Exam techniques to teach your students

Doing well on an exam is not just about knowing the subject well or memorising facts. As most teachers and high performing students know, exam strategy is also paramount.

Simply knowing an answer is not enough – students must quickly recall and write down the information in a way that can be scored against set criteria. Students need to manage their time adequately to ensure that every question is answered, or at least attempted.  

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Even with a high level of knowledge, a students’ actual exam performance may not be reflective of their true abilities due to the nature of a high pressure, time-limited, one-time test. But the more students can rehearse sitting in such an environment via practice exams, and the better their exam strategy, the higher their chances are of being able to demonstrate their true knowledge. 

Of course, students will still need to study and learn the material, and there are many proven study methods they can use to help them. But given a student is confident with their material, how can they build confidence retrieving and writing down that material in an exam context?  

1. Practice exams

Before the big day, taking exams under the same conditions as the exam itself ensures students are familiar with the format and the feeling of exams.  

This means printing out papers if the test is written, or practising online if the test is held digitally.  

Practising as often as possible automatises certain parts of the exam and frees up cognitive space for students to retrieve the required knowledge. For instance, parts of the test such as writing their name in the correct fields, inputting their student ID, or accessing the correct webpage will be almost automatic. 

Get students to mark their own, or a friends’ practice answers if possible using a marking grid – this will help improve their own answers later on.  

2. Pre-exam prep.

Similarly to the first tip, students should have a good pre-exam preparation plan like being familiar with the exam room, having a bag with the right materials and a drink bottle, and allowing extra time before the exam starts. This ensures they won’t be under unnecessary pressure such as rushing to get to the exam or finding the right room, or even gathering materials.  

It’s also important that the student has enough sleep and a little to eat beforehand.  

Inside the exam room, before the exam begins, the student should practice relaxing and breathing deeply. Being calm will maximise their chances of doing well.  

3. During the exam

These tips should be utilised during practice exams as part of the students’ exam prep.  

Students should time questions to make sure they can answer everything. If a question is taking too long, move on as it’s better to answer every question then just one question very well.  

Students should read questions carefully and pay attention to key words. 

If a question is too difficult, move on and come back.  

Read through multichoice questions and eliminate wrong answers before selecting one. 

Short answer questions should be kept to short answers – two or three sentences is enough. Concisely state the main points and keep in mind key words markers will be looking for. Students should make sure to leave space to add on answers at the end if needed.  

Long answer questions need to be carefully time managed. Reading and prep time are crucial at the beginning. Pick which question to answer and make notes, pay attention to the content and instruction words.  

Students should leave have enough time to answer the questions and make sure they are strict with the time allocation. If students reach the end of the time allocation before finishing, they should jot down the rest in note form.  

For problem solving questions, students must write down all the relevant formulae, equations and rules, including units of measurement. Make sure to show working, and write notes to explain if needed.  

With all exams make sure easier answers are done first, returning to hard ones later.  

By practising good exam strategy as part of their study time, students can improve their scores and make sure they do the best they can for every exam. 

The Term 4 edition of School News is out now. Read it HERE.