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Exam Essentials Week 3- Thriving in the Exam Environment

In Week 3 of Exam Essentials, we’re focusing on Thriving in the Exam Environment.

We’ve already explored how to plan your revision and choose the most effective techniques, but what happens when you actually get to the exam? When the day itself comes, how do you stay healthy, keep alert, and perform your best under exam conditions?

In this week’s workshops we’ll explore these techniques in two settings, first in the online environment, then in on-campus invigilated exams. While there are some differences between these settings, the majority of the tips are the same.

Here are our top three suggestions to get started:

  • Stay Healthy – Make sure you’re eating, sleeping, and getting plenty of exercise throughout the exam period, and possibly even during the exam itself (if you’re writing a 23hr exam, for example). If you’re writing the exam in-person, make sure to have a good meal beforehand and bring a bottle of water. If you’re writing the exam at home, get yourself a selection of healthy snacks, like fruit and vegetables, to keep you going.
  • Know the Format – Make sure you know what the exam is going to look like. How long is it? How many questions? Do you get to choose, or are they all mandatory? Then, once you get to the exam, look over the full paper first and read every question carefully. It’s easy to make mistakes by jumping in too quickly, but it’s important to understand every question before you begin answering.
  • Test your Tech – If you’re writing your exam online, make sure to test the technology beforehand. Locate your exam module, and read any key guides available online. If you have issues in the exam itself, know how you can troubleshoot them, perhaps by using a different browser, clearing your cache/cookies, or emailing Help4U@dundee.ac.uk for support.

Be sure to check back here for Wednesday’s post, where we’ll share the recording of the online workshop as well as highlighting some useful resources about revision techniques, and again on Friday when we’ll pick up on some of the key themes from the week.