How to prepare for an exam

Effective exam preparation begins at the start of your course. All of the techniques you’ll learn in the study guides here; getting the most out of lectures and seminars, note taking, effective reading, etc all support your revision techniques at the end of your course. If you’re attending all your lectures and seminars, reading set texts and further reading and regularly reviewing your notes and making connections between the topics you’re studying, revising these topics will be easier.

Start early and plan

Set yourself a realistic revision timetable which takes into account the time you have available, other exams and assignments that need to be done around that time, and also allows downtime.

Find out what works for you

How do you best retain and recall the information you’ve learnt? Index cards of key topics and arguments work well for some people, others prefer group revision sessions or posters and other visual techniques. You may want to combine a range of techniques depending on the different information you need to retain and the types of exam questions you’ll be required to answer.

Go to revision sessions

If your lecturers or seminar leaders hold revision sessions make sure you attend them. You will pick up tips on revision as well as recapping the key topics. They are also an opportunity to discuss the content of the course with other students, and if you prefer to revise as part of a group, are a good place to start. During revision sessions your lecturers may also give you an indication as to what will be covered in the exam.

Try practice exam papers

If you are able to, get hold of old exam papers to practice with. They will help you to familiarise yourself with the format of the exam, they types of questions asked, and they will help you to work out how much time you need to spend on each question.

Revising everything vs revising selected topics

While it can seem overwhelming to revise everything you’ve learnt on your course, it can also be a risky strategy to only revise specific topics. Unless you’ve specifically been told that a topic won’t appear on the exam it is best to include it in your revision. 

Before the exam:

• Don’t stay up all night revising: you will be much more likely to recall information and perform well in an exam if you’re well rested. Look over your notes but also find time to switch off, relax, and get a good night’s sleep.

In the exam:

• If you feel nervous, take a few moments to breathe deeply before looking at the exam paper.
• Read the instructions carefully. Note how long you have to complete the questions and how many marks each question is worth.
• Plan your time. Ensure you answer all the questions you need to answer and divide your time appropriately between the questions.
• If you begin to run out of time, don’t panic. Make a plan of the question and make notes of what you would have covered if you could have answered the question fully. You won’t get full marks for answering a question in this way but you will hopefully gain a few marks by making it clear that you understand the question and the material on your course.

Summary:

• Start preparation for exams early – attending lectures and seminars, completing readings and handing in assignments on time will also stand you in good stead when it comes to revision.
• Make a revision timetable that is realistic and allows for some relaxation time.
• Go along to any revision sessions.
• Use the strategies that work for you.

Further reading
Exam preparation top tips:
https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/health-and-support/exam-preparation-ten-study-tips
https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/study/revision-exam
Revision techniques:
http://www2.open.ac.uk/students/skillsforstudy/revision-techniques.php