Success in Exams
Top tips for raising your grade
Before we start…
• “When you believe, you can achieve”
• “Whether you think you can or whether
you think you can’t, you’re probably
right”
• In other words, self-confidence is the
key to success
Programme Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
Exams – what are the problems?
What are exams actually testing?
How are exams marked?
Top tips for exam success - How can I
improve exam technique?
Objectives
1. Develop understanding of what
examiners are actually looking for.
2. Improve your examination skills and selfconfidence in exam situations.
1. Exams – what are the problems
• In pairs, spend a few minutes discussing
what you feel are main reasons why
students often find exams difficult.
2. What are exams actually testing?
•
Exams are basically assessing three
things:
1. Knowledge – how much you remember
about a topic e.g. the recall of facts.
2. Skills – your ability to use practical skills
e.g. interpreting sources.
3. Understanding – the application of
knowledge e.g. testing your ability to
evaluate, analyse, etc.
3. How are exams marked?
Most exams are marked using two main
methods:
1. Short questions (generally four marks
or less) are usually point marked. This
means that each correct statement gets
a mark. The very shortest questions may
be one mark for a correct one word
answer. E.g. How far is it from X to Y?
Elaboration
Developing a point or argument will gain more
marks. E.g. Let’s suppose that you are asked
look at an O.S. map and “identify problems
caused by the physical landscape”.
“The landscape is hilly, with steep slopes”
(1 mark )
“shown by the closeness of the contours in 23,45”
(+1 mark)
“which makes it difficult for farmers to use
machinery” (+ 1 mark)
“therefore only sheep farming is possible”
(+ 1 mark)
2. Longer questions (generally more
than five marks) are level marked.
This means that they are marked
according to the quality of the
answer.
For example, a six mark question is
likely to be marked in three levels:
• Level 1 (1 – 2 marks) Basic details /
Simple understanding / Little organisation /
Few links
• Level 2 (3 – 4 marks) Greater detail /
Clear understanding / Organised answers
/ linkages / possible examples
• Level 3 (5 – 6 marks) Detailed / Accurate
information in correct context /
Elaboration / Case studies / Links
Example:
Explain the location of volcanoes (6 marks)
How many marks is this answer worth?
“Volcanoes are found near the edge of plates.
They are formed because of the movement
of plates”.
How could this answer be improved ? You
have 3 minutes to work with a partner to
show how this answer could be improved
4. Top tips for exam success - How
can I improve exam technique?
• The following tips are practical ways in
which you can improve your exam grades
through better techniques
Avoid Common Errors
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Misreading the questions.
Too much irrelevant information.
Failure to answer the exact question asked.
Lack of detail in the answer.
Lack of case study information.
Not using the supporting resources properly
- either ignoring them or copying information
word for word.
Use your skills
• If the exam includes source material,
remember that the examiners have spent
time and money including this for a
reason.
• Demonstrate your skills by extracting
relevant information to use in your
answers. Identify trends, patterns, etc and
offer explanations.
What can you tell from this image?
Struggling – try the 5 W’s
What?
Who?
Why?
When?
Where?
Practice Exam Technique
Get familiar with the structure of exam
questions. Many candidates struggle not
from lack of subject knowledge, but they
are unable to understand exactly what the
examiner is asking.
If you do enough past exam questions you
may start to see patterns.
Essay Questions
 Long essay questions pose their own
particular challenge. Plan your answer.
Spend a few minutes drawing one at the
start. If you think you may be running out
of time write a conclusion, and answer the
original question directly. Then, using
bullet points, list enough other stuff to
justify your conclusion.
Learn the formula for success
Most longer questions, particularly on the
Higher Tier Paper, are looking for your
ability to link e.g. features, processes and
locations in Geography
E.g. “A volcano (feature) can be caused by
subduction (process) at a destructive plate
boundary, such as Nevado del Ruiz in
Colombia, as the Pacific Plate is dragged
beneath the south American Plate
(location)”.
Look carefully at the mark
allocations
It is amazing how many candidates leave
massive spaces in their answer booklets.
Remember that the spaces are a guide to
how much to write. The more marks that
are available, the longer your answer
should be. Marks are not taken away for
irrelevant answers, you just don’t gain
them. It is therefore worth adding bits that
you are not totally sure about to the end.
Understand how questions are
marked
Remember that the questions worth four or
more marks are usually marked in levels
(according to the quality of your answer).
Top marks require good knowledge /skills
/understanding, added to the ability to
elaborate, make links and locate examples.
Using sketches/diagrams almost always
score a high mark when done properly.
Location, Location, Location !!!!!
OK this applies mainly to Geography, but
remember if you have studied your GCSE
subject for at least 2 years. You need to
include case study detail in many subjects.
The examiners are told to give credit if
something “rings true” (sounds possible
/likely).
If you are stuck for locations, etc. then think
about local examples.
Timing
Work out the formula for time and marks
for your paper. E.g. if there are 2 hours
and 60 marks, then you should spend
about two minutes per mark.
Having lots of time left over at the end is
never a good sign - go back and check all
of your answers again.
Understanding Questions
• Make sure that you understand the
meaning of all the questions before you
answer them.
• Underling key words can be helpful.,
particularly for those questions worth four
marks plus.
While waiting for the exam to
start - read the front cover so
you know what exactly to do
Read each question carefully twice is better than once
Check how many marks are
available - write ‘enough’
Answer the question - underline
or circle the key words.
Must be done!!
Where is it? What is it
near? Size?
“Name a factory. Describe the
site and explain why the location
was chosen”
Give reasons.. This is because….
Write your answer when you feel
confident - if not - leave it and
go to the next one
Check all calculations - does
the answer make sense?
Check information in
graphs, tables and pictures.
Did you use your ‘subjectspecific’ words?
Check spellings and
answers through
Use a sharp pencil to
draw diagrams and graphs
If you run out of time do a plan for an answer.
Get some sleep
before the exam
Leave time to review - check and
double-check your work
When time is up - finish and
forget. You’ve another one soon..
Describe
The number of International Tourists
325
300
300
275
250
225
Millions
200
175
150
125
100
100
75
50
50
25
5
0
1961
10
1971
1981
Tim e
1991
2001
Explain
This is because...
The number of International Tourists
325
300
300
275
250
Millions
225
200
175
150
125
100
100
75
50
50
25
5
0
1961
10
1971
1981
Tim e
1991
2001
Tell me why...
Compare
Man A
Man B
Man A is ….. whereas man B
is ….. (look for similarities
and differences)
Evaluate
What was successful?
What was not successful?
Advantages
Disadvantages
With the
help of ….
Suggest
Tell me why.. Give reasons…
It happened because