03-11-2005, 04:47 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial" id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ishaikh</i>
<br />Desert Sleet thanks alot for your info..makes me more confident..but i'm thinking of giving acca part 1(1.1,1.2,1.3) in one go, which will be in dec and for that i will have a 5 month studying time..do u think i'm not rushing it or anything...or i should take it easy n give 1.1 and 1.2?.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Judging primarily by your Previous Acedamic record i will suggest you to attempt 3 papers in Dec sitting(assuming you have sufficient time to study and no other commitments). Passing exams can make or break a studentâs academic career. For this reason, many students find studying for, and taking, exams to be an extremely stressful experience. So be careful, dont think my statement as a final verdict , take your own decision as you know yourself better than anyonelse. So dont take my word for it research it.
<b>General strategies for exam</b>
The following six strategies are basic ground-rules for any exam that you may be faced with. Donât leave home without them!
1. Preparation in brief
⢠Practice for the exam. Make up exam questions and answer them. Share questions and answers with your friends.
⢠Find out as much as you can about the exam the type of questions (eg. multiple choice, essay, short answer, open book); the length (eg. one hour plus fifteen minutes perusal); the distribution of marks (eg. 10 marks per essay and one mark per multiple choice question); the time you are due to arrive at the exam (always arrive about 20 minutes early); and the exact location of the exam (visit the room before the exam).
⢠Discuss the exam (format and subject matter) with classmates.
⢠Make sure you sleep well the night before the exam.
⢠Eat well before the exam.
⢠Choose layers of clothing which allow you to feel comfortable with the room temperature.
⢠Take supplies of tissues, cough drops, pens, pencils, erasers, liquid paper, calculator, pet lizard, etc., as required.
⢠Paste your ID card to your forehead!
⢠In the 20 minutes before the exam, relax. Sit quietly, tense and relax each of your body muscles, take a few deep breaths, and donât rehearse your material. If you are tempted to have a look inside your memory banks, you are quite likely to find them âNot open for inspectionâ. Donât worry, the gates are unlocked with the wallop of adrenalin after reading the exam paper.
⢠Exam fatigue is when you cannot stand the thought of sitting another exam. Donât attempt to study immediately after an exam. Give your batteries a chance to recharge.
2. Seating
⢠If you are allowed to choose a seat, consider ...
... the angle of the sun on your desk.
... whether you prefer the front, the back or the aisle seats.
3. Perusal
⢠This is a crucial time for planning.
⢠Read all the instructions thoroughly. It is quite common for students to do two out of three essays when only one was requested. No extra marks are obtained.
⢠Plan the amount of time you should spend on each question. This will depend on the number of questions, the mark value of each question and the total amount of time available. 1.8min/question should be allocated to each mark.
⢠Read the entire paper, re-read it (this is not a waste of time!), and, if necessary, decide on the order in which you will answer the questions. Do the easier questions first to boost your confidence, and the more difficult ones last when you are warmed up. Be prepared for strong fear, if not sheer terror, to whip through your veins when you first read the questions. Itâs called adrenalin. The questions often look totally unfamiliar. Just hang in there! Start on something easy and you will soon oil up.
⢠Donât be afraid to ask questions during the period when questions are allowed.
4. Time Management
⢠Time is of the essence!
⢠It is crucial that, during perusal, you write the time allowed for each question on the exam paper next to the question. For essays, note down the exact time at which the essay must be started.
⢠It is wise to stick rigidly to your times.
⢠Round off the question as the time runs out, not after.
⢠<b>You are likely to score higher marks if you write something for each question rather than if you answer only half the paper and run out of time. Always attempt every question!!!</b>
5. Check Answers
⢠Avoid spelling errors.
⢠IF you have time at the end of an exam, check your answers for spelling errors, omissions, ambiguity, and accuracy. In multiple choice exams, make sure that your final choice is easily identified.
6. Handwriting
⢠Practice the balance between fast and legible writing.
⢠Always write in pen.
⢠Marks are hard to obtain for unreadable material. Remember staff members have many papers to mark and may be marking papers late at night. Donât irritate your marker.
Specific strategies for specific exams
âYou as an examination candidate, are faced with the daunting task of confronting a variety of different examination formats. You might have to demonstrate your logical reasoning and creative abilities in one or more essay questions; or show how well you can condense a series of logical thoughts into one concise paragraph in a short answer section; or cope with multiple choice questions.â
(Orr, 1984 105)
1. Essays
⢠Re-read the question as you start it and underline the key words and phrases.
⢠Marks are only given when your answer matches the question. Many students write an answer with correct information but do not answer the question.
⢠Words like âdiscussâ, âillustrateâ, âcompareâ, and âcontrastâ require different answers.
⢠Do a brief outline of the major points and order the points before you start. This should take 5 minutes out of 30 minutes. Check again that your outline answers the question. It will also help you to write the Introduction and Conclusion.
⢠You should have a clear argument which you develop and support with facts.
⢠Donât waffle. Be concise. Padding a few facts into a three page essay will annoy the examiner.
⢠On the other hand, always write something down. A blank page will definitely get 0%.
⢠If you run out of time, jot down the essential points.
⢠Start each answer on a new page.
⢠Clearly number or label the answers.
2. Multiple choice
⢠Make sure your name is on the answer sheet.
⢠If you donât immediately know the answer, move on and return to a difficult question after you have answered the ones you do know.
⢠If the best answer is not immediately obvious, eliminate the incorrect options and choose between the remainders.
⢠Sometimes there will be more than one correct answer. You must choose the best answer.
⢠Change your answer only if you have a very strong feeling that your first response was wrong.
⢠Take care to record every answer in the correct space.
⢠Donât forget to go back to the questions you havenât answered.
⢠If you donât know the answer and there are no penalties for wrong answers ... GUESS!
3. Short answer
⢠Short answer exams are a test of your concise and logical thinking.
⢠Use the same strategies as for essays.
⢠If you donât immediately know the answer, move on and return to the question later. Donât waste time wondering what to write.
4. Open book
⢠In these types of exams you are allowed to bring in specified materials. This does not mean they are easier. They often require much better understanding of the subject matter. Marking is more stringent.
⢠Avoid lengthy quotes.
⢠Use quality information (not quantity).
⢠Be super-organised in your answer (do a very good outline).
⢠Use information accurately and purposefully.
⢠Your preparation should ensure that you have marked the important areas in your text so that you can find them quickly.
---------------------------------------------
When The Going Gets Tough ... The Tough Gets Going ...
<br />Desert Sleet thanks alot for your info..makes me more confident..but i'm thinking of giving acca part 1(1.1,1.2,1.3) in one go, which will be in dec and for that i will have a 5 month studying time..do u think i'm not rushing it or anything...or i should take it easy n give 1.1 and 1.2?.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Judging primarily by your Previous Acedamic record i will suggest you to attempt 3 papers in Dec sitting(assuming you have sufficient time to study and no other commitments). Passing exams can make or break a studentâs academic career. For this reason, many students find studying for, and taking, exams to be an extremely stressful experience. So be careful, dont think my statement as a final verdict , take your own decision as you know yourself better than anyonelse. So dont take my word for it research it.
<b>General strategies for exam</b>
The following six strategies are basic ground-rules for any exam that you may be faced with. Donât leave home without them!
1. Preparation in brief
⢠Practice for the exam. Make up exam questions and answer them. Share questions and answers with your friends.
⢠Find out as much as you can about the exam the type of questions (eg. multiple choice, essay, short answer, open book); the length (eg. one hour plus fifteen minutes perusal); the distribution of marks (eg. 10 marks per essay and one mark per multiple choice question); the time you are due to arrive at the exam (always arrive about 20 minutes early); and the exact location of the exam (visit the room before the exam).
⢠Discuss the exam (format and subject matter) with classmates.
⢠Make sure you sleep well the night before the exam.
⢠Eat well before the exam.
⢠Choose layers of clothing which allow you to feel comfortable with the room temperature.
⢠Take supplies of tissues, cough drops, pens, pencils, erasers, liquid paper, calculator, pet lizard, etc., as required.
⢠Paste your ID card to your forehead!
⢠In the 20 minutes before the exam, relax. Sit quietly, tense and relax each of your body muscles, take a few deep breaths, and donât rehearse your material. If you are tempted to have a look inside your memory banks, you are quite likely to find them âNot open for inspectionâ. Donât worry, the gates are unlocked with the wallop of adrenalin after reading the exam paper.
⢠Exam fatigue is when you cannot stand the thought of sitting another exam. Donât attempt to study immediately after an exam. Give your batteries a chance to recharge.
2. Seating
⢠If you are allowed to choose a seat, consider ...
... the angle of the sun on your desk.
... whether you prefer the front, the back or the aisle seats.
3. Perusal
⢠This is a crucial time for planning.
⢠Read all the instructions thoroughly. It is quite common for students to do two out of three essays when only one was requested. No extra marks are obtained.
⢠Plan the amount of time you should spend on each question. This will depend on the number of questions, the mark value of each question and the total amount of time available. 1.8min/question should be allocated to each mark.
⢠Read the entire paper, re-read it (this is not a waste of time!), and, if necessary, decide on the order in which you will answer the questions. Do the easier questions first to boost your confidence, and the more difficult ones last when you are warmed up. Be prepared for strong fear, if not sheer terror, to whip through your veins when you first read the questions. Itâs called adrenalin. The questions often look totally unfamiliar. Just hang in there! Start on something easy and you will soon oil up.
⢠Donât be afraid to ask questions during the period when questions are allowed.
4. Time Management
⢠Time is of the essence!
⢠It is crucial that, during perusal, you write the time allowed for each question on the exam paper next to the question. For essays, note down the exact time at which the essay must be started.
⢠It is wise to stick rigidly to your times.
⢠Round off the question as the time runs out, not after.
⢠<b>You are likely to score higher marks if you write something for each question rather than if you answer only half the paper and run out of time. Always attempt every question!!!</b>
5. Check Answers
⢠Avoid spelling errors.
⢠IF you have time at the end of an exam, check your answers for spelling errors, omissions, ambiguity, and accuracy. In multiple choice exams, make sure that your final choice is easily identified.
6. Handwriting
⢠Practice the balance between fast and legible writing.
⢠Always write in pen.
⢠Marks are hard to obtain for unreadable material. Remember staff members have many papers to mark and may be marking papers late at night. Donât irritate your marker.
Specific strategies for specific exams
âYou as an examination candidate, are faced with the daunting task of confronting a variety of different examination formats. You might have to demonstrate your logical reasoning and creative abilities in one or more essay questions; or show how well you can condense a series of logical thoughts into one concise paragraph in a short answer section; or cope with multiple choice questions.â
(Orr, 1984 105)
1. Essays
⢠Re-read the question as you start it and underline the key words and phrases.
⢠Marks are only given when your answer matches the question. Many students write an answer with correct information but do not answer the question.
⢠Words like âdiscussâ, âillustrateâ, âcompareâ, and âcontrastâ require different answers.
⢠Do a brief outline of the major points and order the points before you start. This should take 5 minutes out of 30 minutes. Check again that your outline answers the question. It will also help you to write the Introduction and Conclusion.
⢠You should have a clear argument which you develop and support with facts.
⢠Donât waffle. Be concise. Padding a few facts into a three page essay will annoy the examiner.
⢠On the other hand, always write something down. A blank page will definitely get 0%.
⢠If you run out of time, jot down the essential points.
⢠Start each answer on a new page.
⢠Clearly number or label the answers.
2. Multiple choice
⢠Make sure your name is on the answer sheet.
⢠If you donât immediately know the answer, move on and return to a difficult question after you have answered the ones you do know.
⢠If the best answer is not immediately obvious, eliminate the incorrect options and choose between the remainders.
⢠Sometimes there will be more than one correct answer. You must choose the best answer.
⢠Change your answer only if you have a very strong feeling that your first response was wrong.
⢠Take care to record every answer in the correct space.
⢠Donât forget to go back to the questions you havenât answered.
⢠If you donât know the answer and there are no penalties for wrong answers ... GUESS!
3. Short answer
⢠Short answer exams are a test of your concise and logical thinking.
⢠Use the same strategies as for essays.
⢠If you donât immediately know the answer, move on and return to the question later. Donât waste time wondering what to write.
4. Open book
⢠In these types of exams you are allowed to bring in specified materials. This does not mean they are easier. They often require much better understanding of the subject matter. Marking is more stringent.
⢠Avoid lengthy quotes.
⢠Use quality information (not quantity).
⢠Be super-organised in your answer (do a very good outline).
⢠Use information accurately and purposefully.
⢠Your preparation should ensure that you have marked the important areas in your text so that you can find them quickly.
---------------------------------------------
When The Going Gets Tough ... The Tough Gets Going ...
