exam technique colin garvie [email protected]
TRANSCRIPT
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Agenda
• Why do students fail exams?• Examiners’ comments• Exam techniques• The exam – just in case you forgot– P5– F9
• What to do between now and the exam?
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I should not fail
• I am:– Motivated– Experienced– Competent
• Why am I therefore worried?
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Global pass rates
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Why are we here today?
• Global pass rates – speak for themselves• Why so poor?
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Past exams
• Think back to previous exam questions that you have done. How did you feel?– A. Brilliant, I am really good at this, so easy– B. I can do about 60% of this but I am not so sure about
the rest– C. I can start bits of it but I do not know enough about
each– D. I am going to cry, be sick, leave the exam room
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Success is dependant on…
• Studying for the exam – Motivation– Concentration
• Tackling the exam itself– Avoid “meltdown” … know your subject– Deal with stress and panic…exam technique
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High-level exam problems
• Unintelligible script• Excessive information – knowledge dump• Insufficient information• Fact invention in the absence of information (i.e. the answer
in search of a question)• Unfounded conclusions• Logic gaps
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Examiners’ recent reports – F9 and P5
• If candidates come to the exam expecting to repeat memorised material, they will only score 20% - 30%
• Candidates should focus on the given scenario.• Evidence of bad time management in many questions attempted• Poor performance in quantitative answers• Poor understanding of the requirements of the question• Tailoring answer to given scenario was poor • Write concise, well structured answers. “Long rambling answers
often hide valuable advice in the fog of waffle”• Professional marks (P5)
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Common faults therefore….
• From examiners’ comments:– Inadequate knowledge and understanding of subject– Not relating answer to scenario…answer too general– Time management (time to marks match)– No proper reading of question or planning answer– Not answering the question but another one– Omitting the basics– Layout/format/handwriting– Irrelevancy
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Reading and planning time (RAPT)
• You may:– Read the question paper– Write in your question paper– Use your calculator
• You may not– Write in your answer book
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A systematic approach to answers
• Read The Question!– Think about the question– Question the question (I.e. what is wanted)
• Plan (marks/time is vital)• Answer• Review• Move on
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Exam question: easy verbs
• Comment – make observation on something• Describe - set out in reasonable depth the characteristics of
something• Explain - make plain or clarify something or define something,
then say why it is important• Identify – show something from the given scenario• Illustrate – give an example (probably from the given
scenario)• List – make a list!• State – express something in short bullet point• Suggest – propose or put forward something
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Exam question: not-so-easy verbs
• Advise (or Recommend)– Conclude on something, usually following a discussion or
evaluation of it• Discuss– Give a balanced view of something and, if required, your
opinion on it, supported with facts and logical reasoning• Evaluate (or Assess)– Either give a judgement on something, or – Determine the value, worth or quality of something
• Justify– Give a reasoned argument for your opinion on something
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Time management
Timing is criticalTiming is really critical!Timing is really really critical!!Stick to it
Marks
Time
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Narrative answers
• Plan• Start, middle and end• Paragraphs (short) with headings• State assumptions• Avoid big words, use simple ones• Do not repeat or waffle• Do not elaborate too much on one point
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Numeric answers
• Presentation vital• Ruler for lines• Support all answers with workings• Columns and rows where appropriate• State assumptions• Attempt all parts (they are marked separately
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The exam: P5
• Section A: One question worth 50 marks• Section B: Two questions from three – worth 25 marks each
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Reading and planning time P5
• Approach 1– Plan the Section A question only– Ignore Section B for the time being
• Approach 2– Read the requirements of the Section B questions – decide
which to do and what order to do them in– Do a timetable on the front page of your answer book– Start to plan the Section A question
• Both approaches dictate doing Section A question first
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The actual exam – P5
• Do Section A question first– Allocate your time (1.8 minutes per mark)– Plan your answer (including numeric parts)– Take account of instructions – such as write a report
• The do Section B questions in the order you choose– Allocate your time (1.8 minutes per mark)– Plan your answer (including numeric parts)
• For both Sections:– Show workings and assumptions clearly– Write tidily, concisely, use sub headings
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Approach to Section A case study – P5
1. Read the first two or three sentences of the scenario2. Read the requirements. Note them down carefully3. Read the scenario. Several times if necessary. Underline key
information. Look for clues to help in your answer.4. Do a quick brainstorming exercise5. Plan the structure of your answer6. Do any relevant calculations in an appendix.7. Write your answer. A paragraph for each idea from the plan,
with a heading.
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The exam: F9
• Section A: 20 objective test questions worth 40 marks• Section B: Five questions – three worth 10 marks and two
worth 15 marks • The two 15-mark questions in Section B will come from
working capital management, investment appraisal and business finance areas of the syllabus. The Section A questions and the other questions in Section B can cover any areas of the syllabus.
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Reading and planning time F9
• Read the requirements of the Section B questions – decide which to do and what order to do them in (rank according to easiest for you first)
• Do a timetable on the front page of your answer book• If any time left after above, take a quick look through Section
A objective test questions to see if there are any non-computational questions that you immediately know the answer to
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The actual exam – F9
• Do Section A objective test questions first• Section A = 72 minutes max, time management critical• Then do Section B questions, in the order you decided during
RAPT– Allocate your time (1.8 minutes per mark)– Plan your answers (including numeric questions)– Show workings and assumptions clearly– Write tidily, concisely, use sub headings
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Section A: Objective Test Questions F9
• Work through questions and select your answer • If you cannot do quickly, try to eliminate those choices you
feel are incorrect (limits your options and increases your chance of getting right answer). If you still cannot get an answer, move on.
• Return to unanswered questions. If still no answer obvious, either:– Guess the answer now and move onto Section B, or– after attempting Section B, return to unanswered
questions and if no inspiration now, guess the answer• There is no negative marking. Do not leave any answer blank
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Your actual exam marker
• Remember…– He/she is (probably) not the examiner– He/she could be disgruntled or in a bad mood
• Therefore– Initial impression critical
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Summary: “Judgement Day”
• Reading and planning time• Decisions as to order/time etc.• Budget time (strictly)• Plan answers
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If all else fails..”guerrilla tactics”
• Leave the worst till last• Concentrate on the bits that you can do• Beware of stalkers (things that you just know you cannot do)• Ask yourself why did the examiner give me that information?• Get something down – blank pages score no marks!• If in doubt between choices, “toss a coin!”
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What to do now?
• Exam questions from revision question bank – try to do every one
• All questions from past 6 exams• Sitting a mock exam is essential - learn from feedback• Practice exam technique on every question worked on (e.g. x-
referencing workings etc.)• Read in detail examiner’s comments from at least the last two
exams – what were the highlights or “takeaways”
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Becker continuing support
• Student forums – post questions• Question time checklist
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‘Common sense is not so common’
(Voltaire)
Good Luck!