The most important thing to do before any exam is to study, obviously. You want to ace all the tricky questions and get all the marks you can. But studying by itself isn't always enough to get you to 100%. Sometimes the devil's in the details, so we've compiled some simple tips to help ensure you don't lose valuable time or points for silly reasons.
Tip 1. You don't always have to write in full sentences. Unless it's an English exam or an essay question, try keeping your answers as brief as possible. Don't ramble and repeat half of the question back in your response:
Example 1
Question: Why is the word hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia ironic?
Don't answer: "The word hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is ironic because ..."
Do answer: "It's ironic because ..."
or even just
"Because ..."
Example 2
Question: What is an example of antidisestablishmentarianism?
Don't answer: "An example of antidisestablishmentarianism would be ..."
Do answer: "An example would be ..."
or you could just write "Example: ..."
or even "..." (just the answer)
Tip 1.5 Even though full sentences aren't always required, do still follow basic grammar and spelling rules, i.e. spell, punctuate and capitalise properly to keep everything understandable.
Tip 2. Don't use personal language in your exams, unless the question specifically calls for it (like asking your opinion on something). In other words, don't use 'I' a lot. Write professionally and keep it neutral.
Tip 3. This one seems extra obvious, but your brain can do some random things under exam pressure, so: Please don't write out multiple choice answers. Just write down the letter of the answer.
Now, the tips below are as much tips as they are sincere requests from anyone who has ever had to mark an exam, so be nice and:
Tip 4. Leave a line open between questions. If everything is bunched up you might get confused, the marker might get confused; everyone might get confused.
Tip 5. Use dark ink (black or dark blue) so that your writing is as readable as possible.
Tip 6. When crossing something out, draw one clean horizontal line through the text, ideally with a ruler.
Tip 7. Use bullet points, with each point starting on a new line, for list answers.
Tip 8. Try to focus on numbering questions correctly as much as your stressed-out brain lets you.
Tip 9. Write as neatly as you can! If your handwriting is famously bad, put in the time and effort to improve it, even just a little bit. If we can't read what you write, we can't give you the marks you've worked so hard for.
The above tips are simple but valuable, as they'll save you some time and keep things neat and legible (a legible exam is a marked exam). Don't take them for granted!
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