Exam Prep
Session
Planning and Preparing for
Final Exams
Ancaster High School – Student Success
Important Dates / Times
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Monday January 25th – Last Day of Classes
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Tuesday January 26th – Friday January 29th: Final Exams
 January 26th – Period 1 Exams (Note: on a Day 1 schedule)
 January 27th – Period 2 Exams
 January 28th – Period 3 Exams
 January 29th – Period 4 Exams

All exams begin at 9:00am. If you are late, you need to report to
the main office first. You will only have the remaining time in the
exam when you arrive to the room (e.g., if the exam started at
9:00am and ended at 10:30 and you arrive at 10:00am, you would
only have 30 minutes to complete the exam).

What happens if the school is closed? (e.g., snow day).
 Exams will be bumped back one day (e.g., if the snow day is on
Tuesday, you will write your Tuesday exam when you return on
Wednesday, the original Wednesday exam would be then be
written on Thursday and so on).

Monday February 1st – Exam Conflicts / Inclement Weather

Thursday February 4th – Semester 2 Begins
Exam room rules

You may only bring into the room the
materials required for the exam.

Bags, coats, cell phones, etc. should be
placed in your lockers.

Students finishing their exam or culminating
activity early, must sit quietly until the end of
the assigned time.

At the end of the assigned time, students are
to leave the school QUIETLY and quickly, as
other exams may still be in progress.
What to expect…

Where do I write my exams?
 In the room where you have your class each day unless your
teacher has told you otherwise.

What do I bring to the exam?
 It is best to ask each teacher as the needs will vary – pens,
pencils, rulers, and erasers are standard materials.

How much is the exam worth?
 20% of your final grade (most classes) – we will get to this in
more detail later.

How long is the exam?
 60, 75, 90 or 120 (for some senior level classes) minutes.

When can I leave the exam?
 At the end of the allotted exam time. If you finish your 60
minute exam in 45 minutes, you will be there for the entire 60
minutes.
What type of exam is it?

Ask your classroom teacher about the types of
questions that will be asked on the final exam.

The final exam will contain the types of questions you
have seen throughout the semester on assignments,
tests, etc. – think of it as a somewhat longer test.

Ask your teacher for hints, look at previous unit tests,
complete exam review sheets – this will help to prepare
you for the types of questions you will see on the exam.
How do I study?

What type of learner are you?
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Visual – read, draw and use mnemonics.
Auditory – quiz yourself with a friend.
Kinesthetic / Tactile – write review notes, ‘cheat sheets’
Complete the ‘Learning Styles Inventory’ provided to
gauge your learning style and look at the suggestions for
additional strategies.
Examples of mnemonics

‘BEDMAS’
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‘PURPLE’ study tips:
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Plan and organize which subjects to study 1st, 2nd…
Uninterrupted time
Review notes and tests
Prepare study notes / key terms
Location to study
Eat well and sleep well – very important
Exam Day

Be on time

Be prepared – with necessary materials

Write your name

Survey the exam first

First choice question – the one you are confident of the
answer

Do what is asked: compare, explain, define…

Think before you answer – what do you want to say?

Neat and clear writing

Check over your exam – go back to missed questions
Exam Plan

Prepare now

Extra help?

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Your teacher – ask, they want you to be successful!
Student Success (Room 218)
Learning Resource (Room 103)
Don’t cram! (Toronto Star – November 15, 2013: Mom
and Dad were right – research proves cramming for
tests is bad)
Frequently asked questions

What mark do I need to pass?



80% = term mark + culminating
20% = exam mark
What is my mark now?


Example: 70% going into the final exam
0.70 x 80 = 56 (you have 56/80)