The Centre for Academic Development - Student Learning (Tā te Ākonga)

go back

Sitting exams

Before the exam
The day before the exam, do a final revision and recall of your notes. Avoid last minute cramming as little new knowledge will be retained, and cramming can cause confusion. Go to bed reasonably early, practise relaxing and positive self-talk and try to get a good night's sleep.

On the day enjoy your favourite breakfast or lunch and get to the exam room in plenty of time. Check that you have your student identification card, personal exam timetable, pens, calculator, and texts if required. Avoid pre-exam chats or cramming; these can confuse and set doubts about your knowledge. Focus on what you know rather than what you think you don't know!

In the exam
Make the most of your reading time! Read the instructions carefully. Be sure of the number of sections in the exam paper and the number of questions you must answer in each section. Consider the amount of time you should allocate to each question, based on how many marks they are worth. Stay calm and think clearly. Read the entire exam paper and as you read, note the questions that you intend to answer.

Once you are allowed to write, quickly record any formulae, notes, rules, mnemonics, mind-maps or other information that you need for your questions. Concentrate on one question at a time. Begin with the easiest question and deal with the more difficult ones later. This helps to increase your confidence.

Read essay type questions very carefully, analyse and plan your answers logically. The structure of your answer should follow the structure of the question, and should contain a brief introduction and conclusion. Where possible, use transitional words to link phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Include a plan at the top of the page in the answer booklet (with a diagonal line through and a line below) so that if you do not finish a question you may still gain marks for the points listed.

Allow some time at the end to check the clarity and accuracy of your answers. Check that answers contain sound arguments and that you have answered all aspects of the questions exactly as asked. Don't exceed your allotted time for a particular question without good reason. If you do run out of time, finish your answer as a bullet point list. Leave some space at the end of each answer so that you can add additional information later if necessary. Check that you have answered all required questions.

After the exam
Reward yourself and allow time to unwind. Avoid harrowing post-mortems, especially if you have more exams to sit!
top

See also

---

Exam dates, timetables and rooms
Information from the main University website