Examination Preparation

The purpose of this guide is to help Trainee Electrical Workers pass the EWRB examinations. It offers tips to help you learn and how to perform your best in the examinations. It will not help you if you do not put in the necessary effort. As an Electrical Trainee you will be learning practical skills, generally on the job but also at Training Centres. You will also be learning Electrical Theory at Training Centres (or through distance learning) and be given a sound knowledge of New Zealands Electricity (Safety) Regulations and the Electrical Standards by which you should work. HOW YOU LEARN There are three main types of learners - Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. Visual People who remember what they see learn better using diagrams, pictures and copying what they see. Mind maps are useful when studying. Draw diagrams that link facts or a sequence of actions, ie testing. Use colour or different shapes to emphasise key points. WARNING: Visual learners have an advantage over other learners when learning Electrical Theory but can make errors when interpreting questions and may use the wrong equation. Because they recall pictures, diagrams and written phrases easily they can be careless about just what the question is asking. Auditory People who remember what they hear, learn better using recording devices. They can then listen repeatedly to information to help remember important facts. When studying, repeat instructions out aloud as this reinforces the auditory input. WARNING: Auditory learners may struggle with drawing electrical diagrams (remembering what goes where) so dont neglect practising these. Talk your way through the drawing if need be but dont talk aloud during the exam! Kinaesthetic People who learn while doing learn best by copying everything even when given adequate notes. Kinaesthetic learners are usually very efficient learners of practical skills but can be the least successful at written exams; so they need to put the most effort into studying in order to overcome this disadvantage. Make notes for revision that you can look at during breaks at work. Mentally connect your activity on the job with the theoretical knowledge that you are studying. WARNING: Kinaesthetic learners are often reluctant to write and may write as little in an exam as they can. This is often to their disadvantage as markers can not read minds! Make sure you answer fully, even if you think you are stating the obvious. What type of learner are you? Consider your school history and the subjects you did best in. You may be a mixture, able to use more than one type, but are likely to be stronger in one area over another. Play to your strengths but dont neglect the use of other techniques if they can be used.

STUDYING TIPS Plan your studying: Create a timetable and stick to it Allot yourself reasonable study time with breaks Give yourself a reward at the end of a week where you have kept to your timetable Draw up a study plan that weighs up the subjects you need to study by the level of expected knowledge stated in the EWRB Teaching Guidelines ie A, B, C or D. (Teaching Guidelines are available on www.ewrb.govt.nz/Publications) o A Thorough knowledge 40% o B Good working knowledge 30% o C General knowledge 20% o D Basic understanding 10% Determine what your strengths and weaknesses are both in learning styles and knowledge: Use your strengths to increase your knowledge Use past exam papers to determine your weak areas DO NOT use them as a learning tool. Questions are rarely asked in the same way twice. You may think I know that answer as this question has been asked before. A similar question may have been asked BUT the answer required may be quite different When you discover a shortfall in your knowledge seek more information - especially if this area is considered an A or B subject in the Teaching Guidelines Share your knowledge with others, often by explaining an answer your understanding of a subject will be stronger and more secure in your memory Involve others in your studying: Let your employer know when you have an exam coming up and ask for help with study guides/time/mentor Discuss regulations/standards with your workmates Get together with other trainees for study groups Ask your family to keep a track of your studying time Use the tools that suit your type of learning: Visual Pictures, diagrams and notes Auditory Recordings and notes Kinaesthetic Make abbreviated notes from your studying When you are studying: Write down everything you know about a subject. Write it as a list or a brainstorming/mind map Ask yourself questions about what more you need to know about the subject Seek that information, reading textbooks or reference materials, asking your tutor to clarify uncertainties Make notes, highlight keywords Add new information to your original list or mind map Reduce your notes to keywords for revision in lunch breaks During your work day, in your mind relate this new information to the work you are doing If you are an auditory learner chant the keywords to yourself or talk to your workmates REFERENCE MATERIALS The latest Standards The latest Electricity Act The latest Electricity Regulations Electrical Codes of Practice

Electrical Theory Textbooks: Electrical Principles for the Electrical Trade, 5th edition. Jim Jenneson, Published by McGraw-Hill ISBN 074711563 Electrical Wiring Practice, Volumes 1 and 2, 6th edition. Keith Pethebridge and Ian Neeson. Published by McGraw-Hill, 2004 Electrical Trade Principles, Jeffery Hampson and Steven Hansson. Published by Pearson Education Australia, 2008. ISBN-10 073399394x or ISBN-13 9780739993947. If you can find this in a library or through Open Polytechnic (it is no longer in print) it is an excellent text: Electrotechnology Principles and Practice the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand 2nd edition 2004

BEFORE YOU SIT THE EXAM MAKE SURE YOU HAVE: The necessary drawing instruments ruler, protractor, compass A blue or black pen A pencil (for drawings only) An eraser A calculator (a programmable one is fine as long as you can erase the memory) The allowed reference materials Your candidate code letter from your exam centre with where and when the exam is being held Photo ID

SITTING THE EXAM You will be given 10 minutes at the start of the exam to read the paper. Use this time thoughtfully: Decide which questions, or parts of questions, are your strong points you should tackle these first highlight the questions in groups: o 1) I know these questions o 2) I think I know these questions and o 3) Im going to have difficulty with these. AND DO THEM IN THAT ORDER. Highlight keywords such as minimum and maximum Check out the marks earned by each part of a question. If the question is worth 2 marks then it is usual for there to be 2 parts to the required answer Allot your time wisely - in a 3 hour exam you should be spending about 8 minutes on a 5 mark question (this gives time at the end for checking). If there are multi-choice questions make sure that you answer these by placing the letter of the chosen answer in the adjacent box. Read all the available answers to make sure you pick the right one they are worth 2 marks each! Dont panic if you find questions you dont know. Mental blanks happen to us all under stress. Tackle the easy questions first; often the blanks will disappear once you start feeling more confident. ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS. If you have finished all the questions that you think you know, make an attempt at those you arent so confident with. An extra mark or two may be just what you need to pass. Markers cant give marks for thoughts that stay in your head. Read the questions carefully, look out for words such as why and how and what to determine the type of answer required. When the following words are in questions they convey specific instructions:

Describe specify the features or characteristic of an object or process (eg. describe the process of testing a single-phase appliance) Explain state what happens with how or why; involves more than describe (eg. explain how an RCD works) Give provide; the specific interpretation will depend on what follows, and could range from giving facts to giving detailed analyses. Give examples of provide specific cases List - provide required items with names only Name give actual name(s) but no other details (eg. name the legislation containing particular requirements) Outline - give general ideas only without detail State cite without detail, and normally used in association with clearly identified facts (eg. state three requirements that must be met when installing a particular system) Suggest propose; provide possibilities not necessarily based on known facts or events (eg. suggest reasons for the failure of a device) Try to write as neatly as you can without losing unnecessary time. If the marker cant read your handwriting you will lose marks. (HINT capital letters while more legible take longer to write consider the use of lower-case instead) If you need to rewrite an answer use spare paper provided by your supervisor, and clearly indicate on your exam script that there is an extra page. Make drawings as large and simple as you can. Label them clearly. Drawing in pencil first means that you can erase any mistakes. Use a ruler to draw straight lines. CALCULATIONS When calculating show all steps, as you will gain marks for correct use of an equation even if your final answer is incorrect. Do the calculations twice to make sure you entered numbers correctly the first time. Have you put the decimal point in the right place? By having an estimated answer in mind you can tell if the decimal point is in the right or wrong place. Give the answer to the correct decimal place (usually 2). Showing each step will show the marker if/where you have rounded. AFTER FINISHING THE PAPER, IF THERE IS TIME: Dont leave the exam room early. Use all the time given to reread questions and your answers. Check that you are using the correct equation. Check that the Regulation or Standard that you have chosen actually answers that question. Correct spelling and grammar is not essential but it does help the marker if your writing is understandable. Silly errors caused by carelessness may be the difference between a pass and a fail result.

IF YOU THINK A QUESTION IS TOO EASY THEN IT IS PROBABLY JUST AN EASY QUESTION.