5. <strong><strong>Study</strong><strong>in</strong>g</strong> for examsExams are a common form of assessment andyou will likely have had experience tak<strong>in</strong>g them.However, you may have fewer (usually one majorexam) but longer exams here (usually two orthree hours long). <strong>The</strong>y are held at the end of thesemester (US. ‘f<strong>in</strong>als’), rather than smaller testsheld throughout the semester. This means thata large percentage of your f<strong>in</strong>al grade may bedeterm<strong>in</strong>ed by one exam; so, you need <strong>to</strong> get itright!As exams most often occur at the end of thesubject, they can draw on all the material you havestudied. While you will be tested on your ability <strong>to</strong>recall <strong>in</strong>formation, most exams will also requireyou <strong>to</strong> demonstrate your understand<strong>in</strong>g of thekey themes and theories of the subject, and yourability <strong>to</strong> apply what you have learned over thesemester. <strong>The</strong>se are th<strong>in</strong>gs you can memorise, butalso skills you need <strong>to</strong> practice.Types of examsExams at UoM vary <strong>in</strong> length and type. <strong>The</strong>ycan be up <strong>to</strong> 3 hours <strong>in</strong> length, and of varioustypes:• Closed book - ‘typical’ exam situationwhere you are only allowed <strong>to</strong> take <strong>in</strong>writ<strong>in</strong>g materials• Open book - where you are allowed <strong>to</strong> take<strong>in</strong> approved texts for reference• Take home - where you take the paperand submit your answer at a specific time,similar <strong>to</strong> the way you do an assignment.<strong>The</strong> type of exams you have will depend onyour course (Note: some subjects have noexams and are based solely on assignments orpractical work).32 http://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills
Exam preparation essentialsLike most th<strong>in</strong>gs, the key <strong>to</strong> exam success ispreparation. <strong>The</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g are some quick tips forprepar<strong>in</strong>g well for exams:• Make yourself a SWOT Vac timetable: createa timetable highlight<strong>in</strong>g all of your exams. Thiswill help focus your study time <strong>in</strong> the weekslead<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> the exams. Allocate study time <strong>to</strong>each exam and <strong>in</strong>clude any other essentialcommitments and time for breaks.• Revision: SWOT Vac is much more effective ifit really is about revision; i.e. go<strong>in</strong>g back overmaterial you have studied before, not learn<strong>in</strong>gnew material that you should have alreadylearned. <strong>The</strong> more organised your studysystem is dur<strong>in</strong>g semester, then the easier it is<strong>to</strong> revise dur<strong>in</strong>g SWOT Vac.• Focus your revision: direct your exam studysessions <strong>to</strong>wards important areas by revis<strong>in</strong>gthe course or learn<strong>in</strong>g objectives, usuallylisted on the subject LMS site or Subject<strong>Guide</strong>. Course / Learn<strong>in</strong>g objectives are thebest <strong>in</strong>dication of what the exam<strong>in</strong>ers will beassess<strong>in</strong>g.• Use the materials you have: a good place<strong>to</strong> start revis<strong>in</strong>g is your key read<strong>in</strong>gs andtextbook (if the subject uses one). Revisechapter questions <strong>in</strong> textbooks or discussionquestions from your tu<strong>to</strong>rials, as these mayreflect exam questions.• Use active study strategies: when revis<strong>in</strong>g,don’t just re-read the material, <strong>in</strong>stead,practise do<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g with the <strong>in</strong>formation.For example; re-summarise your notes;expla<strong>in</strong> difficult concepts <strong>to</strong> a study partner;or practise the types of questions or scenariosthe exam might present. If the exam <strong>in</strong>volveswrit<strong>in</strong>g three long essays <strong>in</strong> three hours, thenyou need <strong>to</strong> revise the material by writ<strong>in</strong>g hourlongessays – i.e. time yourself. If the exam<strong>in</strong>volves solv<strong>in</strong>g problems, then the moreproblems you solve for practice, the easier itwill be <strong>to</strong> solve the problems <strong>in</strong> the exam.• Use past papers: To provide you with someauthentic exam practice, use past papersavailable <strong>to</strong> you on the University Librarysite. Go <strong>to</strong> http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/exams/ for these. Exams arelisted by discipl<strong>in</strong>e and subject (note that notall subjects have exams listed here).In America, we don’t have SWOTVac – you usually take your f<strong>in</strong>als<strong>in</strong> about five days, and thenyou’re done. <strong>The</strong>y delay yourpa<strong>in</strong> here for a long time, do<strong>in</strong>gf<strong>in</strong>als over three weeks!Andrea, USA• Understand the format of the exams: don’tmiss the last classes of semester; theseusually <strong>in</strong>clude an exam review session withvital <strong>in</strong>formation about the exam format. F<strong>in</strong>dout as much as you can about the exam itself,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g:- <strong>The</strong> type of questions <strong>to</strong> be used (e.g.multiple choice, short answer, essay, etc.)will determ<strong>in</strong>e the study strategies you willemploy. For example, if you have an examconsist<strong>in</strong>g of essays and short answerquestions, then that is what you need <strong>to</strong>practise.- Whether there is a choice <strong>in</strong> questions.If you have a choice <strong>in</strong> the questions youanswer, then you may be able <strong>to</strong> focusyour revision <strong>in</strong> the areas you feel mostconfident choos<strong>in</strong>g.- <strong>The</strong> number of questions you have <strong>to</strong>answer. This will determ<strong>in</strong>e how muchtime you can spend on each question.- <strong>The</strong> weight<strong>in</strong>g of marks for eachquestion. <strong>The</strong> number of marks allocated<strong>to</strong> a question also determ<strong>in</strong>es how muchtime you should spend on it <strong>in</strong> the exam;the greater the number of marks, themore time you should spend on it.SWOT Vac – what is it?After the semester of scheduled classes,there is SWOT Vac; a period of up <strong>to</strong> a week’s‘vacation’ dur<strong>in</strong>g which you SWOT (<strong>Study</strong>Without Teach<strong>in</strong>g) for exams. Exams are thenscheduled for the follow<strong>in</strong>g three or so weeks.Exam timetables are usually not published untilthe middle of semester, so it is a good idea <strong>to</strong>hold off on plann<strong>in</strong>g any semester-end holidaysuntil the exam dates are f<strong>in</strong>alised.<strong><strong>Study</strong><strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Study</strong> <strong>Abroad</strong> Student’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Success</strong>33
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