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I know all the common stuff like read the question, check your answer after your done etc. But what are some things that you guys do during an exam thats not mentioned very much for the exams? A2 Student here ^_^
Original post by Shiv Loves Maths
I know all the common stuff like read the question, check your answer after your done etc. But what are some things that you guys do during an exam thats not mentioned very much for the exams? A2 Student here ^_^


Go into the exam prepared and you'll be fine.
I find exams go waaaaaay better when I've written all the facts I can't quite commit to memory on my hands before I go in.

But seriously, I'd say:
1) Don't be afraid to skip a question and come back to it (or not!) if you have time at the end. If you haven't made any headway after a minute or two, odds are spending another ten on it will be less efficient than just moving on and coming back to it if you have time

2) Don't ever get stressed cause you can't do a question. More often than not, you can completely ignore one question on a paper and still end up with an A* (obviously doesn't apply to humanity papers with like 2 essays).

3) If there's one question which you can't get into, do every other question and then look back at it. Because it's an exam, you know it's gotta test you on all the main topics on the syllabus. So if you've done all the other questions, you can normally work out what the question your stuck on is about, by just checking which topic you haven't been asked about yet.

4) Check the question number of each question as you move on. It'll stop you missing a question out/turning two pages without realising, which is way more common than you'd think.

Good Luck!!!!!!
Original post by Luke Kostanjsek
I find exams go waaaaaay better when I've written all the facts I can't quite commit to memory on my hands before I go in.

But seriously, I'd say:
1) Don't be afraid to skip a question and come back to it (or not!) if you have time at the end. If you haven't made any headway after a minute or two, odds are spending another ten on it will be less efficient than just moving on and coming back to it if you have time

2) Don't ever get stressed cause you can't do a question. More often than not, you can completely ignore one question on a paper and still end up with an A* (obviously doesn't apply to humanity papers with like 2 essays).

3) If there's one question which you can't get into, do every other question and then look back at it. Because it's an exam, you know it's gotta test you on all the main topics on the syllabus. So if you've done all the other questions, you can normally work out what the question your stuck on is about, by just checking which topic you haven't been asked about yet.

4) Check the question number of each question as you move on. It'll stop you missing a question out/turning two pages without realising, which is way more common than you'd think.

Good Luck!!!!!!


Lol 1 and 3 are pretty common! But thanks for the advice mate! What A levels are you doing:?
Original post by Shiv Loves Maths
Lol 1 and 3 are pretty common! But thanks for the advice mate! What A levels are you doing:?


1 is something people are told a lot, but most people still end up being too stubborn/scared/prideful to actually accept you can't do a question and skip it for the time being. And 3 is common sense; never underestimate quite how many people have no grasp of such a concept :tongue:

I finished mine last year, but I did Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Physics and History to AS. Then did Maths, Further Maths and Chemistry to A2. I take it you're a fellow STEMer?

Oh, another tip. Your exams will be UMS, so if someone asks you for revision help make sure what you tell them is wrong, but seems reasonable. Every little helps....
Original post by zetamcfc
Go into the exam prepared and you'll be fine.


Well obvously but you still need to plan an approach
Original post by Shiv Loves Maths
Well obvously but you still need to plan an approach


Not that I'm aware of. Just seems like taking time from actually preparing by doing questions.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by zetamcfc
Not that I'm aware of. Just seems like taking time from actually preparing by doing questions.


Yeah you need to be very prepared for the paper, if you weren't youre not going to do well. What I am talking about is applying what you know on to paper efficiently and clear. For example when I do an exam I always ask for spare piece of paper and put down things that I find hard to remember and also different forms of equations so they easily stick out when Im trying to solve something :tongue:
Original post by Shiv Loves Maths
Yeah you need to be very prepared for the paper, if you weren't youre not going to do well. What I am talking about is applying what you know on to paper efficiently and clear. For example when I do an exam I always ask for spare piece of paper and put down things that I find hard to remember and also different forms of equations so they easily stick out when Im trying to solve something :tongue:


Whatever helps you, this would just distract me.

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