StudyTrekk 1
Your first semester
StudyTrekk 2
Making lectures and tutorials work for you
StudyTrekk 3
You and online learning
StudyTrekk 4
Preparing your first assignment
StudyTrekk 5
More about assignments
StudyTrekk 6
Referencing not plagiarism
StudyTrekk 7
Giving a presentation
StudyTrekk 8
Working in a group
StudyTrekk 9
There's never enough time!
What can you expect ?
Planning your strategy
Reviewing and revising
Turn over your papers please...
The exam is over!
Tips for Trekkers
The type of tests and examinations you will have often depend on your unit. They can be:-
Formal (closed) examinations - often a combination of multiple choice, essay and short answer questions. Some end of semester exams are worth 20-50% of your total mark, so, if you have good assignment marks you may well be on the way to passing the unit.
'Take home' exams - are to be completed in your own time over one day or several days. You can use any resources you find in the time, so your answers are expected to be more detailed than in a formal examination. But, you can make yourself a coffee anytime you like!
Short tests - these can be given in class time and you may or may not receive any warning. Rather than panic, see these as opportunities to guide your revision.
topComputer- based tests - these are answered directly into a computer or you may have to write on a computer printout. Online quizzes are included in many WebCT and similar online units. For these, you are told when the quiz will be available and may either take it on any computer with Internet access or in a special laboratory. Some quizzes can be attempted more than once and you are marked immediately.
It's just common sense to learn as much as you can about the exam to plan your revision.
Your lecturers should tell you about the exam format (multiple choice, short answers, essay questions), how much the exam is worth and they often reveal exam hints in the last lecture of the semester.
Looking at the past exam papers of the last 2 to 3 years can give you an idea of the broad topics you may be examined on. There is no guarantee that these questions will re-occur but, why not choose some questions to answer for practice? Many past exam papers are available online via university Web sites (See Links).
All in all, it's sensible to plan your exam study programme early and include time to exercise and ......eat.
Reviewing the whole course
Close to exam time how much will you remember of what was covered at the beginning of semester? How can you review the whole course?
Try putting all your notes, handouts, lab manuals, photocopies and assignments in order and skim through them to refresh your memory. Select key topics suggested by your lecturer, those you've chosen from past exam papers and those you find difficult to understand and make these the focus of your study.
Studying 'actively'
Everyone has different ways of remembering information but just reading your notes is too passive to be effective. Try these 'active' study techniques:
Balancing your study time
Make sure that you can revise all your units in the time you have. If you check what percentage of the course the exam is worth, you can focus your study time on the most important areas.
Not sleeping or eating well affects your concentration, while exercise and socialising in moderation are good stress relievers. (Laughter yoga, singing loudly and dancing also work for some people!)
The pre-reading time
When you first turn over the exam paper in the 10 minute 'pre-reading time', you can panic and, in your hurry to read the questions, skim over important details. Read your exam instructions carefully. How many questions from each section do you have to answer? How much time do you have? Then, start to read your questions:
Answer all the questions required, especially in multiple choice questions. Even if you have to guess the answer, those extra marks could be yours!
Take a minute's break between sections to stretch, breath and close your eyes to relieve tension.
If you don't have any more information to write on a question, don't 'waffle' or pad out your answer - you won't get extra marks.
It's over! You might be tempted to discuss every detail of the exam with your friends, but just remember that you can't change your answers and you may become upset if you think that you have forgotten something. If you still need to sit more exams, you will need all your confidence.
Keep your notes in case you have to sit a supplementary exam, but plan to do something you enjoy after your exam to remind yourself that there's more to life and learning than exams!
Past exam papers and other exam information (Curtin staff and students only)
University Counselling Service
Student Central - Examinations Office
Stressbusters - a whole heap of ways to relax!
Send the StudyTrekk team your comments
Assignments and presentations, tests and examinations are common ways of assessing our knowledge and understanding at university. Few of us enjoy them, but you must remember that most people pass - if they are well prepared.
You have already had to prepare for tests and exams in school, but you may learn something new in this 'S' Trek. Then try our low-stress Quiz!
