Exams and revision

Confusing to you at first if you are only accustomed to multiple choice tests.

The format of an exam determines, to some extent, the way in which you must revise for it. If you have a Science exam, where there may be multiple-choice questions as well answers, then your revision may focus on facts and formulae, on reproduction of theories and the results of experiments – generally ­on `learning your notes'. If you are studying in Social Sciences or Arts, your exam will probably consist of essay questions and so your revision will concentrate on the relationships between facts and ideas rather than just on the facts and ideas themselves

Some students claim they revise best in isolation, but many find that working in a study group, with three or four others, is more effective. In these groups they can go over old exam papers together for practice. They pool their knowledge and ideas. They discuss points of difficulty. They sharpen their skill in analyzing questions quickly. They strengthen their confidence.

Even when students have revised effectively and know their material, they still face the problem, in the actual exam, of working against time. Inexperienced students often misjudge their time and spend too long on one question and too little on another, thus inevitably losing marks for the incomplete answer. Overseas students, struggling with language uncertainties, find time pressure particularly frustrating. Here is a Japanese Student commenting on this problem:

I found a formal exam extremely hard for me, because of problem. Even if I do understand the words of the questions, I just cannot put any ideas into English properly in the limited time of two or three hours. If it is optional, I definitely choose take-home exam or report or anything except a formal exam.