You’re in the exam and there are multiple sections. Each of them different. Multiple choice followed by short answers finishing with an extended response.
You’ve studied and know your content but how do you use the time given to your advantage? How do you split your time to make sure you obtain optimal marks?
It’s always the same outcome– the comment on your paper is that it’s a ‘good attempt’ but to improve next time, make sure your response isn’t ‘brief’.
Well, if you are wanting to know how to break this cycle, keep on reading as we have some points for you that you can take into your next exam…
1.Split your time according the marks
If the marks given in a section are minimal, make sure that you keep your time for that section equally minimal. The number of marks given for a section represents how much of a response is required and how much time should be dedicated to that question. Depending on the type of exam (for example if there are multiple short responses all worth a different number of marks) its also worth (prior to the exam) calculating roughly how much time you should be spending on each mark to so that you go in with a solid plan.
2. Stick to the time frames
Now that you have your time frames set up, stick to them! It doesn’t matter if you haven’t finished or you are stuck on a particular question, the key is to move on. What happens is that when you start to spend more time on one question than what is given, you are taking a bet that you will get full marks in the section you have spent that extra time on. The reality is that in an exam when you are rushing, the likelihood of this is very minimal. So, you’d rather get two decent marks as this will reflect between overall rather than get close to full marks and then just a pass.
3.Start with your strongest section
A strategy that most students find useful is starting with their strongest section – the one that you are most confident. The reason for this is that because you are confident, any question that’s put in from of you won’t stump you and you will be more inclined to run with it. Consequently, you will move through that section faster as you are less likely to be challenges. This means that (hopefully) you have gotten through the section faster than the time given meaning that those extra few minutes (even though not a lot) can be applied to the next section and you can spend that little bit longer working through it.
The above is just a guide and a start to help guide you through your next exam. If you have any questions or would like us to explain one of the steps a little more, feel free to get in touch with us.
Good luck!