Examinations represent a way of assessing the level at which a student can understand the key concepts and work covered during the course of study. They serve as a clear indication of whether an appropriate level of understanding has been met in that particular subject. Revision is the technique used to retain and understand work encountered during the course of study prior to undertaking an exam. Revision involves revisiting the topics in the syllabus and working through them for a second time.

Being prepared

For effective preparation there are a number of stages that need to be undertaken:

1. Look at the learning outcomes for the units you are being examined on. These will help to identify the areas that could be tested on in examinations.

2. Check that you know the assessment criteria for the units. This helps to understand what is needed to get the best marks.

3. Try to obtain past papers as these are a useful source of information about what is expected in examinations.

4. Start a system for organising your notes so that you can identify each topic covered easily.

Next, you should make a revision timetable. First decide at what times you work best and plan to work most during those times. For example some students find it easier to start early in the morning, on the other hand some students prefer to start in the afternoon.

Split each day into small time periods of 40 minutes to 1 hour, with small breaks in between. The length of these periods depends on the individual’s concentration span. If you think your concentration dwindles quickly, then you should look to have short revision sessions with short breaks in between.

Revision Strategies

There are many different techniques students can use to help them revise. In order to be successful you must find the technique that suits you best. The different techniques are outlined below:

Note Making

This is revision in its most common form. You must remember that just making notes is not enough to get you through the exam. But it does help in view of the fact that you will often find it easier to learn and understand something that is written in your own particular style, than something written in a more complex way in some book.

Revision Cards

This is practically the same as making notes, However, the size of a card limits the amount of notes you can make. This means that any notes that you do make are in a condensed form and therefore much easier to remember.

Diagrams

Visual aids help because they allow key points to be absorbed more easily. A typical example of such a visual aid is a spider diagram. Many people use spider diagrams when they are generating ideas.

Group Based Revision

This is another useful technique because you can push each other to do more work. Also you can test each other, which will highlight topics or areas of weakness. The other main advantage with group based revision being that if you encounter a problem, it is more likely to be solved as the problem can be tackled as a group. However, there is a danger that you will not do any work at all.

Final Stages of Preparation

Ensure that you organise your time in such a way that you have left a space for practising the skills needed in the examinations.

Skills may include:

  • Planning essays
  • Analysing Exam Questions
  • Writing appropriately and accurately
  • Arguing effectively, using appropriate concepts and theories
  • Close analysis of texts (verbal or visual) or other kinds of ‘evidence’
  • Selecting areas of knowledge in support of an argument
  • Synthesising and reaching a conclusion
  • Deciding which type of questions you are good at answering
  • Getting your ideas down in a specified time
  • Managing your time during an exam
  • Prioritising information in an exam question
  • Prioritising questions during an exam

Preparing for the exam day

Double-check the time and location of your exam as this is extremely important you must be certain of the time and location of your exam before you take the exam. It is not uncommon for students to misread the date, time or location of the exam and take this to be the actual date, time or location. When they turn up they find that they have either missed the exam or they are in the wrong location.

Get equipped

A day before the exam you should decide on all the equipment that you will need. Generally you should take two of each item of equipment and check that they work correctly.

Last minute revision

Don’t overload on the last minute, in theory you should only need a small amount of time to quickly check that you are ready for the exam. You should not however, be learning whole new topics so close to the exam. To do this indicates your lack of preparation for the exam.

– DLC Business Team