Preparing for and Doing an Exam
I Preparing
Plan your time
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Start your revision in time! E.g. 4 weeks in advance at a minimum.
Prepare summaries of topics which you can adapt to a number of different questions. Review these
repeatedly, e.g. on the bus or tube.
Practice timed writing from past papers. Use an egg-timer or stop watch to make sure you do not go over
time.
Make sure you can spell the names of key thinkers correctly.
When you timetable your revision programme (e.g. daily study slots), allow time for long and short breaks.
Organise your Revision
Think of revision as a process of consolidation. This is the opportunity you have for making sense of the
whole year's work.
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Reorganise your course materials: collate lecture notes, reading texts & notes and essays into coherent
topic bundles.
Reflect on what you have learned this year. Make connections between the topics and even between
courses.
Identify the main themes and fields of thought in your discipline.
Choose the topics you feel most comfortable with/interested in, and deal with them systematically.
Add to and comment on your old notes and essays – you know more now than you did when you first
learned/wrote about something.
Outline possible essays – create draft plans of exam essays.
Form a study partnership with others
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Practise exam essays and give feedback to each other based on the categories discussed above.
Take turns to give a 'presentation' on an issue and open the 'floor' for discussion.
II Doing an Exam
Previewing the Exam Paper
Do not attempt to write anything until you have read through the whole paper.
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Check how many questions you need to answer.
Is it a free choice or do you have to choose one from each section?
Select the question you feel happiest with and put number 1 beside it.
Choose the next best question and number it (2) and so on.
Try to stick to your choices.
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Interpreting the Question
 Analyse the question focusing on key words.
 Who are the key thinkers related to the question? Include them.
 Plan the content and organisation before starting to write.
Writing the Essay
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Refer to your plan to remind yourself of the staging of your answer.
Have a clear introduction and conclusion.
Have a clear thesis statement in the introduction. Tell the reader where your essay is going.
Ensure that you are making logical connections between ideas.
Make your points relevant – say what you are going to say, say why you are saying it and then say it.
Include relevant examples, case studies, theory, and references.
Make sure that names and specific terms are correctly spelled.
III Two Examples of How to Answer Exam Questions
Example One: ‘Describe the evolution of the Great Mosque of Damascus from its pre-Islamic antecedents.
To what degree is it influential on later mosques?’
There are two parts to this question. The first implies that the mosque has grown out of a pre-Islamic
architectural style and that there is evidence of this evolution/development in the Mosque itself.
The second part assumes some degree of influence on later mosques. You have to say what and how
much, with examples.
Tasks:
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Explain why this mosque (this question) is relevant – worth writing about (e.g. because of context?
history? geography? influence? etc.).
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Explain the importance of its context.
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Describe the mosque (architecture and decoration).
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Say what its pre-Islamic features are and how they've been incorporated, etc.
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Give examples of other (later) mosques that it may have influenced and say in what ways. (NB: What is
meant by 'later'? E.g: Does it include present-day mosques, or are there certain ones that I'm supposed
to know that I should include?)
Opening Statement and Essay Map:
The Great Mosque of Damascus is one of the most influential of all mosques (relevance). Its
importance stems from a number of factors, most specifically its location, its historical context and
its design, in terms of both architecture and decoration (indicating your direction and reassuring
your reader that you've understood the underlying question).
This essay will look first at the development of the Great Mosque of Damascus, analysing its
background, its role and its design. Then its impact on the design of later mosques will be
discussed with examples which best illustrate its influence.
Example Two: ‘What changes has the ending of the Cold War brought to the understanding of‘security’in the
Asian context?’
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The question assumes that there have been changes in the concept of 'security' in the Asian context. What
is meant by 'security' and what are the changes referred to?
Tasks:
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Explain why this question is relevant and worth writing about. What are the issues involved in the
discussion and what are the problems with the assumptions underlying the question?
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Define the concept of 'security' – are there different interpretations of this? (Why is it in inverted commas
in the question?)
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Provide some background history to the question – i.e. the situation before the end of the 'Cold War' –
but be sure to make it absolutely relevant to the question itself otherwise you'll go off task and run out of
time.
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Identify and explain changes and non-changes, and give examples of what you mean.
Opening Statement and Essay Map:
Since the end of the Cold War there has been a need to adjust to the changed context,
particularly in relation to the influence that the shift in the 'balance of power' implies (relevance &
answer). One area where this is most evident is that of 'security'. Although it could be thought that
the ending of the Cold War should have led to a more stable situation, the opposite could equally
be argued (problematising the question).
This essay will focus on the Asian context and the impact that the new context has on its notions
of 'security'. It will investigate what is understood by the term itself, and whether this
understanding has changed since 1989.
IV Final Suggestions
What Examiners want – or don’t want
The comments below are from exam markers:
‘Wanders around – fails to address the question or develop an argument.’
‘Not clear what the point is; the essay has no structure or organisation.’
‘No relevant literature is cited nor is the question addressed – too general.’
‘Specific names should have been mentioned.’
‘Very simplistic; doesn't really examine the views of the different schools of thought on this.’
‘Repetitive towards the end – fractured answer.’
Adopt a pragmatic but constructive approach to your exams and your exam preparation in order to avoid
comments like those above.
Therefore, don’t…
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digress from the tasks required by the question.
have circular arguments, i.e. arguments which do not take a particular point forward or add anything to it.
waffle with ‘empty’ statements. They are generally meaningless and add nothing to the discussion.
make assertions without providing an explanation or context.
write incomplete sentences, e.g. ‘Having looked at these arguments.’
‘Because it is clear that there is no answer to the question.’
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Practical Tips
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Wear comfortable clothes.
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Go to bed reasonably early.
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Don’t eat too much before exam.
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Check exactly where your exam is taking place and what time it begins.
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Plan to arrive 20 minutes early. The door is open 5 minutes before the start of the exam. (Think about
your journey time and alternative routes if there's a problem.)
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Avoid waiting around beforehand with others on your course, it can make you nervous.
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Make sure you've got a spare pen. You should not use pencil unless this is required by your course.
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Everything must be written in the answer booklet (including any plans, notes etc.) as no extra (‘scrap’)
paper can be given. You should cross through any rough work before handing your answer booklet(s) in.
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Write legibly and try to reread your work at the end to correct silly mistakes.
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No dictionaries - unless your course specifically allows it.
FAQs
1. Should I reference? Yes where possible.
2. Does it matter if I don’t have a year for the reference? Not so much.
3. Do I have to write a bibliography? No.
4. Can I write numbers as numbers? Yes.
5. Can the introduction be quite short? Yes.
6. Does spelling matter? Yes (depending on the marker…).
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