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.
Additional resources
