How to prepare for exams

Dr Dushad Ram
 Academic is part of life and not the life.

Each students has weakness that need addressal and

strengthening of their abilities

There are multiple determinant of academic performance

Disclaimer other than academic activities such as environment, family,
friend, society, financial matters etc.
Teachers: You are the best person who faced many difficult
examination and discovered the technique and method
that works.
This presentation are an overview, may not be
generalizable, individualization needed,
 Overview of must study skill
Time management/procrastination

Concentration / Memory

Study aid/ note taking

Test strategies /test anxiety

Information processing

Motivation /attituded

Selecting main ideas/self testing /reading

Writing
Time management/procrastination
• Punctuality
• Devotes sufficient study time to courses.
• Makes a schedule that definite times and outlines specific goals for study time.
• Prepare a “to-do” list daily.
• Avoid activities which tend to interfere with my planned schedule.
• Use prime time (when most alert) for study.
• Begin major course assignments well in advance.
Concentration / Memory

• Have the “study-place habit” .

• Study in a place free from auditory and visual distractions.
• Able to give undivided attention to the task for at least 20 minutes at a stretch.
• Confident with the level of concentration maintained.
• Have an accurate understanding of the material that wished to remember.
• Learned with the intention of remembering.
• Practice the materials by reciting if needed.
• Recall readily those things which were studied.
Study aid/ note taking

1. While taking notes, thinks about how I will use them later.
2. Understand the lecture and classroom discussion while taking notes.
3. Organize notes in some meaningful manner (such as in outline format).
4. Review and edit note systematically.
5. Takes notes on supplementary reading materials.
6. Have a system for marking textbooks.
7. When reading, mark or underlines important parts.
8. Write notes in the book/ppt while reading.
Test strategies /test anxiety

1. Know what the exam will cover and how the exam is to be graded.
2. Confident about the preparation for the exam.
3. Imagine possible test questions during preparation for an exam.
4. Take time to understand the exam questions before starting to answer.
5. Follow directions carefully when taking exams.
6. Get a good night’s rest prior to a scheduled exam.
7. Calmly be able to recall what I know during an exam.
8. Understand the structure of different types of tests and be able to prepare for each
type.
Information processing

1. When reading, can distinguish readily between important and unimportant points.
2. Breaks assignments into manageable parts.
3. Maintains a critical attitude during my study—thinking before accepting or rejecting.
4. Relates material learned in one course to materials from other courses.
5. Try to organise facts systematically.
6. Use questions to better organise and understand the studying material.
7. Try to find the best method to do a given job.
8. Solve the problem by focusing on its main point.
Motivation /attituded

1. Sits near the front of the class if possible.

2. Remain alert in classes.
3. Ask the instructor questions when clarification is needed.
4. Volunteer answers to questions posed by instructors in the class.
5. Participate in meaningful class discussions.
6. Attend class regularly.
7. Take the initiative in group activities.
8. Use a study method which helps me develop an interest in the material to be studied.
Selecting main ideas/self testing /reading

1. Survey each chapter before I begin reading

2. Follow the writer’s organisation to increase meaning.
3. Review reading material several times during a course.
4. When learning a unit of material, summarise it in my own words.
5. Comfortable with reading rate.
6. Look up parts don’t understand.
7. Satisfied with my reading ability.
8. Focuses on the main point while reading.
Writing
1. Able to express thoughts well in writing.
2. Write rough drafts quickly and spontaneously from notes.
3. Review own writing for grammatical errors.
4. Have someone else to suggest for improved writing.
5. Comfortable using library resources.
6. Able to narrow a topic for long answers.
7. Allow sufficient time to collect information, organise material, and write the
assignment.
Studying: General tips
• 1. Study in Chunks: Break up your study time into chunks. Study one subject for 1-hour,
take a break, and then study a different subject for 1-hour.  Remember- taking breaks
between subjects is important.
• 2. Use Daylight Hours: We tend to be most alert during the day. Use the available time
wisely.
• 4. Active Learning: Active learning requires making decisions about the material.  E.g.
what the topic is about, is it factual or concept, what is expected to know etc.
• Find the Right Place to Study: Every student has different preferences for where they get
their best work done. Minimise the distraction.
• Plan Ahead and get Organized: Develop a timeline, organise studying activities
(Comparison charts, Mind mapping, Flow charts, Numbered lists, mnemonics etc) .
Studying tips : efficiently and effectively

• 1. Determine under what conditions you work best, and adapt accordingly: e.g. when to
study, study environment.
• 2. Distribute your work evenly: Study in short time blocks like 1-2 hours at a time (take
about a five minute break every half hour or ten minutes every hour)
• 3. Review and test yourself regularly: Practice test allows you to determine knowledge
gaps. Review notes from lectures and readings within 24 hours of learning the material,
and then weekly thereafter. Spend at least an hour per class per week just on reviewing.
• 4. Study actively: Understand rather than memorising, summarize the important points
and write them down in your own words.
Tips: how to take lectures + readings

• Recall: Make a list of what you recall as the key points from the material.
• Summarize: Capture the essence of the material covered by writing a short summary of
the points above.
• Reflect: List any questions that you might have about the material.
• Plan: Plan what you will do to obtain answers to the above questions.
• Connect: Write a brief explanation of any connections you notice between the material
covered today and other ideas in your course or “the real world.” Identify similarities and
differences between this material and other concepts you have studied, and think about
possible ways to apply the material you have learned.
• Anticipating: Think of the possible questions that you might be asked on the exam, write
them down, and, later, use them for the test.
Revision tips

• Make a realistic revision schedule: Aim to do a few hours of revision each day, and mix
up your subjects, so you do not get bored.
• Find a revision style that suits you: e.g. quiet room or with music etc.
• Customise your notes to make them more personal: e.g. colour coding, notes on
postcards, and diagrams.
• Make sure you understand everything: Just memorising is not enough, but to
understand.
• Look at past exam papers: familiarise yourself with the layout and type of questions,
 time limit etc.
• Take regular short breaks: A break every 45 to 60 minutes is about right.
• Do something physical: exercise.
If no revision, ready for this
Test-Taking Strategies

• Arrive on time
• Do a memory dump: if you fear you may forget it, write it down on the test as soon as the test is distributed.
• Read directions carefully
• Budget time wisely for each question.
• Feeling anxious? Practice relaxation: deep breathing
• Look for cues: find strategies to give you a hint at correct answers.
• Answer all of the questions: Some professors give partial credit, so it is important.
• Do not change answers: Go with your first instinct when choosing an answer to a question unless you are very
sure of the answer.
• Use all of the time available: Review your answers, any skipped question, careless mistakes etc.
• Once the exam is finished, forget about it: Just focus on the next exam instead.
Tips: Preparing for Tests

• About a week before a test, develop a test preparation plan

• Take good notes
• Review notes after each class, a week before tests
• Use SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
• Get control of your time
• Concentrate on the main ideas using learning objectives, study questions, and other
chapter study aids to help.
• Self Testing: Take practice tests; Use chapter headings, other chapter aids, your textbook,
and class notes to develop your own test; Create test-like conditions
Time issue? Where does time goes? Just answer
these question
• On average, how many hours do you sleep in each 24-hour period (including those
afternoon naps)?
• On average, how many hours a day do you engage in grooming activities?
• On average, how many hours a day do you spend on meals –  preparation, eating, and
clean-up?
• How much time do you spend commuting to and from campus? Include the amount of
time it takes to park and walk from your car or the bus stop to class. Adjust "days per
week" according to your schedule.
• On average, how many hours a day do you spend doing errands?
Time issue? Where does time goes? Just answer
these question
• On average, how many hours do you spend each week doing co-curricular activities
(student organisations, working out, prayers etc.)?
• On average, how many hours a week do you spend in class?
• On average, how many hours a week do you spend with friends, going out, watching TV,
going to parties, etc.?
• This is the number of hours you are spending each week engaged in daily living activities
and college activities.
• There are 168 hours in a week. This is the number of hours that remain for studying.
Most universities say that students should spend two hours studying for every hour
spent in class. If the number of hours you have left in your week is not twice the
number of hours that you are in class, you may need to adjust your time spent doing
other activities.
Thank you