The Art of Passing

 

BEFORE THE EXAM:
  • At least 8-12 weeks beforehand prepare a Revision Schedule identifying the time you can allocate for studies. Be realistic and take account of your work and family time constraints
  • Prioritise your Revision - focus on the core and key topics - speak to your Tutor.
  • Reduce what you read into key concepts/bullet points, flow charts, rich pictures and spider diagrams. These are easier to memorise than pages of text. Learn in terms of pictures and mnemonics.
  • Read the Tutor's Notes - the read your Class Notes - then the Text Book if need be.
  • Check to see if there are new developments in law, management practice and technology (visit the HSE web site for instance).
  • Repeat what you learn the next day and keep the information fresh in your memory.
  • Practice questions on past papers.


 

DURING THE EXAM:
  • Time Management - take a watch with you and work out how much time you should allocate per question e.g. 35 minutes per essay question. Stick to the time constraint
  • Key Verbs - make sure you define these e.g.
    • OUTLINE - 'sketch'
    • IDENTIFY - 'pin down, spot the key issues'
    • DESCRIBE - 'key features or characteristics'
    • EXPLAIN - what, why, when, how, who, where
    • REVIEW - 'think of what you would do if you were reviewing a book'
    • COMPARE & CONTRAST - key differences
  • Do a Plan before you start writing your Answer - spent between 3-5 minutes on this if need be
  • Structure - make sure your answer is well structured especially for the essay style questions. For these you may need to define any key terms, focus on the key verb(s), make sure your answer has a narrative and that you draw the key Conclusions.
  • Creative - make your answers specific, analytical, focusing especially on the HOW issues. An exam is a 'marketing exercise' - present your work professionally, succinctly and to a high standard.
  • Use Diagrams if required.
  • Write in black ink.
  • Avoid tipex.
  • If you miss anything out - use 'Footnotes' at the end of the question - don't squeeze into margins.
  • Have fun - don't go into the exam saying 'I will pass' but rather 'I shall set a very high standard and do my very best. If I don't pass, I shall keep trying'.


 

AFTER THE EXAM:

If you don't pass, it is not the end of the world. Rather than get depressed, blame others or give up, you need to learn the lessons as to why you may have failed and what you WILL do next time to pass.

 

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