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
Revision Strategy

• 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
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
Example of Revision Checklist
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

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1. Schedule Everything
2. Be Realistic
3. Mix things up
4. Make it visible
5. Include Exam Qs
6. Include Reviews
Revision timetable – week commencing: _____________________________

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
Recall

Exam Memory
Revision Strategies

Use Active Deep Processing Strategies

Discussion
Make it meaningful
Visualisation
Teaching someone/thing else
Asking Questions
Making associations
Organisational aids & Chunking
 Table

Soil Types: Properties Climate Vegetation

Pedalfer Sandy, light-colour top Temp humid Forest

Iron oxide, alum-rich
clay
Pedocal

Laterite
Diagram or Outline
I. Primary Care
Teams

Purpose

History
Development

Reasons to 1. xxx Bale 2009

change 2.
3

Structure

xxxxxxx
Education
II. Role of Nurse

Assessment xxx
Cummins 2009
Concept Maps

Disease

Clinical
Manifestations
Etiology
Nursing
Interventions Signs/ Diagnostic
Symptoms tests

Physio Psych
Nursing Meds Diet
actions
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 Maximum gain

the early stages of your answer
120

100
Plan your time in advance

% personal best
80

60
Rehearse producing quality
40
work in time available
20

0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Equal Time for Equal Marks Time in minutes
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