Surviving Exams: five tips for exam study from The Learning Centre

Love them or loathe them, exams are a fact of uni life for most students. The prospect of preparing for, and sitting exams can be feel pretty daunting; however knowing when and how to start studying can help offset a lot of anxiety. Try these simple tips and visit our website www.lc.unsw.edu.au/olib.html for more information.

1. Get the facts: find out as much as you can about each exam.

• What will the exam be based on? Finding out the topics or aspects of the course the exam covers will help you to focus your study on relevant areas. Make sure you attend your final lectures and tutes. This is when lecturers and tutors give advice and tips as to what is likely to be covered in the exam.
• How long will the exam be? How many questions will it have? How is it weighted in terms of marks?
• What format will it be? Find out the type of exam you will be sitting; will it be multiple choice, short answer, or open book? Different types of exams will require different approaches.
• Get the practical information as soon as it is available. Find out the dates, times and locations of your exams. Draw up an exam timetable and plan your study accordingly. Plan ahead and make sure you know how to find each location.

2. Make sure you have a complete set of course materials to study from.

• Gather all the material you need to review: course outline, texts, lecture notes, reading and tutorial notes, handouts and course assignments.
• Make sure your lecture notes are complete and legible.
• Ensure that you have copies of any extra materials distributed in classes.
• Identify any missing materials and try to locate them. If you've missed any lectures, see if recordings are available, or borrow copies of the notes from another student.
• Once you have a full set of materials, organise them by topic in a folder or in computer files so that they correspond with the topics in the course outline and are easily accessible for revision. (More aboutstudying for exams and notemaking from readings .)

3. Take a strategic approach to study.
Make a revision timetable and plan how you will use the time leading up to your exams.

• Identify how many topics you need to cover and how much revision time each will require. Allocate time accordingly.
• Make the topics you find the most difficult a priority. You will need to spend more time studying them, so schedule these first in your revision timetable.
• Schedule frequent short revision sessions. Don't study for longer than 50 minutes without taking a break.
• Make use of short study times. Fifteen minutes can be ideal for revising lecture notes or looking through note cards. Use time spent on the bus or train to review notes.
• Revise to remember and use the SQ3R study method
• Hone your exam skills. Familarise yourself with a few exam clue words and be sure you understand what they mean.

4. Optimise your study conditions.
Take time to think about and identify your best possible study conditions.

• Identify where you work most productively: do you work better at home alone or at the library surrounded by others reading and working?
• If you work best at home, set up a study area. Find a quiet place where you won't be easily distracted. Make sure it’s comfortable so you can concentrate, but not so comfortable that you fall asleep! Make sure you have good lighting to read by. Remove distractions from the area – computer games, magazines, any non-study related material that may tempt you away from your work.
• Work out when you study most effectively. Are you more alert in the morning or evening? Schedule study times that suit your personal rhythms.

5. Start exam preparation early.
Ideally you should start preparing in week 1 of semester — however, in the non-ideal world, you should begin studying at least four weeks before your exams. Don't leave it study until the last minute; university exams often test how well you understand your subject, not necessarily how much you can remember, so last-minute cramming isn’t helpful.

Prepare for the day well ahead of time. For more tips, see our Guide to Surviving Exams.

For advice about exams or any other study-related concern, come and see us!

The Learning Centre
Web: http:http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au
Where: Lower Ground Floor, North Wing Chancellery Building (Map reference C22)
Phone: 02 9385 2060 
Email: learningcentre@unsw.edu.au
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 9am - 5pm, Friday: 9am - 2.30pm.