Exam Strategies

Last-minute revision tips:

Although time may be short, you can still make a difference to your grade. Try and prioritize; do what you can. Use your revision tools (prompts, diagrams etc.) to check final facts you need to remember in your exam. If you've made a summary sheet ahead of time, check it now. Keep calm and consolidate your existing knowledge rather than trying to learn new topics. Don’t stay up all night revising - being overtired will not help you to do your best. Often getting a good nights sleep will be more beneficial to your grades than attempting to study late the night before your exam!

Exam tips — sitting the exam:

When you are allowed to start your exam, immediately write down any specific information you know you will need in the planning section or on the back page of your paper so you do not forget it during the exam. For example, in English, write the quotes you're wanting to use in your essay down or in Mathematics write down an important formula.

Look through the paper first and mark difficult questions/initial thoughts. Read the questions carefully so that you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge and answer all aspects of the question!

eg. "show all working" or two-part "describe and explain" questions

Pace yourself and allow time to answer all the required questions.

Use ALL the information given to you!

Write as neatly as possible to help the examiner to mark your work. Marking untidy writing is difficult!

For longer answers, take a few minutes before you begin to produce a plan of what you are going to include in each section.

Allow yourself ten minutes at the end to read through your answers and correct any mistakes.