Exams
Preparing for exams involves acquiring knowledge efficiently and improving your understanding of your subject matter throughout the semester.
However, you also need the skills to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding under exam conditions. This is why it is important to revise your subject efficiently, to develop strategies for dealing with different exam types and structures, and to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the exam day.
Revision techniques
Revising for exams requires more than just reading your notes. You will learn much more effectively if you engage actively with the information by:
- transforming it
- reorganising it
- using it to solve problems.
Such active learning strategies can include:
- explaining your notes to someone else
- drawing mind maps
- covering sections of your notes and trying to recall the missing information.
Keep in mind the broad aims of your subject and how key topic areas relate to these. Rather than trying to acquire a large amount of unconnected information, learn general rules and principles and relate the details to these.
It is also important to familiarise yourself with the structure and format of old exam papers in your subjects. This will help you:
- recognise the nature of the tasks you are asked to perform
- approach the exam tasks with more confidence on the day
- save time in the exam.
Relevant Academic Skills Unit Resources
Exam Revision (53KB |PDF)
Useful Links
This page from Massey University (NZ) provides a practical presentation on revision strategies.
This document from the University of Southampton (USA) provides further advice on revising for exams.
Exam types
Different subjects use different types of exam questions such as:
- multiple choice
- problem-solving
- short answers
- essays.
It is essential that you clarify exactly what will be expected of you in your exams, including the amount of time allowed.
Also, by becoming familiar with the types of exams you are likely to encounter, you can develop strategies for tackling the different exam tasks and practise them to improve your performance.
Relevant Academic Skills Unit Resources
Multiple Choice Exams (53KB |PDF)
Problem-solving Exams (53KB |PDF)
Writing Essays in Exams (53KB |PDF)
Useful Links
This quiz on effective preparation for exams on the University of Melbourne AIRport website 
tests how much you know about different exam types.
This page from Monash University provides general tips for answering multiple choice and short answer questions.
This page from the University of Newcastle provides a comprehensive set of information and tips on different kinds of exams.
Exam day tips
Your physical and mental condition on the exam day can have considerable impact on how you perform. This means getting into good sleeping, eating and exercise habits well beforehand and adopting psychological attitudes that will help you do your best.
Some practical tips include:
- avoiding last-minute cramming and getting a good sleep the night before your exam
- arriving in good time at the exam centre but avoiding talking to classmates about the exam as this can contribute to exam anxiety
- focusing on staying calm by using relaxation techniques
- using the reading time to get an overview of the exam. Read the instructions, select questions, and calculate the time for both answering and checking answers at the end of the exam.
- sticking to your time allocations.
Relevant Academic Skills Unit Resources
Exam Day Tips (53KB |PDF)
Stress Management (53KB |PDF)
Useful Links
This page from RMIT provides you with an online tutorial and podcasts relating to exam revision and preparation.
This page from Edith Cowen University provides you with additional exam techniques.
Stress Management
As a university student, you may experience stress trying to meet the demands of your course while juggling all your other commitments. You may particularly experience stress around exam periods, as these are charged with expectations of doing well.
While a certain amount of stress is normal, it is useful to consider ways to minimise stress in your life, and to reduce the negative effects of stress. Such strategies may include:
- identifying precisely what is stressful about a situation
- identifying what you can change about the situation
- learning to moderate your emotional and physical responses to stress
- building your physical and emotional reserves
Relevant Academic Skills Unit Resources
Stress Management (53KB |PDF)Useful Links
The University of Melbourne provides a free, confidential, and experienced counselling service to assist students in times of stress.
This site from the University of Buffalo (USA) provides information on common signs of stress and how to reduce them.