If you have exams approaching, you’ve probably been looking into the best revision techniques and strategies to help you memorise all you need to know. But is exam technique on your radar?
Exam techniques and strategies can make a big difference to your on-the-day performance, by making sure you maximise your potential in the exam room.
Luckily, you’re in the right place!
Here, we’ll walk you through our top 8 exam techniques to help you squeeze every possible mark you can out of that exam paper!
8 effective exam techniques
Brush up on these 8 effective exam techniques to help you reach your full potential in the exam room.
Top tip: You can practise getting your exam technique spot on by completing past papers ahead of the big day – download past papers right here on the Tutorful website.
1. Arrive fully prepared
The last thing you want is to turn up to your exam stressed, late or in a rush.
So, make sure you have everything fully prepared well in advance.
We always recommend packing what you need the night before, so you don’t have to worry about it on the morning of your exam itself – including spare pens and pencils.
Eat a good breakfast to make sure you’re properly fueled for the day ahead, leave plenty of time to get there, and avoid discussing the exam with your classmates when you arrive, which can add to your nerves.
Instead, consider listening to a calming playlist while you wait for the exam to start, and make sure you bring some water into the exam with you, so you can sip on it throughout.
2. Read each question (at least) twice
When you’re in a rush, it can be easy to misread the exam question.
But no matter how much you know about a topic, you’re not going to get the marks you deserve if you’re answering the wrong question!
So, instead of racing to start writing, take some time to read each question at least twice first.
You can even underline or circle key words in the question to keep you focused.
In particular, always focus on spotting the difference between various command words (eg. ‘explain’ or ‘describe’) to make sure you’re approaching the question in the right way.
3. Plan your time
You’ll want to plan your time carefully so you can give each question the attention it deserves.
Every year, capable GCSE and A Level students miss out because they spend too long answering short questions that aren’t worth many marks – meaning they don’t have enough time to spend on questions that need longer, more considered answers.
Worse still is running out of time completely before you’ve even reached the end of the exam paper.
As a general rule, try to spend the most time on the questions that are worth the most marks, and vice versa.
Keep your eye on the clock as you write and, if you’re really running out of time, consider jotting down your points in bullet point form ahead of writing your conclusion, so you can at least pick up some marks.
4. Plan your answers
On a similar note, it’s always best to have an idea of what you want to say before you start writing – especially on longer essay-style questions.
Plan and structure your answers in the same way as you would for coursework, making sure that your responses have a clear line of reasoning and a well-structured argument – as well as an introduction and conclusion.
By planning before you put pen to paper, you’ll be able to make sure your answer follows a clear structure, answers the question directly and puts forward a cohesive argument.
It will also help you to stay on track and avoid biting off more than you can chew in the time you have available.
5. Attempt every question
It can be tempting to skip questions you’re not sure about. Don’t!
Attempting every question will help you to maximise the marks available.
Plus, in subjects like maths, you can get marks for working out – even if you get the wrong answer!
“It is easy to skip questions thinking ‘If I don’t attempt it, I won’t put down anything wrong.’
“It is important to realise that a blank answer guarantees zero marks, whereas an attempted answer may gain some marks for working out – and worst case, zero marks, which is no worse than skipping.
“Be brave and have a go. The extra mark here and there is worth it!”
– Dee A, maths tutor
6. Check your answers
Always leave time to go back and check your answers at the end.
Look for any parts that don’t make sense – for instance, you might have missed out a key word or point, which you can add neatly in the text or at the bottom of the page.
Similarly, look for any spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes that you can clear up.
Or, if there were any questions you were unsure of, now is the perfect time to rehash your workings or re-think your original line of thought to see if you still come to the same conclusion.
This is also a great opportunity to check that you haven’t made any silly errors. In particular, always check the back of the paper to see if there are any further questions that you may have missed!
7. Use all the time available
Never leave an exam early, even if you think you’ve done all you can do.
You’ll have the best chance of passing if you spend the whole time allocated answering the questions and checking them through, rather than cutting your time short.
If you find you have extra time left at the end, instead of leaving early, use it to your advantage.
For instance, check your answers through again, add more points or nuance to essay answers, or tidy up your workings out so that the examiner can follow your train of thought more clearly.
There’s always something you can do!
8. Don’t panic!
Last but not least, whatever comes up in the exam room, fight the urge to panic!
Work through each paper calmly and methodically, without rushing, and trust that you have the knowledge you need to answer the questions in front of you.
If you go blank, brainstorm words and ideas onto a sheet of rough paper to jog your memory. Or, simply move on to another question and come back to this one later when the info may well have come back to you.
Remember, you’ve worked hard. So, you can be proud of yourself whatever happens!
Hone your exam technique with the help of a tutor
As well as filling any gaps in your knowledge, our expert tutors are pros at helping their students to master the most important exam techniques.
From time management to structuring essay answers, they’re here to help turn your weaknesses into strengths, so you can walk into that exam room feeling calm, confident and fully prepared.
In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
FAQs
What is the best exam technique?
Arguably the best exam technique to avoid making silly mistakes is to read each question at least twice, and really take your time to understand what it’s asking of you.
What does it mean by exam technique?
Exam technique is to do with how you apply your knowledge in an exam setting – rather than the subject content itself. This covers many areas, from analysing question requirements to time management and how to structure an answer.
How to practise exam technique?
The best way to practise getting your exam technique spot on is to complete past papers under timed conditions. This way, you can put all the exam techniques you’ve read about into practice and learn from your mistakes before attempting the real thing.
How to improve GCSE exam technique?
To improve your GCSE exam technique, we’d recommend completing past papers and combing through them to identify areas for improvement. For instance, did you read questions wrong, run out of time, or spend too long on questions that weren’t worth many marks?
A tutor can also help you to identify areas where your exam technique could be improved, and to develop the skills you need to implement exam techniques successfully on exam day.
Head over to our blog on how to improve your GCSE grades for more tips.
