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TRANSCRIPT
Introduction Exams are easy. With the correct preparation you can almost make the
exam a formality and get any grade you want. I estimate that ~85% of
your mark is determined before you even sit the exam. Everyone puts
all the emphasis on that one exam day, which they think is going to
determine their result, but the exam is nowhere near as important as
the previous 6 months.
If you have prepared well then the odds are stacked heavily in your
favour. The exam just becomes one more past paper or one more
study session. Think of all the hours of study that you have done, and
then add on the exam, which might be 90 minutes or two hours. Those
90 minutes or two hours are a tiny fraction of the total tiem you have
spent studying. In addition, when you prepare properly, even if you
have an “off-‐‑day”, you will still do well in the exam and your results
will become consistent.
Exams are simply an indicator/test of how well you have prepared.
By preparation, I mean that you need to have practised and be ready
for everything that you will encounter in an exam. We are aiming to
put you in the correct frame of mind (the most important part to work
on), get you to know your subject material inside out, enable you to
whizz through the past paper questions and improve your problem
solving skills, all of which results in confidence; you might even look
forward to the exam. If you are well prepared then there is nothing to
worry about and you will perform to your potential or beyond it.
But, there’s not one “magic” ingredient that is suddenly going to
transform you overnight. It is the combination of doing a lot of little
things correctly that will allow you to improve. This is actually good
news as the changes you have to make can be implemented easily and
often quickly.
The exam process
Even if you think you are simply not good at exams or not clever
enough, then this is all about to change. Both are myths and the truth
is that anyone can learn to improve their performance in exams. It’s
simply a process. All you have to know is what to do, how to do it and
when to do it. And once you know how, you can’t really go wrong.
When it comes to exam improvement, most people only aim to
increase their understanding of a particular subject, which is fine, but
it is only one part of the puzzle. Imagine how improved your results
would be if you could simply cut out those “silly mistakes” or gain
extra marks by improving your problem solving skills and written
answers or go into the exam feeling very confident? All of these areas,
and others, will rocket your grades before you even get round to
looking at the subject material.
We are aiming to save you marks where normally you would lose
them. Little changes here and there will save you one or two marks at
a time, and when they are all added up, the difference can be
staggering.
Most study books and websites try to help in terms of improving
subject knowledge by focusing upon already well known techniques
or slight variations of them. Beware that the “new” or “magic” study
technique doesn’t exist; there are no short cuts to improvement.
I also found it impossible to find a resource that addressed the
psychology of exams sufficiently, which is by far the most important
………..( more in the full e-‐‑book)
Self Belief Some people will view exams as the most terrifying things in the
world, which leads to feelings of anxiety that will eventually affect
their results. I have seen extreme cases of this where someone might
actually fail an exam when they could be getting an A. This then leads
to them believing that they must be rubbish, as this is what they
believe a low grade means, resulting in the vicious circle in figure 2.
Not everyone is that extreme but most people have some fear of
exams, which is probably holding them back.
Now flip the scenario 180 degrees, how much better would it be if you
were actually looking forward to an exam? Or excited? Believe it or
not, this is possible, and if you can get near to this point you will
remove all fear of exams and perform a lot better. It is a million miles
away from the usual dreading it mindset that people have.
What I am trying to say is that the two scenarios above are simply the
way different people can view exams. The two viewpoints are worlds
apart but the students are still sitting the same exam. How can two
people view the same thing so differently? It is because they have
simply made it up, or at least, exaggerated something greatly and
blown it out of proportion. For the negative minded person, in
psychology terms, they would call this a limiting belief. The student
really does believe that what they think is 100% true but there is no
real substance behind it or they have developed a really biased view.
The former United States President Thomas Jefferson sums this up
well:
"ʺNothing can stop the person with the right mental attitude from achieving
his (or her) goals. Nothing on earth can help the person with the wrong
mental attitude."ʺ
There are countless limiting beliefs about exams. Another big one is
that some people think that they are not clever enough. Of course
natural ability is a great asset but this alone can only take you so far. I
will tell you right now that if you put in the hours, adopt the correct
mindset and study effectively then you will perform better than you
thought you could. If you give it your best and improve upon your
previous grades, then you can be very proud of yourself. That’s all
anyone can ask.
A common scenario is that you probably know someone who appears
to be really confident or clever, who is always answering all the ……
(more in the full e-‐‑book)
Reframe the exam
Following on from the earlier reframing section, I believe it is vital to
address the exam directly and to reframe the exam.
Reframe 1: who cares? It’s not that important
If you feel pressure and stress, then you need to play down the
importance of the exam. As we mentioned earlier, ask yourself why
are you feeling so stressed? You have to keep telling yourself it’s not
that important. Think of the worst case scenario: you fail miserably,
worse than you have ever done before. Well, guess what? It doesn’t
matter. You will soon forget about it and do something else. You’re
still the same person, it’s not the end of the world. Let’s say you fail a
particular subject, then perhaps it’s a sign that this isn’t the correct
career option for you.
But! as you now know, if you prepare well then you won’t come even
close to failing. So either way, you can’t lose. You have to believe that
whatever situation you are in, you can’t lose. Of course the exam is
important, it’s just a little trick on the mind that can help to remove
pressure and to put things in perspective.
You have to trust and believe in your preparation. Your focus should
be on the studying and you should not be worrying about any exam,
especially when it is a long way off. Otherwise, feeling stressed all the
time will have a detrimental effect on your study. All you have to
know is that if you prepare well then there’s no problem and no need
to worry. Just let go of all the “what if” scenarios. This is where having
hobbies and outside interests helps too, as you won’t be spending all
your time thinking about an exam……(more in the full e-‐‑book)
Study Methods -‐‑ Introduction
There are only two main parts to studying: quantity and quality.
Some people do the quantity part very well by putting in hour upon
hour of study but still see no improvement, which points towards the
quality part; what they are doing isn’t working.
Quantity is important, as you simply have to put the hours in, which
comes down to motivation and discipline. Then the quality has to be
good, which we are going to mainly be looking at in the forthcoming
sections.
You already have all the answers
One of the biggest realisations that I had was that every answer you
need for an exam is straight out your books and notes. EVERYTHING.
This for me was one of those “light bulb” moments, reducing the fear
factor of exams to almost zero and simplified things greatly. If it’s in
your notes then there is no excuse and if you work hard enough you
will literally know every answer before you enter the exam. All you
have to do then is apply some exam technique, which can be learned.
How much more of a confidence booster can you get than that? It may
even change your attitude towards exams to one of anticipation rather
than dread.
Yes, I agree that some questions might not seem like they are straight
from your book but you have to trust that they are. An exam paper is
simply a “tricked up” version of your notes. They can’t just ask you
questions straight from the course textbook as everyone would get
high marks, so examiners do things to throw you off track. For
example, they may add in extra information that creates confusion
and overwhelm, they present it or word it in a different way to what
you are used to, they use examples you’ve never seen before etc.; these
methods plus others are designed to mislead you and to test if you
really understand something. This makes people feel uncomfortable.
Once you recognise all their little tricks, you may even laugh at them
rather than panic, which will be very beneficial to you.
The key to doing exam questions is to recognise the “real” question
beneath the layers of useless information.
……..( more in the full e-‐‑book)
Plateaus
The problem with studying is that at some point everyone hits a
plateau. If you keep doing the same thing repeatedly then its
effectiveness will eventually diminish. You might not get any worse
but you won’t get any better. For example, if someone goes to the gym
and their muscles become used to doing the same routine over and
over, then at some point they will stop progressing and won’t see any
further good results. The routine needs to be shaken up a bit. In study
terms, this means we need to add variety and you need to challenge
yourself. If you introduce these two elements you will improve
quickly.
You also have to keep monitoring your own progress. If you start to
feel “too comfortable” or even worse, bored, when you are studying,
that’s when it’s time to shake it up a bit.
(more in the full e-‐‑book)
Study Methods – How To Do It
My whole study/exam theory is derived from analysing exam
questions then looking for general themes, structures and patterns
that will prepare me as best I can to answer the questions. Most people
treat studying and the exam as independent entities, but they are very
closely connected and have to work together.
When every single exam question is broken down and analysed, it can
be concluded that you are being tested on a key or core concept, these
are after all what you have been learning in class all year. These
concepts are the common link between your notes and the exam
questions.
With this in mind, the key to answering ANY question is therefore to
identify the key concept. And if there is an “exam secret”, then that is
it. What is the real question that they are asking? If someone comes
out an exam and says they didn’t know how to do a question it’s
simply because they have not recognised the key concept that they are
being tested on.
That is how you translate your knowledge into exam answers.
At this point, different subjects will differ slightly. I am coming from a
science background but I have studied a diverse range of subjects
including English, Maths, Geography, Art, Computing, French and
Music. You may have to interchange a word here and there in the
following sections. For example, if I mention key concepts, you may
be looking at key themes, structures or techniques in languages. No
matter what the subject is you just have to start analysing and look for
what a typical exam involves. They are all really one and the same
thing. You are trying to identify fundamentally what they are testing
you on in any particular question.
The aim is to get to a point where you see a question and a keyword
or phrase immediately jumps into your head, which means we have to
study with key concepts and key words in mind…..
(more in the full e-‐‑book)
How to Answer Questions
I believe that a lot, if not most, mistakes are made before someone
even puts pen to paper. At school they tell you to “read the question
properly” or they say that “you haven’t answered the question”. This
is great advice, if only they told you how to do it! It’s not as simple as
it sounds.
Quite often people go off at tangents or even completely misread some
of the words. I sometimes ask students to read the question out loud
and it’s amazing how often they misread it. Misreading or not reading
closely enough are probably the biggest causes of the “silly mistake”.
Also, there are often big clues, if not answers, in the questions. You
will miss them if you are going at tornado speed.
Before you write anything
As was mentioned earlier, we need structure when answering
questions. The following section will give you this. It is crazy to start
writing any answer instantly, even if you think you know the answer.
The most important thing to realise is that slowing down will save
you marks, even if it is just for 10 seconds.
Slowing down at the right moments is one of the most important
things you can do in any exam.
Below are the steps I run through mentally before even attempting to
write an answer. You will need to practise these steps when studying,
so this is yet another use of past papers.
Don’t worry about time. The start and end of exams are likely to be
the times when you make most mistakes; the start due to nerves and
the end due to tiredness. If you are prepared then you will have
plenty of time so don’t feel the need to rush, it’s not a sprint and you
will become mentally tired quickly if you treat it as such. This
“rushing” at the start is down to exam mindset which we will discuss
later. You quite often see people holding on to the paper desperate to
turn it over in case they lose valuable seconds! Slowing down will
save you a lot of marks.
Note: you have to go slow when reading the question to eliminate
mistakes but you need to still have intensity in the exam. Once you
have the answer in your head, you can then go as fast as you like
when writing. I am not telling you to slow down and take a leisurely
stroll through the exam! It’s a cycle of slow…fast…slow…fast………..
(more in the full e-‐‑book)
Problem Solving
Problem solving skills are essential for exams. No matter what subject,
type of exam or question you are doing, you MUST be able to problem
solve.
In any exam, some questions you will answer immediately, others you
won’t, this is normal. A lot of people simply give up or panic and lose
far too many marks if they don’t instantly recognise the question or
know the answer. You need to be able to get some marks in these
questions.
Those who get the highest grades will be good at problem solving
and squeeze out extra marks that others will lose.
How to do it
Problem solving is just a thought process, it could be viewed as being
able to think logically and inquisitively or having the ability and skills
required to solve any “puzzle”, even if at first glance you don’t know
how to do it……..(more in the full e-‐‑book)
How to Revise
We have mentioned that you should use the same study methods etc.
as before when revising, but we need to look very closely at what you
should be doing and when. Once you know how to study, as we have
discussed in the previous sections, revision is simply a case of adding
a lot more structure to your study sessions and being aware of time
and how ready you are.
This means taking the planning one step further from the revision
timetable to ensure that you are peaking at the right time. It is very
easy to be ready too early or equally, never quite fully prepared.
The three phases
I would treat the revision period as three separate phases. The first
phase is a re-‐‑familiarisation exercise as you may not have looked at
certain topics for a while. I wouldn’t even attempt past paper
questions at this point. You must build up your subject knowledge
first. Once you feel like you have done a decent amount of revision
you will need to move on to some questions. If you remain in the
initial phase too long, you will simply plateau again. In the second
phase, the balance between study and questions should become more
50/50. You should find yourself going back and forth between
studying and questions. The final phase is about a week before the
exam. You are preparing for an exam, so you should be simulating the
conditions of an exam and almost exclusively doing past paper
questions.
How much time you spend in each phase is very individual and will
vary depending upon how soon you start to revise and how well you
have studied throughout the year. If you have 3 weeks to revise then
maybe a week per phase but be flexible and monitor your own
progress and where to direct your focus……..(more in the full e-‐‑
book)
Past Papers (again)
Past papers are going to be a big part of your revision but be careful
not to rely upon them. Some people do this as a substitute for
studying as it’s more interesting. You need to continually do both as
we will discuss in more detail below. Remember that the exam is
based upon what is in your notes and books so you cannot neglect
your subject knowledge……..(more in the full e-‐‑book)
The Exam – Mindset pt 2
In chapter 1 we discussed exam mindset and exam fears. We
mentioned that you have to be focused on what you are doing and not
thinking of the future, playing out negative scenarios in your head
where you fail. If you have worked through that chapter then
hopefully you will have made good progress with your thought
processes.
Taking this one step further as the exam approaches, you could begin
to imagine yourself getting good grades, experiencing good feelings,
the lovely feeling of being fully prepared, knowing that you are going
to do well and even enjoying the exam.
If you can go into the exam in a confident, determined frame of mind
without fear, then your performance will improve.
No Fear
You must give yourself the chance to do well. If you just give it your
best shot with a really determined attitude then your performance will
improve. It may sound crazy but you need to go in fired up feeling
that you have a point to prove. If that makes you feel slightly
aggressive then that’s fine. This mindset is the complete OPPOSITE of
what most people will be thinking and it makes a difference.
I eventually began to relish exams. My attitude was “let’s see what
they’ve got for me, I’m going to destroy their stupid exam.”
Seriously, believe that you are going to tear their exam apart. If you
have prepared well then you will. Also, tell yourself that it’s easy. It’s
not fake confidence as you’ve studied hard, you know the material
inside out, and there is nothing they can throw at you that you don’t
know or are not ready for. Is that the best they’ve got? Come on! I
want harder questions! At the same time expect the unexpected. While
you will be able to do the vast majority of the exam no problem, as
discussed earlier, there will always be a part of it that is going to be
really difficult, where you will have to think and use your problem
solving skills. Nothing should phase you……
(more in the full e-‐‑book)
In The Exam
Ok, so you’ve done the revision and you are mentally prepared. So, all
you have to do now is sit the dam thing. About 85% of the work is
done but you can’t ease off. This is the time you should be in the over
achieving mode trying to squeeze every last mark from the paper.
This section is the shortest as the preparation is the most important
part and by following all the methods etc. above you will have
practised everything you will face in the exam. There isn’t much more
that you need to know, you are almost there. The main thing is to
believe in what you are doing, believe that you are good enough due
to your preparation, to stay composed and to think clearly.
As was said at the beginning, the exam should almost be a formality
if you have prepared well.
Warm up
Not many people do this but it is very important. It’s just like
anything else, you do not want to go in cold as it could take you 15
minutes to get going and vital marks could already be lost.
• For a morning exam: try to read a bit, maybe just for twenty
minutes, skimming over as much as possible. You are not
trying to learn anything at this stage, but just to get the subject
and topics into your head again. This is where concise revision
notes are useful. If you feel that you can’t remember everything
or have forgotten a lot in the morning, don’t worry, this is just
nerves kicking in. You will be fine!
• For an afternoon exam: do nothing the night before, just relax.
In the morning, you have a few hours to read over your notes.
Do as much as you want but don’t tire yourself out.
Last minute nerves
Not quite in the exam yet. Everyone is nervous to varying degrees
before exams. This is normal, it shows that you care and that it is
important to you, so don’t worry if you are nervous; EVERYONE is.
Just accept the nerves and don’t fight them. They will vanish when
you start the exam. In fact, see the nerves as a good thing. As
mentioned above, this is the one time you will feel like this, and you
can use the nerves as “fuel”……..(more in the full e-‐‑book)
Appendix – summary sheets
Preparation is 85% of your exam result. The better you prepare, the
easier the exam; it won’t matter what they ask you. Everything in the
exam comes from your books and notes so you already know ALL the
answers.
Study Mindset
1. If you have recently got a grade you were disappointed with
then get angry with yourself or whoever else you want. You
need to have a little bit of aggression.
2. Start to tell yourself that you are going to destroy their stupid
exam. You’re not going to just do well or improve, but tear it to
pieces.
3. Believe that you can get any grade you want and start to tell
yourself this now. Keep telling yourself over and over.
4. Tell yourself it’s all easy. Every topic, every concept, there’s
nothing you can’t do, even if initially it seems difficult, you will
crack it in the end……(more in the full e-‐‑book)