Posted in Education, Test Tips, Top Ten Exam Tips on March 3, 2010

Sweaty palms, nightmares, a black-out even. Exams may cause you to experience terrible anxiety. Too much! But fear is not at all necessary. After all, our exam requirements set out exactly what you need to know and do before going in to an exam. On top of this, we give you ten tips that increase your chances of passing an exam. Take notice of these tips when preparing for your exam.

Top Ten Exam Tips
1. Be sure to use the exam requirements, recommended literature and sample exams. The exam requirements, which includes a list of literature, can be found by selecting the exam of your choice on our exam overview. Literature and sample exams can be ordered via EXIN’s e-bookshop.

2. Complete the sample exam first without consulting the answers. Then make sure to carefully read and understand the feedback.

3. Make sure to allow for plenty of time when travelling to the exam location.

4. Enter an exam well-rested.

5. Start with the easy questions. Do not get stuck on difficult ones, but put those questions aside and return to them later.

6. Often, first impressions are best. Therefore, do not change your answers unless you are absolutely certain that you have made a mistake.

7. Read the question very carefully. Consider what precisely is being asked. If the question demands four arguments, then give four, not three or five. Do not write more than required in the hope that the people marking the exams will select the correct answers.

8. The so-called ‘Open exam questions’ demand that you compose the entire answer yourself: ensure you write clearly.

9. In the case of multiple choice questions: think of your own answer first before looking at the answers set out on the page.

10. When you are finished, check carefully whether you have answered all the questions.

If you’re taking a grad school admissions exam, it is best to prepare and follow these stems to obtain high scores that will get you admitted into more than one online degrees. This will help you choose the career of your dreams.

Posted in Practical Exam Tips, Tips on January 21, 2010

Pens and Pencils.
Some exams require the use of PENS, while others have to be completed in PENCIL. Make sure you know what you should be using in every paper before you go in.

Websites.
All the major examination boards have websites these days, usually with sample papers and examiners’ reports that you can download. These sites are well worth a visit as they may offer a lot of sound advice. The examiners’ report, for instance, can give you an idea of exactly what it is that they are looking for.

Take Spares.
Take spare pens and pencils just in case the one you are using stops working.

On time not In time.
Allow for problems, hold-ups and traffic jams on the way and make sure you arrive with time to spare so that you can go in calmly rather than in a frantic rush.

It may sound stupid, but …
Don’t forget to read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. You should go into the exam well aware of what is expected of you, but you should always check. Don’t, however, waste a lot of time on this.

Honesty – 1.
A language exam is not a test of honesty and you will not be penalized if you tell the examiners that you are CANCER rather than SAGITTARIUS in a written question simply because you are sure of how to spell it. Language Tests are quite simply that; they are designed to test your language and not your honesty- don’t worry about lying or being economical with the truth in order to show off your accurate language use.

Zzzzz.
Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before any exam.

Hangovers.
Try to avoid alcohol the night before an exam, especially in quantity, as a bad hangover is among the very worst things to be suffering from in an exam room.