If you are about to take a test or you are helping your child study for an exam then you may find the following tips for exam revision helpful.
Studying for an important test can be a stressful time for anyone particularly if you are unprepared, ill-advised and you have left revision late.
The earlier your child starts to revise for the exam the easier it will be for them to absorb the information. Cramming in information a few days before the test can just create more stress which can hinder recall during the exam.
Obtaining past test papers
A crucial step to preparing for a test is to give priority to study material that will be of greatest use for revision purposes. To do this you must have a good idea of the type of questions that will be asked during the exam. You can obtain this information by talking to their teacher. Ask them what key areas will be emphasised in the test. Whether the test involves multiple choice or written answers and what reading material your child should give the greatest attention to.
As early as possible try to obtain past test papers for previous examinations. You should try and obtain past exam papers for a number of reasons.
1. Past test papers are excellent for exam preparation and revision. They make it possible to see exactly how the questions are structured. Get a general idea of the type of questions that will be asked and the reading material to give priority to.
2. Some questions carry more points then others and it is important that your child gives a fully comprehensive answer and insures all aspects of a question are answered. Past test papers make this process much easier as they enable your child to practice how to answer a question and not just what answer to give.
3. Managing time effectively during an exam is crucial. Past test papers make it possible to carry out timed practice tests. It is important that they learn to resist the urge to spend too much time on a single question which could prevent them gaining points on other questions. Knowing how much time and effort to devote to each question is crucial to passing a test.
Note taking techniques
When revising or writing down revision notes it is important to give priority to reading materials that are most relevant to the exam. Obtaining past exam papers will have made that process a lot easier.
Note taking is an important aspect of revision but only if they employ the rules of note taking and the notes you create are not monotonous and boring.
Notes can either hinder or help revision. Avoid linear notes that are monotonous, boring and time consuming and instead use colourful mind maps which use colour, drawing and brief sentences.
Mind maps involve images, words and symbols to represent key concepts and information in a visual form. The main topic is located at the centre with subtopics arranged around that central image. Related information is connected using branches.
Only the most important information is presented. This can make it a lot easier to review important information just before a test by quickly locating the key points that matter. It can also save a lot of time then writing linear notes which can be more of a hindrance then a help when trying to find key information before an exam.
The child should create mind maps for each topic of the subject they are revising for. They should start off creating a mind map of knowledge they can recall from memory. This is knowledge they have gained from books, notes, classroom activities and discussions. Also knowledge of the subject they may have gained from outside the classroom. It is easier to build upon pre-existing knowledge then to start from scratch.
Memory works best using images, order and association which is why mind maps are such a powerful tool.
Over time their mind map will become more detailed with drawings, keywords, and phrases representing key ideas and information.
They should keep reviewing their mind maps and try and recall as much as they can using the images and keywords to jog their memory. This will assist recall, re-enforce knowledge gained and help preserve the knowledge in long term memory.
Reviewing a Mind map.
Mind maps are great for reviewing information as they are quick to scan and the most important information stands out. Also trying to recall as much as possible for each key area using the mind maps helps to review gaps in their knowledge which can be revisited before the exam
Just before the exam they should insure they have read the exam paper thoroughly and know the requirements. Proper sleep and plenty of water before the exam will increase concentration and memory.
If they have prepared well, have studied the relevant material and have created mind maps to absorb the information and aid efficient exam revision this should greatly increase the chances of passing the exam.
Studying for an important test can be a stressful time for anyone particularly if you are unprepared, ill-advised and you have left revision late.
The earlier your child starts to revise for the exam the easier it will be for them to absorb the information. Cramming in information a few days before the test can just create more stress which can hinder recall during the exam.
Obtaining past test papers
A crucial step to preparing for a test is to give priority to study material that will be of greatest use for revision purposes. To do this you must have a good idea of the type of questions that will be asked during the exam. You can obtain this information by talking to their teacher. Ask them what key areas will be emphasised in the test. Whether the test involves multiple choice or written answers and what reading material your child should give the greatest attention to.
As early as possible try to obtain past test papers for previous examinations. You should try and obtain past exam papers for a number of reasons.
1. Past test papers are excellent for exam preparation and revision. They make it possible to see exactly how the questions are structured. Get a general idea of the type of questions that will be asked and the reading material to give priority to.
2. Some questions carry more points then others and it is important that your child gives a fully comprehensive answer and insures all aspects of a question are answered. Past test papers make this process much easier as they enable your child to practice how to answer a question and not just what answer to give.
3. Managing time effectively during an exam is crucial. Past test papers make it possible to carry out timed practice tests. It is important that they learn to resist the urge to spend too much time on a single question which could prevent them gaining points on other questions. Knowing how much time and effort to devote to each question is crucial to passing a test.
Note taking techniques
When revising or writing down revision notes it is important to give priority to reading materials that are most relevant to the exam. Obtaining past exam papers will have made that process a lot easier.
Note taking is an important aspect of revision but only if they employ the rules of note taking and the notes you create are not monotonous and boring.
Notes can either hinder or help revision. Avoid linear notes that are monotonous, boring and time consuming and instead use colourful mind maps which use colour, drawing and brief sentences.
Mind maps involve images, words and symbols to represent key concepts and information in a visual form. The main topic is located at the centre with subtopics arranged around that central image. Related information is connected using branches.
Only the most important information is presented. This can make it a lot easier to review important information just before a test by quickly locating the key points that matter. It can also save a lot of time then writing linear notes which can be more of a hindrance then a help when trying to find key information before an exam.
The child should create mind maps for each topic of the subject they are revising for. They should start off creating a mind map of knowledge they can recall from memory. This is knowledge they have gained from books, notes, classroom activities and discussions. Also knowledge of the subject they may have gained from outside the classroom. It is easier to build upon pre-existing knowledge then to start from scratch.
Memory works best using images, order and association which is why mind maps are such a powerful tool.
Over time their mind map will become more detailed with drawings, keywords, and phrases representing key ideas and information.
They should keep reviewing their mind maps and try and recall as much as they can using the images and keywords to jog their memory. This will assist recall, re-enforce knowledge gained and help preserve the knowledge in long term memory.
Reviewing a Mind map.
Mind maps are great for reviewing information as they are quick to scan and the most important information stands out. Also trying to recall as much as possible for each key area using the mind maps helps to review gaps in their knowledge which can be revisited before the exam
Just before the exam they should insure they have read the exam paper thoroughly and know the requirements. Proper sleep and plenty of water before the exam will increase concentration and memory.
If they have prepared well, have studied the relevant material and have created mind maps to absorb the information and aid efficient exam revision this should greatly increase the chances of passing the exam.
About the Author:
If you want more information on how to pass exams or you require past SAT test papers check out http://www.childs-iq.com/ .We provide SAT exam papers for English, Maths and Science for ages 5 to 14
0 comments:
Post a Comment