Exam Success:

Exam Skills for

Science subjects

Dr. Tamara O’Connor/Maeve Gallagher

Student Learning Development

student.learning@tcd.ie

http://student-learning.tcd.ie

Objectives

• Review exam success factors

• Look at planning strategies & tools for revision

• Discuss ways to revise for your subject

• Consider importance of practice

• Review exam performance strategies

• Manage your mental preparation

Exam Performance - factors

• Your exam history

• Subject knowledge

• Experience of the subject

• Exam preparation

• Exam practice

• Exam taking/performance

– Use of time

– Writing skills

• Attitude and approach Adapted from Cottrell, S. (2012) The exam skills handbook, 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave

Macmillan, p. 7

Know Yourself

• How do you feel about them?

• What is your experience?

– What do you do well?

– What could you do better?

• How do you prepare?

• How do you manage your stress?

Planning

Organise your notes

Admin time / Study time

Check your handbook

Get the past papers

http://www.tcd.ie/teaching-learning/administration/examinations/pastexamination-papers.php

Exam Format

• Topics/content – trigger knowledge

• Type of exam

– MCQ

– Short answer

– Essay

– Problem solving

• Weighting of Q

• Timing

• What are they looking for?

• How would I answer this?

• How would I revise in order to be able to

answer this?

• How would I practise answering this type

of question

Revision Strategy

Checklist

• Survey the subject

– Syllabus/course outline

– Learning outcomes

• Predict likely questions and chosen topics

to revise

• Gather relevant information

– Revision plan by topic and have folders

• Sift and condense

Class: Structural Analysis

Topic 1: Analytical Method

Lectures 1 2

Tutorials 1 2

Exam Q Annual 10 Annual 09 Annual 08

Topic 2: Flexibility Method

Lectures 1 2

Tutorials 1 2

Exam Q Annual 10 Annual 09 Annual 08

Topic 3:

Lectures 1 2 3

Tutorials 1 2

Exam Q Annual 10 Annual 09 Annual 08

Example of Revision Checklist

1. Schedule Everything

2. Be Realistic

3. Mix things up

4. Make it visible

5. Include Exam Qs 6. Include Reviews

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Start time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

0800

0900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

1700

1800

1900

2000

2100

2200

Revision timetable – week commencing: _____________________________

Revision

Recall

Exam Memory

Use Active Deep Processing Strategies

Discussion

Make it meaningful

Visualisation

Teaching someone/thing else

Asking Questions

Making associations

Organisational aids & Chunking

Revision Strategies

Soil Types: Properties Climate Vegetation

Pedalfer Sandy, light-colour top

Iron oxide, alum-rich

clay

Temp humid Forest

Pedocal

Laterite

Table

I. Primary Care Teams

Purpose

Development

II. Role of Nurse

xxx

Cummins 2009

xxxxxxx

Structure

Reasons to change

1. xxx Bale 2009

2. 3

History

Education

Assessment

Diagram or Outline

Disease

Etiology Nursing

Interventions

Clinical Manifestations

Meds Diet Nursing actions

Signs/

Symptoms

Diagnostic

tests

Physio Psych

Concept Maps

Structure

Structure

Rehearsal strategies

Think vocabulary, words, terms, concepts, systems

Make flash cards & test yourself

Recite for precision

Mnemonics

Make unusual, visual

Overlearning

mcqs

Revision

MCQ Exams recognition &

accurate knowledge

Tissue oedema is caused by:

a.

b.

c.

d.

Thus for revision:

• Think vocabulary, words, terms, concepts,

systems

• Make flash cards & test yourself

• Recite for precision

• Create summary sheets, diagrams, charts,

tables, mind maps

MCQ Practice

• Read each question carefully

• Circle key words or negatives

• Identify modifiers and qualifiers (e.g. only,

never, sometimes)

• Anticipate answer before looking at options

• Read all options before making choice

• Check before marking answer

• Leave time at end

Short Answers

Short Answers Revision

Short Answer knowledge

understanding key

ideas/facts at

basic level

Short Answer Practice

• Deconstruct the question

• Think in own words

• Find and use key words

• Show what you know: Define key words,

concepts, theories

• Stay relevant

Overcomplication

Decision trees are used in data mining as a way of progressively

breaking down data into groups. As this happens, the number in each

classification may be noted. A customer database may break down as

70% male, 30% female. The males may be divided into those that

spend over €1,000 a year with us (90%) and those that do not (10%).

The same subdivision for female shows that only 2% of females spend

over €1,000 with us. The high spending males break-down into 77%

under 30 and 23% over 30 years of age. When females are divided

into high and low spending, it might be found that 80% of high spenders

are repeat customers and 20% are not. Low spending females, on the

other hand, might be 90% non repeating customers. A parallel analysis

of high spending male customers might show that…

Outline the structure of fats OR carbohydrates

• Choose question

• What are they looking for?

• How would I answer this?

• How would I revise in order to be able to

answer this?

• Practice answering this type of question,

varying topic

Essay

Questions

Revision – essay exams

• List of major topics using your notes and past exam papers

• Create a chart or summary sheet of the main topics and any relationship between themes etc.

• Generate ideas and plan an outline for each question

• Follow a structure – intro & conclusion

• Argument if required

• Be selective!

Essay question practice

• Not an essay, you have a limited time to

answer

• Start practising:

– Work on what’s relevant to question

– Make diagrams

– Write out answers – timing and quality

• Pay attention to verbs

– Describe/explain vs discuss/evaluate

“Microbial diseases in humans often occur when

the host is compromised in some way.”

Describe why this is the case and discuss the

various parameters that may compromise humans

to infection

• Reasons for microbial diseases . . .

• Evidence for these reasons

• Research on reasons for compromise

• Counter research/criticisms

• What parameters compromise humans

Problem Solving

Questions

Revision – Problem solving

• Develop a range of strategies

– Compare textbook & notes

– Create formulae page relevant to area

– Similarities & differences between problem types &

solution methods

– Categorise types of numerical questions asked

– How apply different situations or data

– Try to solve the problem as far as possible

Problem solving - practice

• Work problems ‘out of context’

• Practise problem-solving without your

notes!

• Work with others

• Practise writing pseudo-code for exams –

no computer!

• Before exam jot down all formulas,

relationships, definitions, etc. holding in

memory

Would you sit your driving test without ever driving a car?

Rehearse performing

• Practise!!

• Practise by anticipating questions

• Practice by answering old exam Q

• Mark your own answers

• Practice – un-timed and timed

• Simulate exam conditions

No practice leads to..

• Poor Handwriting

• Brain Dumping

• Irrelevance

• Poor Structure

• Running out of time

• Anxiety

Exam day performance

1. How do you prepare the night before?

2. What do you do in the exam?

– Starting routine

– Avoid common errors

3. What do you do after the exam?

Make the best of what you know

Maximum gains for time are in

the early stages of your answer

Plan your time in advance

Rehearse producing quality

work in time available

Equal Time for Equal Marks

Maximum gain

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Time in minutes

% p

ers

ona

l b

est

Not answering the question!

• Taking a long time to get to the point

• Irrelevance

• Repetition

1. Present what you know

2. Add Value

3. Get to the point

Writing

• Not the same level as assessment

• Keep your writing simple

• Short sentences

• Few sub-clauses

• Practice writing!

Fill out your answer books

Don’t hang around outside

Don’t discuss the paper after

Attitude & Approach

• Replace negative thoughts with positive

thoughts – do not leave a vacuum.

Michael Johnson

• Follow your plan – start at the beginning,

work through the middle and when you

get to the end, stop. Lewis Carroll

• Just do it. Nike

Visualisation

Visualise Success

Building Self Confidence

• Your objective is to do your personal best

• Think of exams as an opportunity for you to

show what you know

• Get familiar with the examination space

• Exam outcomes are proportionate to the effort

you put in

• Set learning targets and rewards for yourself

• Don’t burn out! Balance

• Compare what you know now with what you

knew at the beginning of the year

How to Do Well in Exams

1. Planning

2. Revising

3. Practice

4. Performing

Sources:

Exam Stress Guide, SU & Student Learning

How to Do Badly in Examinations, Dr. Frank Bannister

Our details

• Website: http://student-learning.tcd.ie

• Email: student.learning@tcd.ie

• Facebook: facebook.com/sldtcd

• Twitter: twitter.com/StudentLearnin1

• Phone: 01-8961407

Internet use – tools to help

selfcontrolapp.com – macs, free

macfreedom.com – windows, mac, android; $10

FocusBooster – app, free; 25 minute timer

FocusWriter – mac & pc; for writing

Anti-social – blocks social websites, like Freedom

LeechBlock – Firefox or StayFocusd – Chrome

rescuetime – lite is free; tracks time, set goals

persistenceapp.com – free, macs