Exam preparation

Download: How to create your finals study plan

Get oriented

• Identify all final assignments due and final exams, including how much they're worth and the due date
• Distinguish your comfort levels for each course’s content and exam
• Consider the format of the assessment
• Taking into account all of the above, determine which finals will need the most focus

Get organized

• Make a plan, include:
  1. Key due dates
  2. Work, volunteering, appointments, other pre-arranged responsibilities
  3. Non-negotiables, e.g. sleep, meals, cooking, movement, social time
  4. Study time
     • Start your studying early, 1-2 weeks before the exam/deadline depending on what you determined when getting oriented
     • Estimate an amount of time and then times that by 2x when you are putting it in your schedule
     • Time block your study sessions, consider time of day you work well

Get to business

• Start studying!
• Set a specific goal at the beginning of each study block
• Pomodoro (25 min work, 5 min break, repeat)
• Take non-screen breaks
• Use effective study strategies, linking to how you will be tested on the material
• Alternate study topics
• Avoid procrastination (put your phone away + change Netflix password)
• Ask for help (office hours, TA, librarians)
• Work with others! Making sure the goals are to study and you don’t distract each other

Download: Multiple choice questions - READY strategy

The R.E.A.D.Y. strategy can be used to answer tough multiple-choice questions. Use each step to guide your reading and response to these questions in an exam setting. You may not need to use R.E.A.D.Y. for every question, but if you're finding a specific question particularly challenging, then this is a simple and effective technique, no matter the subject!

Read

• Read the entire question.
• Identify key words:
  • Negatives: None, not, never, neither
  • Superlatives: Every, all, none, always, only
  • Qualifiers: Usually, often, generally, may, seldom
• Use scratch paper, if you can/want, and write down important parts of the question or key words.
• Ask yourself: Before analyzing the question further and looking at each alternative, can I guess the answer?

Examine

• Understand what the stem is really asking.
• Ask yourself: Some answers may be good, but can I find the best answer?

Alternatives

• Alternatives are your options (e.g., A, B, C, D, etc.).
• Consider which alternatives best answer the question posed.
• Ask yourself: How does each individual alternative relate to the stem-question?

Delete

• Eliminate the distractors, such as non-plausive choices or incorrect alternatives.
• Use a scrap piece of paper to write A, B, C, D and cross out distractors.
• Ask yourself: Which alternatives can I confidently eliminate?

Yield

• Re-read the entire question and possible answers.
• Review your selection and reflect on how it answers the question being asked.
• Ask yourself: Did I miss anything? If not, move on to the next question!

Download: Preparing for an essay exam 

What is an essay exam?

An essay exam tests your ability to answer the question set, make an argument, and omit unnecessary words. Essay exams commonly evaluate relationships between major concepts and themes in the course.

Basic structure

An essay exam is meant to follow the same conventions as a formal essay, which means it should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion that are structured cohesively as a response to the question. Unlike long/short-answer questions, essay exams typically require a thesis statement.

Closed-book

The closed-book exam is where you do not know what the questions will be ahead of time.

Open-book

The open-book exam is where you have access to books and/or notes during the exam. You may even know the exam questions ahead of time.

Take-home

The take-home exam typically involves a short period of time to write and submit your essay online.

Pro-tip

Mind the deadlines and any potential overlap with other coursework and notify your instructor so they are aware of prior commitments!

What to expect

Essay exams often require you to write several essays in quite a short period of time. This might limit the level of detail, particularly if you are not allowed to bring notes or books into the examination room. You’ll find that you need to adjust your writing style when the clock is ticking.

Essay exams assume a “think, then write” model. You are expected to discover, clarify, and organize ideas before writing.

The continuous process of revision is lost in a timed exam setting. Timed essay exams can feel hasty and like an unrevised rough draft.

Critically reflecting on how the exam went is necessary to move forward in the class and better prepare for the next exam.

Other useful resources

• Writing an essay exam (McGill University)
• Exam preparation: Strategies for essay exams (Simon Fraser)
• Write a university essay (University of Guelph)

How to prepare for an essay exam

Study course materials by creating structured outlines or concept maps for issues that cover the key authors and their main points. Who said what? What terms and concepts did they use? What arguments did they use to defend their positions?

Make connections in advance. Review the course outline and make conceptual connections between topics. You can also create text-to-text connections and use your lived experience to make text-to-world connections (your arguments will be more convincing if you give creative and critical connections).

Think critically about the arguments and topics. Practice arguing for and against a particular view by asking yourself, what is the author’s main claim? Identify evidence that supports or refutes this claim. Try arguing for and against a particular claim aloud. These steps will help you weigh arguments and decide which side is more convincing, and why.

Write practice essays under exam conditions. You’ll find that you need to adjust your writing style when the clock is ticking.

How to practice: practice makes progress!

A useful strategy to prepare for an essay exam is to practice writing under exam conditions. You’ll find that you need to adjust your writing style when the clock is ticking. Here's how to practice with a friend:

1. Collect specific practice questions

   • Write a practice exam question on the same concept with a friend. Use a specific concept that came up a lot in class or one you think might come up in the future.

2. Set a timer for the allotted time

   • If you have done some timed essay writing before the exam, you will be aware of how quickly time moves and how important it is to focus your answer.

3. Take your friend’s practice exam

   • Exchange questions and test each other! Try answering your friend’s question and then discuss. See if your question makes sense in context.

4. Read your practice essay

   • After reading your practice essays back, ask yourself: Have I really answered the question set? Did I make a good case for the conclusion? And, have I omitted unnecessary words?

Download: Writing an essay exam

Do:

• Do set some time aside to visualize a successful exam. Build up a positive image of yourself writing the exam. Imagine (eyes closed helps!) you are relaxed yet alert as you turn over the exam paper.
• Do examine your response to the prompt. Try to identify any personal beliefs or experiences that could inform your position. Can you use your lived experience to make your position more persuasive?
• Do a quick essay plan. Outline the key points you want to make to support your position and the order in which you want to make them. What are the reasons you have taken a certain position?
• Do add a brief summary of what you were going to say if you run out of time. A few short sentences or a list-like format will show the reader where you were going!
• Do a self-assessment after the exam to move forward in the class and better prepare for next time. What can you learn from this exam? How did you feel? What can you improve? What did you do well?

Don't:

• Don't start writing without reading the exam questions fully. Ask yourself: What are the keywords in the question? What exactly does the question ask? (E.g., argue, explain, illustrate with examples?)
• Don't write a thesis statement without taking a position first. Your thesis should be a one-sentence answer to the exam question.
• Don't leave it up to your reader to guess! Keep your examples concise and related to your thesis. Always explain how an example supports your point.
• Don't underestimate the power of legible handwriting. You can only write as fast as you can write legibly (not beautifully, but legibly!) If your reader cannot understand your handwriting, they will guess!
• Don't compare your written work done under exam time to longer-term essay projects. Be kind to yourself and remember what the examiner is (and isn’t) looking for.