What do examinations test?

How much you can remember

• To a limited extent, examinations are indeed a test of what you can

remember. As you can only make links between the question and
what you know, your knowledge base is an important aspect of your
examination performance.
However, you are awarded marks if you use the remembered
information properly and apply it to the question asked. The
knowledge that you must have is stated in the syllabus, explained in
the subject guide and developed further in the essential reading.
You will be rewarded for using other information from further
reading and research as long as it is relevant.

How much you understand

• It is no good knowing everything – for example, knowing lists and

tables – without knowing what it means. You must demonstrate
that you understand the question by answering it directly and
applying relevant data.

The quality of your reasoning powers

• Examiners are extremely interested in the way in which you think.

They want to see you demonstrate how well you can apply your
knowledge and construct arguments. They also want you to
demonstrate that you can choose appropriate theories, examples,
rules and texts from your store of knowledge and use them to
support your argument.

Your familiarity with the techniques of answering examination

questions

• Examiners want to be assured that you know how to identify key

issues, that you can think, write and construct appropriate
arguments in the time limits set by the examination, and follow the
rubric. If you can, this demonstrates that you have competently
used relevant techniques for examination preparation, including
answering past examination questions.

How well you can take apart an examination question

• This is an essential skill to demonstrate – without it you will be

unable to answer an examination question properly. You will miss
 issues, discuss irrelevancies or write out all memorised learning
without customising it to suit the question asked. Examiners dislike
this intensely.

How quickly you can write in the time allowed

• This can be a real issue. Part of mastering examination technique is

being able to answer the question in the time allowed. You need to
approach the examination knowing how quickly you write so that
you know the number of pages you can write for a question. There
is no point planning eight pages in your head if you know you can
only write four pages under examination conditions. Nor is there
any point being able to type eight pages in an hour if you can only
write three in the examination. Many people type much more than
they write now and have become ‘out of practice’ at writing quickly
and neatly by hand. No matter how much you write in the time
allowed, it is useless if it cannot be read by the Examiner. So
practise writing quickly and legibly in set times, be aware of how
much is a realistic amount for you so that you can plan your essays
accordingly, and remember quantity does not necessarily
mean quality.

How many articles/references/names you have memorised

• It isn’t that sort of memory test. Examiners naturally want you to

support your arguments with reference to wider reading. Quality
rather than quantity is the determining feature here. A list of
everything that you know, which is not relevant to the question,
demonstrates a lack of understanding and knowledge. Using a few
examples, appropriately applied, argued and discussed,
demonstrates confident understanding and application of
knowledge to the problem in hand. If you get names amnesia, don’t
worry; put a bracket and leave space in case the name comes back
to you.

How well you are able to manage your time in the examination

• This is an important aspect of examination performance. Students

who possess both knowledge and understanding as well as the
ability to apply it can still fail an examination because they run out
of time. Practise writing timed essay and problem questions, just as
you would practise for singing, dancing or sport. It will increase
your stamina, and increase your speed of thought and speed of
recall.

How clever you are

 • It would be better to say that examinations test intelligence.
However, they do much more than just measure intelligence: they
measure a range of skills in all the ways listed here.

How well you can argue

• This is definitely part of the test. Examiners are looking for the
competency of your argument in relation to the question asked,
measured together with the breadth of the materials you have read
and clarity of expression.

How well you have chosen the most relevant material and
argument

• Many students write too much. Examiners require answers that

demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application. You
cannot hope to write answers containing all the knowledge you
have. You need to select the most relevant material.