exams: Memory tips techniques and strategies
 

Studying for exams: tips, techniques and strategies

Here are a number of different ways to study for the exams. You're sure to find some methods below that will suit your way of studying and help you pass.


Good study methods


Write model answers

First find out what sort of questions to expect in the exam

You may find information about this in the course material and/or on the course page.

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Once you know what sort of questions to expect, try to predict possible questions

Read through all the course/learning materials and mark possible questions.

Read the information on the course page - are there any pointers there?

Read all emails and posts from the lecturer/tutor - are there any hints or tips there?

Work through old exam papers to see what sort of questions were asked in the past. But - remember to check if the course has been revised or the format of the exam has changed before relying too much on old exams papers.

Make a list of all the possible questions that you have identified.

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Work out model answers to your questions

Start with brainstorming (perhaps use a mindmap for this).
Sort out/order your ideas.
Decide on an outline and write it down.
Then fill in the gaps.

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Practise writing your answers

As most of us don’t spend a huge amount of time writing any more, sitting down and writing non-stop for a few hours (as you have to during an exam), can be very tiring.

To prepare, simulate exam conditions and practise writing as fast as you can.

Time yourself. Are you writing fast enough to finish the exam in the allotted time?

Remember, not all pens are equal.

Try out a number of different pens and spend some time writing fast with them. You’ll find some pens are far more comfortable to hold than others. Once you've found one or two types of pen that are right for you, buy a few so you don’t run out at a crucial time. If you find your hand gets very tired and sore, try swapping pens – this might help.

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Summarise, using key words

Summarising reduces the amount of material you have to remember while helping you to learn

Once you've studied a section, reduce the main ideas to key words that can be memorised.

Start by deciding on the main (most important) idea in each paragraph.

Tip: ask yourself: 'What is this paragraph/section about?'

Rewrite the main idea in your own words;

then reduce it so you're left with a short sentence.

Then write a few key words (the supporting details) under each main idea.

You can also use this technique to help you remember your model answers,

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Distillation and re-creation

First 'distil' the material by reducing it to manageable chunks

Identify the key words.

Underline or highlight them.

Then re-create the information by

Re-telling it in a different way (paraphrasing it) and/or

Summarising it, using your own words.

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Reciting aloud

Read key sections aloud – listen to yourself

Read each section three or four times and listen carefully. Pay attention to what you're saying.

Hide the page from view.

Recite the main points from memory.

Check to see if your recall was accurate.

Repeat these steps until you can recall the information easily and accurately.

Try recording what you say and play it back, perhaps in the car while
you’re driving to work.

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Test yourself

The key here is using your own words

If you think you know something, but can't put it into you own words, you probably don't know it well enough.

Being able to explain something in your own words is the only way to be sure that you really understand it and know it well. It's also one of the best ways of preventing exam stress.

Set a ‘model’ exam and try it under ‘exam’ conditions; practise writing to a time limit and use your own words to answer the questions.

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Post-its

Use Post-its to help you review/remember important facts or key words

Stick the Post-its up in places where you won’t miss them: next to the bathroom mirror, on the fridge door, next to the coffee mugs, etc.

Each time you see a Post-it, briefly review the information.

Move the Post-its around so you don’t become so used to seeing them that you no longer notice them.

Use different coloured Post-its and coloured pens, symbols, etc. - this helps you to remember.

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Flashcards

Studying with flashcards is a form of active learning.

Using flashcards to revise forces you to think about the material and do something with it rather than just reading it. And this definitely helps you remember what you are studying.

How to use flashcards for studying

As you're working through your learning material or reviewing your notes, identify and note any questions you could be asked.

Tip: You could try imagining you're teaching the course: what questions would you ask in the exam?

Note any terms, concepts or formulas, etc., that you need to learn.

Write each question, term, concept and/or formula on a separate flashcard.

Write the answer or explanation on the other side of the card.

Use your own words whenever possible.

Shuffle the index cards so you can't figure out any answers based on their location in the deck.

Look at the card on the top of the deck: Try to answer the question or explain the term.

If you know it, great! Put the card at the bottom of the deck.

If you don't know the answer, look at it, and put the card a few down in the deck (so it'll soon come up again).

Keep working through the deck of cards until you know all the answers.

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Use your 'spare time'

Carry your cards with you everywhere you go so that you can take advantage of any spare time you may have - test yourself while you're waiting in a queue, on the bus or train, getting dressed in the morning, or any odd moment you can think of.

You’ll be amazed at how much ‘extra’ study time you have and how much more you remember!

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Study with a friend

Teaming up with a friend, fellow student or study group (face-to-face or online) has many advantages

Try bouncing ideas off one another.

Help one another with difficult concepts.

Motivate one another.

Study buddies can also quiz one another – each one draws up a list of questions to ask their study buddy.

Try ‘teaching’ one another – teaching is a great way to learn. It’s also a good way make sure that you can explain something in your own words.

If you don’t have a study buddy, try ‘teaching’ a family member or a friend, or perhaps ‘man’s best friend’ (or even the family cat).

The very act of talking about the work will clarify your thinking/knowledge and will reveal any gaps or weaknesses that require your attention.

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Knowing More & Remembering it Longer

Remembering Strategies

Select

Select what you want to remember.

Ask the teacher

Examine your class notes

Read the text assignments

Study the handouts

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Remember

Choose your techniques that will help you remember.

Visualize

Associate

Apply


Repeat

Use mnemonic devices

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Review, Read, Recite, Rewrite

Use these techniques to keep what you want to remember in your memory.

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Using Mnemonic Devices to Remember Information

Rhyme. A rhyme is a poem or verse that uses words that end with the same sound. Example: Thirty days has September, April, June, and November. All the rest have thirty-one except February which has twenty-eight.

Acronym. An acronym is a word that can be pronounced that is made by using the first letter of other words. Example: The names of the five Great Lakes in the U.S. form the acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).

Abbreviation. An abbreviation is a group of letters made from the first letter of each word to be remembered. Example: FBI is an abbreviation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Acrostic. An acrostic sentence or phrase is formed by words beginning with the first letter of each word to be remembered. Example: The phrase very active cat might be used to recall the three typed of blood vessels in the human body: veins, arteries, capillaries.

Pegwords. A pegword is a word that helps you remember something by forming a picture in your mind. Pegwords are used to remember lists of things. Each pegword helps you remember one thing. If you memorize 10 pegwords, then you can use them to remember 10 things. If you memorize 20 pegwords, you can remember 20 things.

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Using Repetition to Remember Information

You have probably used repetition many times without realizing it. Anytime you have read, said, or written something a number of times to remember it, you have used repetition. A good way to remember information when using repetition is to read, say, and write what you want to remember. For example, if you need to remember a list of words and their definitions, here is how to use repetition to do this:

Read aloud the word and its definition. If you need to, use a dictionary to help you pronounce a word.

With your eyes closed, say the word and its definition.

Without looking at the word, write the word and its definition.

Repeat the steps until you can write the word and its definition from memory three times without an error.

Do this for each word on the list.

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Four Ways to Forget

Disuse. Information not periodically used withers and disappears. Do you remember all of your previous telephone numbers?

Interference. It is easy to confuse materials that are similar and related. When confused, we are more likely to forget which is which. Learning two similar foreign languages at the same time may present some problems.

Repression. We have very strong systems of belief. Sometimes what we learn doesn't fit with what we believe. When in conflict, odds are our beliefs will win. Believing that we are no good at remembering names will make it all that much more difficult to learn new names.

Not learning it in the first place. This is probably the number one culprit in forgetting. Even if we've been exposed to something, unless we solidify the learning we are not likely to remember it.

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Taking Objective Tests

If you are taking an objective test (multiple-choice, true/false, or comparable type), you will probably achieve your best results by following this procedure:

Read an item through quickly, with high concentration, and answer on the basis of your first impression.

Then re-read the item, asking yourself what it really means and expressing its thought in your own words.

Ask yourself if your original answer still appears correct in light of your close analysis of the item, but do not change your answer because of a mere doubt.

Always keep in mind that your instructor is not attempting to trick you in the questions. They are designed to measure your knowledge of a subject, not your ingenuity in solving verbal puzzles. So don't out-smart yourself looking for devious, tricky interpretations and ignoring the obvious, straightforward meaning.

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Essay Tests

In taking a test where you are to write answers in your own words, observe these guidelines:

Read the question carefully. Then re-read it and express its meaning in your own words. Check each word in the question to be sure that your interpretation omitted nothing important. To give a satisfactory answer to a question, you have to correctly understand what the question is asking.

Answer the questions you know first. This way you will be sure not to use all your time puzzling over questions you do not know the answers to, and then run short of time for writing answers you know well.

Outline your answer on a piece of scratch paper before starting to write it in full. In this way you can organize your thoughts and check your answer against the question for possible omissions. Writing from your outline, you can present what you know more clearly and completely than you could if you just started writing down your thoughts as they came to you.

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Write with a good pen, or a well-sharpened No. 2 pencil, so that your writing can be easily read. Also, watch your penmanship, spelling, and punctuation.
Read over your answers after you have finished your paper, checking for thought and completeness, as well as for spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. All these factors are related to your mastery of course material. What is involved in answering a question "completely" is determined by the question's wording and the preferences of individual professors. From the number of questions on the test and the amount of time you are allotted, you can form a rough approximation of how fully you should answer the questions.


Count your questions and answers before you hand your paper in to be sure you did not overlook anything. Be sure your pages are in correct order so the instructor will not have to shuffle through them trying to sort them out.

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Preparing for Finals

At least a week before exams, shift into overdrive by beginning an extensive review. Set up a detailed time schedule for the remainder of the semester.

Attend all classes as instructors often use the last few classes prior to an exam to summarize, review, and clarify.

Prepare summary sheets, one set for text and one for lecture.

Pick out the most important facts.

Organize information into categories in a manner different from the way you first leaned it. For example, History is chronological, so try organizing your notes under headings that emphasize time instead of themes.

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Review summary sheets and include key words for important facts.
Recite information orally - ACTIVE learning is essential! How you store information determines how well you retrieve it, so use all your senses when reviewing.
If you must cram, resist trying to memorize too much material. Select only a handful of facts even at the risk of leaving out something important.

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During Exams

Arrive early and remember to BREATHE!


Read and listen to directions.

Skim the exam and plan your time.

Answer the easy questions first to build confidence and create momentum. You may work the test from back to front, answering the last question first.

A question you can't answer can be skipped, often another question will trigger your memory or provide that elusive answer.

Answer all questions.

Save a few minutes at the end to go back over questions you skipped, to review your answers and look for careless mistakes.

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Plan a definite time for studying every day. This will discourage procrastination and prevent a pile-up of work. Studying every day, even for a short period of time, keeps you from falling behind. Prioritize your list and begin completing the most difficult material first.

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Predicting the amount of time you need for each assignment causes you to work smarter as well as harder and more productively. By keeping track of the actual amount of time you spend on your assignments, you are more likely to concentrate and less likely to become bored.

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Time yourself to see how long it takes you to read five pages of your textbook. This will help you determine the amount of time needed to complete a reading assignment. Because a textbook is loaded with information, you may have to read some sections more than once. Even instructors have to reread material. Allow time for reflecting and thinking about what you have read.

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Reading assignments are usually completed and due prior to the instructor lecturing on the material. Take a little time before class to review the material so you are ready to participate in class discussions and are prepared for any quizzes.

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Adopt a textbook reading strategy, (like SQ4R), or whatever works for you. Pay attention to charts, diagrams, and special "boxed text" areas. They are definite aids to understanding the material.

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Every time you study, spend at least ten minutes reviewing the material from your previous study session. These "refresher shots" are part of the secret for long-term memory retention. This habit of frequent review also results in less time needed for studying prior to a major exam.

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Know the percentages! We retain:

10% of what we read

20% of what you hear

30% of what we see

50% of what we see and hear

70% of what we talk about with others

80% of what we experience personally

95% of what we teach to others

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Study during the day. You are probably less efficient at night.

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Study for 30 to 40 minutes and then take a 5-minute break, or if your concentration and discipline will allow, study for 50 minutes and take a 10-minute break. Get up walk around, stretch, drink some water, or eat a light snack. Taking regular breaks refreshes your mind so you can concentrate better, finish faster, and retain more.

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If you do study at night set a "stopping time" for yourself. This "time frame" will encourage hard work in anticipation of the clock going off. You may even set a goal for yourself to complete an assignment before the time limit. This increased impetus may help you to concentrate.

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Do not cram the night before a test. Distribute your review in half-hour segments over a period of days. If you do not adopt a structured study schedule, you will not master required course material and you will set yourself up to fail.