The examinations we set you are designed to give you an opportunity to demonstrate that you have knowledge and understanding of the topics that have been covered in your modules. "Exam technique" refers to the common-sense actions you can take to make sure that you make the most of this opportunity.
General comments are shown on this page. Level-specific advice may be found in the subpages.
There is no single "best" way to prepare for exams, but you should have enough experience of exams by now to know something about your strengths and weaknesses. Although some students can work effectively up to the last minute and still perform well, others find that last-minute revision causes confusion and even panic. Some students can work productively for long periods and make do with little sleep, but most perform better with regular breaks and an early night before an exam.
It makes sense to spend SOME more time preparing for exams in the subject areas you find difficult, but you need to spend ENOUGH time on all your modules. We regularly see students performing badly in modules on which they expected to do well, because they have concentrated too much effort on a module in which they had less confidence.
Some general comments about studying effectively may be found elsewhere in the MBB Student Handbook.
This one is pretty obvious, but every year there are students who do not read the timetable correctly, or fail to check for changes made between the draft and final timetables. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct information, which is available on the web at:
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/exams/timetables.html
Note that misreading the timetable is not counted as a "good reason" for missing an exam (see below).
Especially if you know you have difficulty waking, it makes sense to arrange for a friend to check that you are ready on time. It may also be a good idea to set more than one alarm clock.
Note that oversleeping is not counted as a "good reason" for missing an exam (see below).
This will usually be medical evidence from a doctor (self-certification is not acceptable) but other evidence may be acceptable.
The consequences of missing an exam without good reason are serious: you will receive a grade of zero, and will usually be unable to progress to the next level of study until you have passed a resit exam. Note that the maximum grade you can be awarded for resitting a failed exam is a bare pass of 40.
Section 9 of the MBB Student Handbook gives further information on illness and examinations (9.11), resit examinations (9.9), and progression requirements from one level to the next (9.4-9.6).
Unless you are certain that you will NOT need a calculator, it is sensible to take one into each exam (as well as spare/coloured pens/pencils, ruler, etc.). Your calculator must be approved by SSiD, as explained at:
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/exams/calculator
Students whose first language is not English are allowed to take a dictionary into exams. You must have the dictionary approved in advance by SSiD, and checked in the exam by an invigilator. You can find more information at:
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/exams/dictionary
The results you obtain in your exams provide useful feedback on your progress. The Department will provide you, informally, with separate grades for Sections A and B of Level 2 modules, and for the individual essays in Level 3 modules.
Once you have discussed your results with your personal tutor, you will have an opportunity to request more detailed feedback. For Level 2 and Level 3 exams, the detailed feedback will involve looking through the comments written on your exam answers by markers and moderators. Note that Level 1 students are NOT permitted to look at their computer-marked sheets, which have no added comments.
Further information on the routes for you to obtain feedback is given elsewhere in the student handbook.
The University aims to ensure that all students are assessed fairly, with support being tailored to the requirements of individual students. For example, you may be entitled to have extra time in examinations, to use a computer to write your answers, or to sit your exams under low-stress conditions. Students with communication difficulties may opt into the "sticker system", which allows them to affix a sticker to each exam paper or other assessed work. For more information see: