The Sunday News
Final examination preparation
This marks the final lap of your examination preparation race. Please note that the final examination preparation should still be done within good time before the final exam. Always avoid last-minute rush as this can jeopardise your efforts.
In the examination
The greatest number of students loses valuable marks during examination. When you sit for your examination it is very important to be calm and ready to take it. The following strategies can help you realise better grades:
-Read and understand the instructions given and take note of the marks allocated to each question.
-Prioritise your choice of questions. It is a good idea to start with the questions you find easy to answer.
-Then allocate time to each question that you will answer giving an allowance for revising your work at the end.
-Think through each and every statement you write.
-Use the right terminology and avoid unnecessary jargon. Remember you ought to communicate with your examiners.
Examination instructions
Examination instructions differ from one subject to another and from one paper to another. Make it a point that you read at least twice the instructions and make sure you understand them. Avoid getting into the exam expecting the instructions to be the same as those you saw in the past papers. Examiners may change the instructions from one sitting to another for the same paper.
As you attempt each question, stop for a few moments and re-read the instructions and/ or the question. Towards the end of answering a question, stop again for a moment and recheck if you are on track in answering the question. Students often get carried away when answering questions, especially those questions they understand better but may lose track of the requirements of the question.
Never answer more questions than those stipulated by the instructions. No marks will be awarded for any extra questions that you answer. Rather this would take from you the most precious time you would have used to answer other questions or revise your answers.
Examination terminology
State
Stating is a low order objective of a question. It usually carries one mark. There is no need to write winding statements since you will not be awarded more marks than allocated.
Define
To define is to give the meaning of something, that is, what it is. In science, you can be asked a question like: Define photosynthesis. Usually very few marks are allocated to definitions. For questions with many part marks, defining normally comes on the first part, then follows other higher order questions.
Discuss
Discussion questions are very common in humanities and social sciences than pure and applied sciences. When you are asked to discuss, you should write details of the subject looking at varying opinions. That is, you may write about contrasting schools of thought, ideas for and against. At the end of your discussion, after weighing the pros and cons, let you position come out clear.
That means you should let the examiners know the opinion that you favour as justified in the discussion. Discussion questions often carry the largest number of marks, meaning that more should be said to show your understanding of the subject being discussed.
Explain
Explanations are a more critical approach to a subject being talked about. When you explain something, you are closely looking at it making it easy to understand by describing it and justify why the thing is like what it is.
Justify
To justify is to give reasons why something is the way it is. The reasons should be logical and relevant to the subject of inquiry.
Evaluate
To evaluate is to judge, qualify, or quantify the importance of something. To evaluate, you should have a clear understanding of the importance of the concept in question.
Describe
To describe is merely to write about something in order for someone to know it. If it is a process, you talk about it so that one may be able to follow the steps of that process.
Descriptions require an in-depth exposition and usually carry more than one mark. You should write statements and connect them so that your description shows the exact look of things. Students often confuse descriptions and explanations. In descriptions, there is no need for justifications but only to tell the look of the things.
Assess
To assess is to give the value or the importance of a particular situation. When you are asked to assess a particular situation you should examine the situation and clearly describe its value and or quality.
You should note that assessment is a higher level action verb which you may not qualify in only one statement.
Questions requiring assessment usually carry many marks of up to 100% in some cases.
Succeed in your next examination!
Eugine Makaya (PhD) is a university lecturer, researcher and author. Feedback: [email protected] or WhatsApp +263773208002
