With exams staring us right in the face, we are all left wondering where all the time went. Remember when you thought you had a couple of months to figure out that chapter you’d skipped before? Yeah, those couple of months are now gone. So what are you supposed to do now? You are supposed to study as hard as you can, and follow my study tips post. One thing that you are NOT supposed to do is to freak out in the exam and spoil everything. Now how do you manage that? Here’s how:

Exam Tip #1: ALWAYS read, re-read, and understand the question
ALWAYS read the instructions carefully. Many students will not take the time to do this and later on realize they did an entire exam worth 50% of their grade incorrectly. It’s better to ask for clarification rather than losing tons of marks on avoidable errors.

Exam Tip #2: Go through the entire exam before starting & allocate your time smartly
One mistake that most students make is to not previewing the exam and/or reading the question properly. Be sure to identify and understand all parts of the question. Decide which questions will be easier to do and which ones will take more time, and budget your time. Make sure you allot time to review the exam and make corrections. Almost definitely, you’ll think of something new to add while reviewing the exam, and when you do, write the point down immediately.

Exam Tip #3: Break the question down & take notes on it before starting
Read each question carefully, underlining (or highlighting, whatever you are more comfortable with) key words. For quantitative problems in exams such as accounting or finance, identify what you have and what you need. It always helps to quickly write down most of the information that you have been trying to memorize when the exam starts, this allows you to think logically, and with less pressure. Not just that, but sometimes markers can see the basic understanding of the question from your notes and you MAY end up getting some extra marks for that.

Exam Tip #4: I think it’s time to move on…
Another major error that most students make is to get bogged down by certain questions. They end up spending half the time on the first question, then having to cram the other 2-3 questions in the other half of the exam. THIS IS A BAD IDEA. Always, and I repeat, ALWAYS, keep track of how long the question is taking you. If it is bogging you down, move on, you are jeopardizing marks from the other questions by spending so much time on a question you don’t know how to answer.

Exam Writing Tip #5: DO NOT skip any questions            
If all you can do is provide a definition, then do so. A very important tip is – answer in point form instead of complete sentences if you are short on time. Write down anything you know that is related to the question. Part marks are better than nothing, right?

Exam Writing Tip #6: Blanked out? The world hasn’t ended just yet…
First, don’t panic and allow anxiety to take control of how you are going to do on the exam. Ask yourself, “What do I need to know to answer this question?” and start writing down your thoughts. One thing that always helps is to think of the key points your instructor may have spoken about during the review class, or along the entire term. See if any of them are applicable in the questions, put yourself in the markers shoe’s and consider what they would be looking for. Avoid negative self-talk – focus on the task instead of yourself.

Exam Writing Tip #7: ALWAYS review your work
Take the time to go over the exam and check your answers. Do not change anything unless you are 100% sure it is wrong. Check mathematical answers by performing reverse calculations. Look at the processes you used. Make sure you’ve answered everything that was asked for.

Exam Writing Tip #8: Done early? That’s what you think
Don’t leave until the exam proctors throw you out! Okay, maybe don’t be that stubborn. Sometimes, students are just too eager to leave the exam room, as soon as they are done the exam, they just want to hand in the exam, and dip. I’m not even going to say stay till the last minute, but give yourself ample time to proofread your exam properly at least a couple of times.

Exam Writing Tip #9 – Multiple choice questions
MCQ’s can be a tricky business. The key is to really understand what the question is asking you. Most of the times, the real question is hidden somewhere in a complicated paragraph, or under a set of complicated looking numbers. As my finance prof says – DON’T FREAK OUT. Focus.

Students usually think they can read the question and figure out the answer by memory. Oh boy is that the wrong approach to take. You have got to read the choices available to you… and don’t just stop when you come upon the one that seems likely.

  1. Don’t select the choice that is true, select the choice that is RIGHT for the question asked.
  2. Don’t skip a response if its seems too simple. So what? Not everything has to be rocket science.
  3. Don’t change your answers without a good reason. You know what is not a good reason? “Hmm…the last two choices were “d”, this one can’t be “d” too. I’ll just choose “b” instead.”….that. That is not a good enough reason to change choices.
  4. One thing that always helps me is eliminating responses as I read them. No, No, Maybe, No. Well then, the answers pretty clear here, right?

That’s pretty much it from me, now it’s over to you. Go out there and nail those exams. Good luck!

Abbas Hasnain, BBA ’16