Preparing for Exams or Assessments

Published: 06/01/2021

Updated: 10/12/2021

These are my top tips for planning and preparing for exams and assessments. 

Planning your preparation

Before starting to prepare for either of these first make a list of topics/ areas you will need to cover then find out how many weeks you have to prepare. 

When you have done this, then put these on a spreadsheet and plan out when you will be doing each topic (e.g. date of the week you will be doing it in or the day if you don't have much time) and when you will review them using spaced repetition. 

See my evidence-based study techniques blog post for effective study methods ->

https://learningtobeaphysio.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-top-study-tips.html

Both exams and assessments

• Read the guidelines or assessment criteria
• Identify the key areas e.g. pathophysiology, biopsychosocial model etc to guide your research or revision
• Use revision questions or scenarios to test your knowledge and skills
• Use peers to create mock exam conditions and one of you to play the patient

Read the OSCE preparation guide for more information on this type of practical exam -> 

https://learningtobeaphysio.blogspot.com/2020/12/osce.html

For exams

When writing essays or answering questions put yourself under time pressure (as close to the amount of time you will have in the exam as possible). This will help you to identify if you have more time to plan the essay, or conversely, you need to get to writing in less time. 

If your university provides past papers or practice questions with mark schemes use them. These are gold dust. 

Assessments

• Create yourself deadlines for the amount of time you have to write the assessment and write these in your diary or on your calendar (include 1. Research (should take the longest amount of time), 2. Planning your essay structure and content, 3. Writing the essay, Most importantly 4. time to review and re-write)
• Whilst researching and writing the assignments refer back to the guidelines to check you are answering the correct areas
• Remember to include a short introduction and conclusion
• Use sub-headings to signpost the markers to where you have answered specific sections of the marking criteria e.g. pathophysiology
• Ask friends or your parents to read the essay and highlight any areas that are difficult to read or are unclear (it is best if they don't do your course as this is the best way to see if your essay makes logical sense)

See my: how to write a good essay for more details ->

https://learningtobeaphysio.blogspot.com/2020/12/how-to-write-good-essay.html