Developing a range of academic skills is an essential part of ensuring success in your studies and future employment. Explore our Study Skills section and book an online appointment if you require support.
If you are taking exams, follow the steps below for success.
Before the exam:
- Well before the exam, make sure you clearly mark the date, time and venue of the exam in your diary or calendar
- Make sure you know in plenty of time before the exam what is expected of you and prepare accordingly
- Try and get a good night’s sleep the night before the exam
- On the day, make sure you arrive at the right place and in plenty of time
- Think positively; this is an opportunity to demonstrate what you have been learning
- Have a clear strategy for tackling the exam paper
During the exam:
- Be sure to write your name and/or exam number on all of your answer sheets
- Check the back of the exam paper for important information or instructions
- Scan the paper for questions that you feel you can confidently answer and mark them
- Read the questions all the way through before starting
- Tackle your best question first as this will help you get started
- Make a brief plan for any essay type question before you begin
- Make a note of any new thoughts that occur whilst writing
- Make sure you answer all the questions you need to
- Allow yourself plenty of time to answer each question - try and stick to the times you have allocated to yourself to answer each question during the exam
- Manage your time well so that you can answer as many questions as possible
- Give equal time to questions that carry equal marks, and more time to any that carry extra marks
- Try to give reasonable answers to the given number of questions
- It is better to at least make an attempt at answering all the questions than spending all your time on one question and completely miss out on answering other questions
- If you run out of time you have allocated for one of your answers, then leave a space so that you can return to it later
- Do not write everything you know about a topic but answer the specifics of each question
Remember, examiners are interested in how you:
- Make sense of the question
- Relate it to the course
- Develop a line of reasoning
- Evaluate opposing viewpoints
- Offer evidence that supports your argument