Revision and exam
preparation
Daren Mansfield and Cheryl Cliffe
Academic Subject Librarians
Aim & Learning Outcomes
Aim:
• To consider how to succeed in examinations by effective
revision and preparation
Learning Outcomes:
• identify preferred learning style
• identify and employ effective strategies for before,
during and after an exam
Good and bad experiences
Introductions
• Discuss good and bad experiences…
• What would you have done better?
• What exam strategy would you adopt?
Revising
• Get organised
– Select topics for revision
– Divide the unit into topics/sub topics
– Notes - collate, condense and summarise
– Revision schedule
– Study in short spells
– Past exam papers
– Build up your handwriting speed
– What can be achieved under exam conditions?
• What’s your learning style?
- Learning style questionnaire (10 mins)
Learning styles and study
methods
VISUAL LEARNER• Involves memory and
• note taking techniques
AUDITORY LEARNER• Music
• Aural Mnemonics
• Technology
• Repetition
• Friends and groups
KINAESTHETIC
LEARNER• Also known as tactile
learners
• Learning by doing
Before the exam
• Be positive
– Understand
reasons for exams
– They are an
advantage to you
– You have control
over the process
– Check your own
learning
• How many exams
will you have?
• When, where and
what are the
exams?
• How will you be
assessed?
Managing stress & relaxation
techniques
•
•
•
•
•
•
Breathe calmly
Healthy diet
Sleep 7 hrs a day
Regular exercise
Celebrate success
Take regular breaks
During the exam
• Positive mindset
• Try not to panic/breathe deeply
• Take time to read ALL the instructions and ALL the
questions……then re-read the questions, make
notes/highlight keywords
• Divide your time equally among questions carrying the
same marks
• Use rough paper to organise structure and thoughts
• Time
– Go over what you have written
– At end read answers and make amendments
Writing exam essays
•
•
•
•
Fewer examples than coursework
Miss out background detail
No reference list
Grammatical and spelling errors and
rushed handwriting generally less
important but must be legible!
‘What if I go blank?’
• Too Tense – use relaxation technique
• Brainstorm
• Keep writing – jot down words on spare
paper to prompt your memory
• Who? When? What? Where?
Planning response to exam
question
• Devise potential exam question
–
–
–
–
Deconstruct question
Plan your structure
Use mind map – identify relevant headings
Consider time spent on each paragraph
After the exam
• Don't beat yourself up, what is done is done!
• Think about what you could improve/focus on for
the next exam
– How well did you prepare?
– What could you have done better?
– What will you do differently next time?
• Always another opportunity
• Put it in perspective!
Additional support
• Enrol on the Bb community Learning Development @ Lincoln
• Further hints and tips in:
– Cottrell, S. (2007) The exam skills handbook.
Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan
– Tracy, E. (2006) The student’s guide to exam
success. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: Oxford University
Press [ebook]
– Cottrell, Stella. (2008). The Study Skills
Handbook. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan.
Finally…
GOOD LUCK!