Exam Preparation: Myth-Busting
1. For each exam, there will not be a question on every lecture. Students must therefore
revise at least double the number of questions they are expected to answer. For a twohour exam where students pick two questions to answer out of six, at least four topics
should be revised in detail. For a three hour exam (where there are three essay questions),
students must revise at least six topics in detail.
2. Length of essays – longer isn’t necessarily better. It’s more important to produce a clear
and concise argument. For example, an essay of 3-4 A4 sides often scores better than an
essay of 15 sides because it stays on topic and does not go off track.
3. Writing down everything you know about a topic or throwing in random names of theorists
will not get you credit. It’s more important to actually answer the question and make a
strong argument with relevant examples.
4. Referencing – don’t make up names! (The examiner will know you are bluffing!) When you
do reference, make sure that you include the name of the theorist and the year. Do not get
hung up on trying to remember long quotations or page numbers - small phrases are
useful eg. Harvey (1989) ‘time-space compression’, Friedman (2005) ‘the world is flat’, but
whole sentences won’t get you much credit. Being able to paraphrase authors’ arguments
accurately is a lot more effective and proves that you understand their work.
5. Essays in exams should be clearly structured, just like any other essay. There should be
an introduction defining the key terms in the question and giving an overview of what the
essay will cover. There should then be the main body of the essay, with around three to
five paragraphs – each covering a different point/argument. There should then be a short
and concise conclusion restating the argument made in the essay. The clearer the
structure, the easier it is for the examiner to follow to the argument.
6. Make a plan at the start of each essay. This will help you to settle into the exam and
organise your thoughts. Don’t rush it – it’s important to take your time. Your essay will be
more coherent if you have a solid plan at the start. It’s also useful for the examiner – if you
run out of time to finish the essay, the examiner can look at your plan and see that you
knew where your argument was going.
7. Handwriting matters! If the examiner can’t read your essay, they won’t be able to give you
credit (no matter how amazing your argument might be!). If your handwriting is illegible,
you will be called in to type-up your essays under exam conditions, which is a waste of
your time! So make sure it can be read the first time round to save this bother!
8. Go beyond the reading list. Remember that the examiner has to read lots of the same
essays, so doing that little bit extra can make your essay stand out and show that you
have taken the time to read around the subject independently.
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