Exams
Do thoughts of exams attract more panic attacks than butterflies? Taking preparatory steps will ensure you arrive sweat-free at the examination door.
Steps to help you prepare for your exams
Getting ready for exams list
Some tips for preparing your exams:
Start early to reduce stress and increase your chance of success. Check out our resources on note taking and time management. Find a study strategy that works for you. If you listen in class, take good notes and manage your time, you will set yourself up for exam success!
Consider what is expected of you. Are exam questions going to be pulled from class material, assignments, readings or all of the above? Is the exam cumulative (does it cover everything since the first class)? If you're unsure, ask your teacher.
Consider what type of exam you are preparing for. The answer will impact how you study. Talk with your teacher to find out the type of questions that will be on the exam (multiple choice, short answer, essay, etc.). Prepare accordingly.
- Summarise your summaries and reduce information to keywords. You may find it helpful to write your keywords on coloured cue cards (packs of cards are available from Student Success Reception for $1 per pack).
- Go over your summaries regularly.
- Focus on understanding material as it is covered in class - ask your teacher or classmates if you need help. It is very difficult to learn material that you don’t understand.
- Turn course objectives into questions and try to answer them. Imagine you are setting the exam/test and predict possible questions. Make a note if the teacher emphasises a particular section/topic. If your course is based on Unit Standards, use the performance criteria to guide your revision.
- Record important dates on a wall planner (eg dates for assignments, tests and exams). OPSA provides free planners at the start of each year.
- Write weekly and daily plans. Include specific tasks to be completed and the time you expect each task to take (eg summarise Cell Biology notes, one hour). Prioritise tasks according to their urgency. Try to set precise, realistic, manageable goals for each study session (free weekly timetables and day planners are available from Student Success).
- Attempt to keep to deadlines but be flexible - revise your timetable if you find it’s not working. The time needed for each subject depends upon the relative proportion of marks allocated in the exam, your subject strengths and weaknesses, the amount of material you have to cover, and the time you can spare.
For example, time, place of study… as this will help you stick to your study plan. Use your best study times for the material you find the most difficult.
Relax and reward yourself.
Use memory strategies: Jot down the key points, recite material, draw a mindmap, or test yourself using cue cards etc. Take an active approach!
Adequate exercise, sleep, diet, and relaxation, as well as study will help.
- Find out as much as you can about the paper - e.g. its format, content, length, whether you can take reference books/notes etc. If possible, look at previous exam papers. Some Schools put past papers on Moodle. If you can’t find any there, ask your School administrator whether you can have access to them. Practise writing answers to previous questions under exam conditions.
- Plan how you will divide up your time in the exam or test. Try to allow for reading and checking time.
- Double-check details such as the venue, date and time.
- Get equipment organised: pens, calculator, water bottle.
- The night before - try to get enough sleep, eat well, briefly revise your summaries, mindmaps, cue cards etc.
- Skim through your summaries again on the morning of the exam or test to refresh your memory, but don't try to cram new material. If you feel a bit panicky try to reassure yourself by thinking about the preparation you have done.
- Get to the exam/test early. If you can choose your seat, find a place where you feel comfortable and will be able to concentrate.
- Make use of reading time, if available (exam papers usually allow 10 minutes for reading). Skim the paper and read instructions carefully. Jot down a quick plan of the approximate time you expect to spend on each question or section.
- If you are anxious, try the following relaxation exercise (Hinton & Casey, 1999).
1. Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
2. Breathe in again and straighten your back as if someone is pulling a lever between your shoulder blades.
3. Look straight ahead at something inanimate and focus your mind on a positive thought such as ‘I can do this exam’ as you breathe out.
4. Take another deep breath in and a long breath out. Then breathe normally. Relax and lower your shoulders.
- Take short breaks during the exam to stretch and take a few deep breaths.
- Keep an eye on the clock – try to stick to your time plan.
- If you finish early, check your paper to ensure that you have answered all required questions, and proofread your answers for spelling and grammar. Ideally, you should leave 5-10 minutes for checking your exam paper – this is not generally possible with shorter tests.
Short answer questions
Short answer exams tend to require answers that are a sentence or paragraph long. They mainly focus on knowledge and understanding of terms and concepts of the subject. See some tips to prepare and sit short answer questions.
When studying
Breaking unit notes into these categories as you are revising will help you to recall the information and explain it thoroughly in the exam:
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Key Concepts / Terminology
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Meaning in your own words
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Issues that need to be explained or clarified
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Example / Application
Chunk
When the time comes for you to revise for your exams you need to summarise all the information you have collected over the semester. Memory works best when it has bite-sized pieces of information to track, like memorising a phone number in sets of 3 digits. ‘Chunking’ means to reduce large amounts of information into smaller components. These chunks provide summary information to help you link back to more complex ideas.

Analyse the question
First, analyse the question so you are clear about exactly what it is asking:
- Divide the question into parts if needed
- Underline the topic words (what you are to write about)
- Circle the task words (how you are to write about it)
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Example question:
What is meant by the term Foreign Direct Investment? Describe the difference between the flow of foreign direct investment and the stock of foreign direct investment?
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Divide the question if needed:
• What is meant by the term Foreign Direct Investment?
• Describe the difference between the flow of foreign direct investment and the stock of foreign direct investment.
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Underline the key words:
What is meant by the term Foreign Direct Investment?
Describe the difference between the flow of foreign direct investment and the stock of foreign direct investment.
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Circle the task words:
Answer the question
A good short answer in an exam specifically answers the question in the first sentence.
The rest of the paragraph is used to explain your answer.
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Example question:
• What is meant by the term Foreign Direct Investment?
• Describe the difference between the flow of foreign direct investment and the stock of foreign direct investment?
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Rearrange the words of the question to create the first sentence of the ANSWER.
The first sentence of each part of this question would start:
1. The term Foreign Direct Investment means ….
2. The difference between the flow of foreign direct investment and the stock of foreign direct investment is …An example of this can be seen when...
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The whole response:
Direct answer to the question: Rearrange the words of the question to create your answer.
Supporting sentences: These explain the answer further, such as definition of terms.
Examples: These clarify and illustrate your points.
Concluding sentences: These restate the main point of the answer.
Essay questions
The aim of essay exams is to show your ability to synthesise information and organise your thoughts on paper.
The structure of your answer should include an introduction, body and conclusion in much the same manner as an assignment.
Essay questions list
- The best way to prepare for an essay exam is to write practice essays
- Check on Moodle or ask your teacher for practice essay questions
- Discussion questions at the end of chapters in text books or in Moodle forums make good essay questions
- Write your own essay questions from your notes and then answer them
Read each question carefully and analyse it in the same way as for short answer exams:
• Divide the question into parts if needed
• Underline the topic words (what you are to write about)
• Circle the task words (how you are to write about it)
See example in short answers’ section.
Then select those that are most relevant to the topic.
Structure your answer using an introduction, body and conclusion.
The length of your essay and the amount of time spent on it should be equivalent to the number of marks assigned to the question. Direct your efforts where they will reap the richest reward and stick to the time allocated for each question.
If the marker cannot read your writing you may lose marks.
If you have time. Ensure it makes sense. Correct any grammatical or spelling errors.
Understanding of a subject takes time to develop. It makes sense for you to be building your knowledge and understanding of a subject by reading, revising and taking notes throughout the semester rather than cramming everything at the end. Our brains need time to process, to ‘incubate’ our understanding.
Types of essay questions
The essay questions in your exam may take the following forms:
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Analytical/Explanatory essay
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Argumentative essay
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Interpretive essay
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Comparative essay
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Problem and solution essay
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Cause and effect essay
Multiple choice questions
There is a common misconception that these types of exams are easy. “I only have to recognise the correct answer – Right?”
Wrong - Many students find the multiple choice format challenging as there are often numerous questions to answer in a short time frame and the wording can be quite confusing.
For maximum success:
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Understand the purpose of the questions
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Understand the principles behind the question structure
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What are multiple choice questions testing?
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Basic knowlegde
Facts, figures, definitions.
Basic knowledge question:
Government intervention into the free flow of trade is most effective in a ____________ industry.
a) mature
b) infant
c) declining
d) proprietary
Suggested learning strategies
Rote learning strategies for memorization.
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Application
Applying knowledge to a particular context.
Application Question:
Consider the following scenario: Derrick Industries wants to sell its services overseas, but only if it can act on its own and service its clients from a central location. Based on these objectives, the appropriate foreign entry mode is:
a) turnkey operation
b) franchising
c) exporting
d) licensing
Suggested learning strategies
Read case studies and examples in textbooks.
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Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
Combining and using knowledge to address a ‘real life’ scenario.
Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation Question:
Copia Engineering Company wants to adopt a more market-oriented
management style. To do this they will need to:
a) Think about customer satisfaction as a factor in company planning.
b) Consider technology and cost cutting.
c) focus on locating new opportunities for marketing
d) Both a) and b)
Suggested learning strategies
Collect and learn information in a table format to easily see distinctions and similarities between concepts.
Suggested learning strategies
Collect and learn information in a table format to easily see distinctions and similarities between concepts.
Tips for answering multiple choice questions:
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Start with the questions you can answer easily
- Read the question thoroughly
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Try to answer the question before looking at the answers
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Eliminate the answers you know are wrong
- Read all the alternatives
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Watch for words like totally, absolutely, all, never, only, always
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Watch out for negatives (eg ‘Which of these is not…)
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Translate double negative statements into positive ones
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Answer every question unless there is a penalty for wrong answers
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Do not spend more than the allocated time on each question – move on! Flag difficult questions and go back to them
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If you think that an answer is incorrect, then change it, but only after careful consideration.
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Structure of multiple choice questions
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Type of question
Complete the statement
In a theoretically ideal ______ the company monopolises the market and has a major control of the means of production.
a) Cartel
b) Monopoly
c) Duopoly
d) None of the above
How do I answer this?
You are given an incomplete statement and have to select the correct answer to make the completed statement correct. There is repetition between words in the question and one of the answers. This is often an indication that this answer is correct.
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Type of question
Choose the most accurate
Which of the following options provides the best description of the symptoms of neurosis?
a) Anxiety, hysteria, phobias
b) Anxiety, depression, lucidity
c) Depression, passivity, phobias
d) Hysteria, phobias, passivity
How do I answer this?
In subjects where it is difficult to give an exact answer, you may be asked to choose the ‘most accurate’ answer. Read all the answers; don’t just choose the first one that looks right.
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Type of question
Negative choices
Which of the following is not a nonvariable overhead?
a) Rent
b) Raw materials
c) Loan repayments
d) All of the above
How do I answer this?
Convert all negatives to positives and look for the opposite answer (eg. look for the answers which are variable overheads) Select the answer that does not fit in.
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Type of question
Extension questions
The Freudian Electra Complex pertains to:
a) males
b) females
c) electrical activity in the brain
d) does not exist
How do I answer this?
Look for grammatical clues where the question and the answer don’t make a grammatically correct sentence e.g. d) does not complete the sentence grammatically so it is automatically incorrect. Even if you don’t know the answer, your choices have been reduced by 25%.
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Type of question
Absolute terms and generalisations
The Australian Government’s immigration policy specifically related to the Asia Pacific region between 2000 and 2004 was:
a) totally successful in stopping illegal entry into Australian waters.
b) absolutely committed to preserving the human rights of detainees.
c) moderately successful in reducing the numbers of illegal entrants into Australian waters.
How do I answer this question?
Be wary of answers which use words like always, never, only, must. These are more likely to be incorrect. Most situations are too complex for absolute extremes.
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Type of question
Using Numbers
According to Smith & Watson’s (2003) research, about ____% of terminally ill patients admitted to requesting their doctor’s support in assisted suicide.
a) 30%
b) 20%
c) 9%
d) 3%
How do I answer this?
The opposite is the case when using numbers – the most specific is often correct. Most answers are not neat round numbers but lecturers often use round numbers when they are filling in alternative answers. Look for numbers that are the same but shown in a different format, i.e percentages and fractions. If these occur in the one question they both can’t be right so they are probably both wrong.
For example:
a) .25
b) ¼
Case study exams
Case study exams require you to apply your knowledge to a real life situation.
The exam usually includes:
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A scenario
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A list of questions
Case study exam list
For maximum success in this exam type follow these guide lines.
Read the scenario carefully at least twice:
• Once to get an overview
• Again to clarify details
Reread the scenario each time to answer a question.
Answer the questions carefully:
• Underline the topic words
• Circle the task words
Use evidence from both your knowledge of the topic (eg. Explain a concept) and from the scenario (eg. Explain how it applies in this situation).
- Allocate time for each question
- Allocate more time for questions with more marks
- If you run out of time with a question, move onto the next one and finish it later
- Finish all questions even if it is only in note form
- Leave some time to reread your answers and edit if necessary
References
Attributions
This work includes material from the following sources:
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