Exam skills covers how to prepare for exams with effective revision methods and strategies for answering different types of exam question, as well developing reflective skills so students can evaluate their performance in order to improve results.
Sample activity: Make a plan for revising with others
Revision doesn't have to be a solitary activity.
Forming a study group can make revision much more interesting and effective.
Talking about your subject can clarify issues and pinpoint concepts that you need to investigate further.
Making a revision plan can help you to get the most out of revising in a group. Build your own tailored plan by selecting the actions that appeal most to you.
Study groups can be a source of frustration and distraction if they are not properly organised:
- Avoid spending time on sharing negative thoughts - be positive and constructive in any feedback
- Avoid inadvertently supporting each other in wasting time - be disciplined and brave in getting a meeting back on track
- Never copy directly from each other's notes - everyone should be in charge of their own study materials and notes
Enter any further thoughts you have about revising in groups in the field below.
Download 'Things to do in revision groups', a brief guide to the types of things you can discuss in a revision group.
Module content
Exam skills features the following:
- Diagnostic test
- Section 1: Performing well in exams
- Section 2: Revision
- Section 3: Sitting an exam
- Module assessment
See what’s in each section below:
Make a plan for revising with others
Revision doesn't have to be a solitary activity. Forming a study group can make revision much more interesting and effective. Talking about your subject can clarify issues and pinpoint concepts that you need to investigate further.
Revising with others can be useful because:
- Other people can show you different ways of looking at a topic
- Discussing and debating topics can make them easier to recall in the exam
- Knowing that you are not alone can help you to feel motivated, supported and focused on your revision
Making a revision plan can help you to get the most out of revising in a group. Build your own tailored plan by examining the actions that appeal most to you from the list below.
There are many ways to find members for a study group. Choose the methods you would consider from the options below.
- Ask friends from your course to meet up
- Advertise on a student notice board or in a student newsletter
- Talk to your tutor, or student support services at your college or university
Mutually-agreed ground rules help groups to bond, remain focused and settle disagreement easily. Select which ground rules you would set from the list below:
- Decide how often the group will meet
- Agree on when and where the group will meet
- Establish how long sessions will last
- Decide whether group members should bring food or drinks
- Set limits on the size of the group
Groups tend to develop their own ways of working. Choose the methods you would suggest to your study group from the options below.
- Agree the purpose of each session in advance so that everyone can prepare
- Identify the topics that the group will, and won't cover to allow members to prepare
- Work on only one or two topics per session, looking at these from different angles
- Expect that everyone will prepare specific items for each session
- Put time aside for socialising at the end of the session
Many study groups share tasks for exam preparation. Choose the task that you would considering sharing from the options below.
- Find past exam papers
- Take the lead on going over a topic
- Identify the most complex concepts and common issues
- Check details about the exam itself
- Make arrangements for the group
Study groups can be a source of frustration and distraction if they are not properly organised:
- Avoid spending time on sharing negative thoughts - be positive and constructive in any feedback
- Avoid inadvertently supporting each other in wasting time - be disciplined and brave in getting a meeting back on track
- Never copy directly from each other's notes - everyone should be in charge of their own study materials and notes
Download `Things to do in revision groups', a brief guide to the types of things you can discuss in a revision group.