EXAM season is on us as our grade 10, 11 and 12 students prepare to sit external examinations. Many students consider examinations to be burdensome and some even consider them a sort of punishment or torture. Exams are simply a form of assessment to determine the extent of learning. It is also critical in providing certification and allows for students to be promoted to higher levels of learning.

It is a fact that many knowledgeable and competent students struggle with gaining good grades on exams. This is not a function of their knowledge base but, in most cases, is due to their inability to efficiently decode examination questions. In my experience, I have found that students do not fully comprehend the command terms used in questions and what is expected of them. These terms include ‘describe, compare, explain, differentiate, etc’.

Also, some students try to trick the examiner by writing the same answer in more than one way in an effort to add bulk and depth to their answer. This never works!

Students must also be cognisant of their handwriting. Answers must be legible and must be grammatically correct. Do not write too tiny or too large and make your sentences short. Do not include unnecessary information in your answer.

One of the greatest challenges that I find with my students is the interpretation and answering of graphical questions. Graphs are not only a part of the mathematics examination but are a common part of questions for all science-based subjects. This, therefore, should not be taken lightly. Graphs are a standard way of presenting data in any discipline.

The interpretation of graphs involves both mathematical skills as well as reasoning skills. Students also get confused about terminology used in graphical questions. For example, a question may require a student to find the ‘slope’ of a line, but many do not realise that this is simply asking for the ‘gradient’ of the line and so they get perplexed. Students also get puzzled when they are asked to plot more than one set of data points on the same graph.

As simple and straightforward as this may seem, students still lack the discipline to read a question in its entirety, hence, questions are not answered correctly. If in a question there is a superfluity of words, students get lost in the verbiage and lose interpretation. Students need to learn and get into the habit of underlining the keywords/ command terms, which will help to refocus the question and narrow down what is actually being asked.

The examination paper may also throw questions that seem absurd or illogical which causes panic to set in. Students must be taught to relax and to examine the question objectively. Simple answers with no overthinking usually provide the best scores for questions such as those.

As for the multiple choice exam, let me remind students that this is not a ‘multiple guess’ exam, and is not to be considered easier than other exam types. There are typically two answers that are very close to each other, with only one being correct. Students must not only have cursory knowledge but must have in-depth knowledge of the subject to choose correct answers. Choose wisely.

The essay exam requires deep knowledge as well as critical thinking skills. Often, students will be asked to analyse, evaluate or justify a situation. Remember that essay answers require structure which includes an introduction, body and conclusion.

It is imperative that students begin now to practice past papers to perfect exam techniques. Get to know the exam paper. Familiarise yourself with the format and timing of the examination. Stick to the allotted time and actually do the paper. Ask your teacher or tutor to mark your papers.

Perhaps my most important tip is to manage your mindset before, during and after the exam. Eliminate all negative self-talk and instead recite positive affirmations. Visualise success. Practise breathing techniques to calm and refocus the mind.

Finally, on the day of the exam, remain calm. Inevitably, there will be some level of anxiety. This is normal and to be expected. Be sure to stay hydrated. Check all your answers before handing in your paper.

Good luck!

Dr Karla Hylton operates Bio & Chem Tutoring, a tutoring service specialising in secondary level biology, chemistry and physics. She is the author of Yes! You Can Help Your Child Achieve Academic Success and Complete Chemistry for Caribbean High Schools. Reach her at (876) 564-1347, biochemtutor100@gmail.com or www.khylton.com.