, more concentrated, and control the pressure.
Make sure you are aware of what to expect heading into the exam. How many questions are there? What format do the questions have? What many of the points are at risk? Which format do the questions take? What length should your responses be? Learn more by speaking with your instructors and using past test papers for practice.
Verify that you comprehend the question. Determine the keywords and the task it asks you to complete. Discuss? Assess? Evaluate? Describe?
Remain on topic and respond to the posed question. Just because you’ve edited everything doesn’t mean you should include everything applicable to your question. Make it a point to connect everything you do to the question you are asked to answer.
Remember to P.E.E.: Point, Evidence, and Explain. It is a simple framework that is simple to follow and recall. Make your position, provide facts to support it, and explain. Plan your answer before writing since structure may make or break a successful test answer.
Exams may seem brief, but their structure allows ample time to prepare your answers, so take your time and answer the first question with thought. Spend some time thinking over the question and organizing your response. Writing your response takes little time if you have a solid approach.
It might seem like you’ve done everything wrong and received a terrible score after your test, but there’s no way to tell, so fretting is pointless. Aim to avoid thinking about what you could have done or comparing yourself to your peers. You gave it your all; more significantly, the test is done, and you can unwind!
