Exam Technique
There are many different ways to approach exams; and it is important to think about what works for you. These notes are intended as guidance for how to approach a typical 3 essay question, 3 hour exam (rather than definitive rules). One key point to remember is that performing well in exams isn’t just about what you do in the exam hall. It also depends on how hard you’ve worked and how organised you’ve been during the year, and how systematically you approach revision.
A good exam script answers 3 questions. It will demonstrate that you’ve understood the themes, debates, and concepts explored in a course; and it will show knowledge of topics, authors and readings. A good script will also be well written (although we don’t expect the writing to be as polished as in course essays) and there shouldn’t be too much overlap or repetition between the content of the different essays. A good exam essay answers the question.
Preparing for exams during the year
Keeping lecture, class and reading notes well ordered during term-time will make approaching exams much easier. This basic step means that you’ll have more time for actual revision when the summer term arrives. You won’t have to chase around copying other people’s notes or retrieving handouts from tutors or the repository.
Revising systematically is vital to doing well in exams. A good way to start is to re-read the module outline and your notes for the whole module. This should give you a sense of the module structure, key themes and main topics. If you do this before revision classes, you can then ask the module tutor to clarify anything you didn’t understand. During revision classes make sure you are clear about how the exam is organised. Tutors often tell students whether the exam questions are topic based or course based (i.e. ask you to think across the whole module).
The next step is to decide which topics you are going to revise in depth. Even if the exam is oriented to the whole course, you will usually be asked to illustrate your argument by reference to cases/topics/texts you’ve covered in the course. For a full 20 week course you probably need to revise about six topics. This will give you some choice in the exam.
For each topic: re-read the lecture, and class notes, and make notes on any key readings you’ve missed. Then make a summary of key points, debates, case studies, authors, facts, and (if you have a good memory) a couple of good quotes. It’s also worth thinking about different angles exam questions might approach this topic (remembering that course essay questions are unlikely to be repeated in the exam).
Revision in groups can be very effective. If you organise revision circles with a couple of friends or a group of classmates, you can exchange essays, discuss summaries, and topics, and test whether you can recall key points without referring to notes. Organising a group can also help structure your revision and give you deadlines.
You may also like to look at past exam papers and these are usually available online on the Course Materials Repository (CMR).
The Actual Exam
Selecting questions
When you the exam starts take five or ten minutes to read all the questions. Before you decide which you choose, think carefully about the angle of the question. Can you construct an argument that really answers this question? A good exam essay answers the question; it doesn’t simply regurgitate what you know about the topic. So resist the temptation to choose questions on your favourite topics, until you are sure you can address the question.
Making Essay Plans
Once you’ve selected 3 questions it’s worth taking another five to ten minutes to write out essay plans outlining the main points in the argument you’re going to construct.
Allocating equal time for each question
If you’ve taken time to read the paper carefully, select questions and making plans, you’ll be left with about 50 minutes to write each answer. Sticking to time is important. You’re much more likely to get a good mark if you write three full essays, than if you write one long first essay and run out of time for the third essay. Depending on the size of your hand-writing, you should aim to write at least 4 pages on each question. Make sure that each question has a clear introduction and conclusion. As in module essays the introduction should introduce the topic and how you are going to address the question; and the conclusion should summarise the main points of your argument.