Examination Strategies: Critical Thinking

Course Library Assessment Strategies
#1

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#2

Here is my brainstorm of 5 strategies for exam revision

  • Flash cards for definitions and always having them on my phone. This means I can return to them even when waiting for the metro.
  • Drawing concepts. Helps to visualise and perhaps make some concepts and ideas more memorable.
  • Attempting to answer past exam questions
  • Colour coding notes. Associating colours to certain concepts can make them more memorable for me.
  • Trying to recall as much as possible without looking at my notes. Then looking at my notes to see what I have missed.
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#3

Many thanks for your thoughts, Michelle - this is a nice post. I’m interested to learn more about what you add to your flashcards, particularly for the IIR/IPT exam?

#4

These are my 5 tips for exam preparation:

1. Making a plan on what to revise when as early as possible.
I always start out with a general brainstorming of things to revise, read, etc. and add to it if I think of more. I assign topics to days of revision and always leave some buffer because some things always take longer than I initially thought.

2. Revising with other people.
This really helps me to stay committed and sometimes they approach topics and questions very differently to me but it helps me gain a new perspective on them.

3. Recording myself revising my notes and then listening to it on a walk.
Although it is also important to take actual breaks, sometimes I cannot sit on my laptop anymore so I go outside and listen to my notes while I walk.

4. Writing dates and names I need to remember on post-its and sticking them to my mirror.
I am passing it several times each day and at some point I can recall them in my sleep.

5. Summarising, summarising, summarising
I normally approach topics by reading as many sources as I can and taking notes, then summarising these notes into one document and then summarising this into the main concepts. This is a lot of effort most of the time but at the end I only need to remember the key terms and the rest comes back because I read it so much while summarising.

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#5

Thanks for posting floflo! I particularly like point 5. I think it’s really important to read about the same/similar concepts in a variety of sources to help with memorisation and understanding, and then doing something like writing short summaries can be an excellent method to further check your comprehension.

Do you have any comments on each other’s posts?

#6

My 5 tips (even though most of them have been mentioned already):

  • Review previous assignments and tests

  • Use active learning techniques (flash cards, making rhymes for memorisation, draw “concept trees”…)

  • Write essays and practice them word by word (seems dumb/unnecessary but helps me to use certain phrases for actual exams)

  • take a closer look on the feedback which you received for past exams

  • the day before the exam don’t stress yourself too much and get a good amount of sleep

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#7

My five tips:

  • Do flashcards and revise them constantly, spacing up the time period as you learn them better (do not forget they exist once you feel you know them)

  • write essay structures so you know how to approach different questions

  • Summarize notes and take out what you want to learn, so you don’t get overwhelmed by details you will not have time learning

  • don’t forget to do other things like exercising and being outside

  • The day before should be mainly spent relaxing so you feel relaxed when the exam starts

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#8

My 5 tips for exam preparation:

  1. Plan what you want to revise each they and meet the goals
    In order to avoid stressful situations and being confident about your knowledge, plan your study time by subject and goals.

  2. Summarise
    Making little colourful summaries can help you to remember the key terms.

  3. Use highlighters to underline different things
    I use a colour system to highlight my notes. That way, I can memorize the colour of each thing and comes back faster.

  4. Look for past exams questions and think your answers

  5. **SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE **

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#9

The flashcards idea is awesome! Thank you

#10

My five exam preparation strategies:

  1. understand the various subchapters you need to learn and divide your time accordingly.
  2. before actually revising, first try to write down everything you already know about it from the top of your head and then compare it with your notes to see what you were missing.
  3. for quotations, create a “cheat sheet” with all the necessary sources listed so you have a clear overview.
  4. prepare outlines for general exam questions which you can then adapt during the exam.
  5. especially for introduction and conclusion, have ready-to-use phrases so you can go into the exam already knowing what you will approximately write at the beginning at least
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#11

My five exam preparation strategies:

  1. Make clear summaries from the key information in bullet point.
  2. Research about the topics that I don’t understand, building knowledge.
  3. Use examples, images or curiosities associated to the topics, this helps me remember better.
  4. Explain to another person the chapter, or piece of information that I studied.
  5. Use color code on my notes (for instance: dates in blue, authors in red, key events in yellow…)
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#12

My five exam preparation strategies:

1- Planning revisions
2- Make revision sheets that summarize the course
3- Take a look at past exam and what is it expected
4- Practice with exercices and past exams
5- Take a quick look at the revisions sheets the day before the exam

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#13

Five tips for exam’s revision:

  • ORGANIZATION: organize your studies with a clear timetable and establish daily objectives. This approach ensures comprehensive subject coverage without feeling overwhelmed.
  • SEGMENTATION: tackle your syllabus by breaking it into smaller, manageable segments. This method reduces overwhelm and improves focus.
  • EXPLANATION: solidify your understanding by explaining concepts in your own words to someone else. Teaching reinforces your knowledge and highlights areas needing further review.
  • NOTES: enhance note-taking by using color coding, integrating sketches, and including relevant examples. Personalized notes aid memory retention.
  • CONNECTIONS: connect various topics within the same subject to gain a cohesive understanding. Recognizing interconnections promotes deeper learning and aids in information recall during exams.
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#14

My 5 strategies for successful exam revision

  1. Sleep enough
    → Being well-rested contributes to a good focus while studying

  2. Writing neat handwritten notes
    → I always write my notes by hand because I noticed that this helps more with memorising information

  3. Eating healthy and also having a healthy snack beside me while studying
    → Snacking during studying motivates me since it feels like a little treat

  4. Creating a well thought-out revision plan
    → Having a studying plan helps me be organised and lets me know much time I can attribute to each topic

  5. Studying outside
    → Sometimes it helps me to study in a park/coffee shop/the beach since being outside and around people is good for my mental health after days spent indoors studying

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