Taking Examinations in Psychology:A Guide for StudentsAuthors: Julie Hulme, Erica Lucas, Jenny ColeTable of Contents1. General Exam Advice31.1 What will this booklet help me with?31.2 Why do we have exams?31.3 A note on exam nerves and being prepared31.4 Where to begin?41.5 What should I use for revision?41.6 Getting organised41.7 What are the best revision strategies?51.8 What about past papers?51.9 What else should I do before the exam?52. Taking Essay Answer Exams62.1 Planning62.2 Structuring your answer72.3 What if I dont finish in the time I allowed myself?82.4 What if I dont finish in the allotted time for the exam?82.5 Check your work83. Research Methods Short Answer Exams and Multiple Choice Exams83.1 Preparation83.2 In the Exam9Taking examinations in Psychology1. General Exam Advice1.1 What will this document help me with?Some examination techniques and strategies will work well across several subject disciplines; however, some particular skills are required to succeed in Psychology. This pamphlet is designed to help you to improve your general skills and to understand what is required in Psychology. You may find it helpful to refer to other study guides. Examples include: Cottrell, S. (1999). The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Heffernan, T.M. (2000). A Students Guide to Studying Psychology. Second Edition. East Sussex: Psychology Press. Chapter 7. (Strongly recommended). Tracy, E. (2002). The Students Guide to Exam Success. Buckingham: Open University. If you still have concerns about examinations when you have read this booklet, you should consult your personal tutor for advice.1.2 Why do we have exams?Exams are designed to test your working knowledge and understanding of the subject, under time pressure. They are useful to tutors, because they know that the work you produce is your own. Exams also encourage students to learn intensively!1.3 A note on exam nerves and being preparedMany students become nervous before exams. There are no “magic tricks” to make those panicky feelings go away but the following may help: Good preparation - knowing you are well prepared can help you to feel more confident and so can help to reduce anxiety. Organise your time devise a realistic timetable and stick to it. Allow time for relaxation, and times for other activities (sleep, shopping, coursework, hobbies, etc.), as well as time for revision. Try to organise your learning throughout the course, and to study topics as they occur this will mean that you have relevant materials, and will make revision easier. It is easier to re-learn material you are already familiar with than to start from scratch under pressure. Start revision early Cottrell (1999) recommends starting work 4 weeks before the exam. Dont worry that you will forget work you do this early you should go over it again nearer the time anyway. Avoid non-stop study you will be more efficient if you take regular breaks. Prioritise sleep! finish work and schedule some relaxation time before bed each night. Dont procrastinate and dont allow yourself to be distracted. Check that you have all the materials you need for revision pens, paper, books, notes, food, coffee? If necessary, unplug the phone! If you live in a noisy environment, you may find that soft background music helps you to concentrate, although this doesnt work for everyone.If you really cannot cope, seek help sooner rather than later you may wish to talk to friends, family, or your personal tutor. If several of your friends feel the same, set up a study group to help with preparation and to provide mutual support. 1.4 Where to begin?The first thing to do is to consult your module guide. This is the source of several useful pieces of information! If the information you need is not given in the guide, consult the module leader. Which topics from the course will/will not be included in the exam? What format will the exam take? In other words, how many questions are you required to answer? How many questions to choose from? Is the exam structured in such a way that you are required to answer questions from every subsection of the course? What type of answer is required essays or short answers? (Essays are usual for theoretical Psychology modules). This will help you to decide how many topics to revise, and at what level. Past papers may be useful here.Knowing what to expect will help you to plan your revision appropriately.Use the information you have obtained from the module guide to help you to decide which topics you will revise. If you must answer 2 questions and only revise two topics, you cannot guarantee that the two topics you revised will come up. Choose more topic