Other types of exams

Open-book and multiple-choice exams often seem easier than essay-writing exams, but you still need to revise or you could find yourself throwing away easy marks.

Open-book exams

In an open-book exam, you don't have time to look up things you don't know – the books are just memory aids so you don't have to remember pages of information. In an open-book exam:

  • trust what you know from your revision
  • only look up key information, like quotes and formulas
  • if you're allowed, place flags in key sections to save time.

Multiple-choice exams

In multiple-choice exams, you have to recall lots of information quickly, because you can only spend a short period of time on each question.

When revising for multiple-choice exams, focus on factual information, like definitions and multi-step processes. Working with a friend and testing each other out loud is good too.

In multiple-choice exams, it's useful to:

  • read each question carefully
  • predict the right answer
  • read all the options before you pick one
  • eliminate obviously wrong options
  • spend a short amount of time on each question
  • skip questions you can't answer and come back to them later.
The key to success in exams is managing your time. When your allocated time is up, move on.
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