In this article, we’re going to talk about exam writing. On the other hand, how to master your exam writing skills. It is a fact that, no matter how hard you study for the exam, if you don’t know the right technique of exam writing, you won’t get higher grades.
So, don’t worry! Because, today we’re going to learn how to answer and write for exam questions.
As I’ve mentioned above, it is very important to know the right technique of exam writing. If you know the exact technique, you don’t have to study the whole syllabus just to get higher grades.
So, focus your concentration on next few paragraphs in this article.
I promise you that, you won’t regret about reading this article.
Okay, let’s talk business and stop wasting time.
Also, fasten your seat belts to get higher grades with less efforts to study.
In one of our previous articles, I wrote about exam preparation tips. Don’t forget to read that article also.
Tip #1: Don’t be late to the exam hall. Also, don’t go too early.
The first thing you have to do is, just get there at right time. So make sure that you set your alarm and wake-up early in the morning. But, make sure that, you don’t go to the examination hall too early. Because, it may give you enough time to discuss with other applicants. Sometimes, it’ll make you afraid of the exam because of unwanted exam discussions. So, be there at right time. It is enough to be there 30 minutes early. But not more that that.
Tip #2: Calm your mind and don’t try to memorize all the theory that you have studied in the last minute.
It is obvious that, every one of us get stressed-out when the invigilator comes in. In that moment, if we try to memorize the study materials that we studied, it may short circuit our brain. So, calm your mind and have confident about yourself. Also, don’t get worried. You’ll remember all the theory that you have studied when your writing the exam. But it is important to calm your mind.
Tip #3: Schedule your time allocation for the paper.
It is very important to allocate your time intelligently. Otherwise, you may lack some time to answer all the questions in the paper.
For an example; let’s say that the 1st question is very easy and you know very much about it. So you start writing to that answer and you will try to write every single point that you have in your mind since you know that question well. But the result will be a negative one. Because, if you waste too much time for one question, you may have lack of time for other questions. Even you write excellently for one question, it doesn’t mean that you’ll get higher grades. You should write equally for all the required questions. So right time allocation is very important.
Let’s assume that the exam paper is for 100 marks, and the given time is 3 hours. So you have 180 minutes to answer all the required questions in your exam paper. Let’s do simple math to find the allocated time for 1 mark. 180 minutes divided by 100 marks is 1.8. So it basically means that you have 1.8 minutes for 1 mark. This option is the simplest way to allocate your time in exam writing.
Conclusion: Allocate 1.8 minutes for 1 mark. For a 20 marks question, you should allocate only 30 minutes.
Tip #4: Read the exam paper instructions carefully.
Don’t be stupid enough to not to read the exam paper instructions. Firstly, you should read the instructions carefully. Otherwise you may miss some important instructions. Because, this is where you will get to know about compulsory questions and question selections from part A, B, etc. So read the instructions carefully in exam writing.
Tip #5: Select questions wisely.
In most exam paper, you may get to choose questions.
For example; “Select 2 questions out of 3 in the Part A, and select 1 question out of 2 in the Part B.”
So in these kind of situations, you can select questions which you know the most. But, make sure that you select questions wisely in exam writing. Let’s assume that you know answers for the every question in the exam paper. In a situation like that, focus on the marking allocation and select the questions that you can score the most.
Let’s assume that in the question number 2), you know the answer but you cannot elaborate excellently in a specific part. On the other hand, in question 3), you know the answer well and you can elaborate each part excellently. In these kind of situations, you should select the question number 3).
Tip #6: Structure your answer before start writing.
In exam writing, if there are MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions), you don’t have to worry regarding structuring you answer.
But, if there are essay questions, you should probably structure your answer before start writing. When writing and essay question, there should be 3 parts. They are;
- Introduction
- Body part
- Conclusion
In the introduction part, you should provide a brief introduction to the question. Let’s assume that you’re writing a question about the challenges of population growth. So, you can provide an introduction about population growth before you start writing about challenges directly.
In the body part of the answer, you should discuss about the main answer of the question. If we take the exact same above example, in the body, you should discuss about the challenges of population growth.
In the final step, you should provide a conclusion for your whole answer. Most of the people don’t know the exact meaning of conclusion. So some people tend to write a summary in the conclusion. Conclusion is not a summary of something. It is about what you’re agreeing and what the findings of the answer are. So, you should write whether the population growth is good or bad. And, what are the possible outcomes of the challenges.
By structuring your answer, it’ll be easy to manage the time also. So, make sure to structure your answer before start writing.
Tip #7: Check your answers thoroughly.
After finish writing, don’t try to give the paper to invigilator and run out. Just check your answers again. Check if there are any parts that you have missed. But, if you don’t have time to check your answers again, don’t worry, have faith in you. But, if you have enough time to check, don’t forget to check your answers thoroughly before leaving the examination hall.
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Don’t forget to share your ideas about note taking methods in the below comment section.
Such a great article. Usually, I always have problems with allocating time. What you have explained in the article is quite useful. Also, I like the part structure your answer before start writing. Keep up the good work.
Dear Maheshika, Thank you for your kind feedback!