Exam Sos 2024

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COMMON PROBLEMS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE IN EXAMS (AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM!)

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Here ARE SOME COMMON problems THAT students can experience DURING AN EXAM - AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SOME TIPS FOR YOU ON HOW TO AVOID THESE: Problem 1

Felt rushed, made careless mistakes Solution Plan your time before you start Monitor your progress – regularly check the time Slow down and use positive self-talk. Tell yourself that you have the time, you can do this!

Leave 5-10 minutes at the end for proofreading

Problem 2

My mind went blank Solution Put a mark next to the question and come back to it later.

Another question on the paper may give you a clue Think of information related to the topic (a key word, a process, a key example) – this may trigger an answer Don’t beat yourself up about it – stay positive.

Just try your best!

EXAM S S Problem 3

Ran out of time Solution Time management is critical in an exam situation Get as much information as possible from your teacher about the exam and make a tentative plan - how is the exam structured and how many questions are there? Make sure you do this!

Budget time for each part of the question. Give more time to questions that are worth more marks Mark the questions you can’t answer easily, write some notes to empty your thoughts a bit, and then come back to them later

Problem 4

Didn’t understand the instructions or didn’t understand the question Solution Exam invigilators are there to help. If there is an issue with instructions then ask if they can help They can’t help decode questions though – so here think back to your lessons where you would have learned command words and see if this triggers a memory Perhaps you covered a similar question in lessons – think how the answer to the question in class could apply to the exam question in front of you

EXAM S S Problem 5

Misread or misinterpreted the question or didn’t think the answer through Solution Slow down and read the questions carefully Underline key words to help you focus Write down your ideas before you write your answer Review the question and your answer before moving on

Problem 6

Felt very stressed and anxious Solution Being prepared will calm your nerves During the exam, put your pen down and take some deep breaths – then try again Don’t worry about what other students are doing during the exam.

Don’t look around, stay focused on YOU If your exam stress levels are really high before exams and during exam season make time to access your Progress Tutor, your subject teacher, the SWEAs or welfare support in Inclusive Learning.

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Further help and support To help you with your revision we have CREATED AN EXAM TOOLKIT FOR YOU: a range of resources, ideas and strategies for you to read through and use.

THE EXAM TOOLKIT includeS Study timetables Tried, tested and proven to work revision strategies Ideas and things to try for organising your time, revision priorities and study space Support and links to resources for helping manage exam anxieties and your general well-being, including a series of workshops for you to attend and get some handy tips

CLICK THIS BUTTON TO VISIT THE EXAM TOOLKIT OR SCAN THIS CODE

IS THERE A PROBLEM YOU CAN’T THINK OF AN ANSWER TO, OR THAT WE HAVEN’T ANSWERED? ASK YOUR TEACHERS OR A CLASSMATE IF THEY CAN HELP