As I watch the creaky blades of the ceiling fan turn and create the breeze that makes my room bearable, I am keenly aware of the tens of thousands of students who, at this very moment, might be lying on their beds, anxiously staring up at their own ceiling fans (if they are lucky) or cursing the absence of one (if they’re not), or, of course, breaking out into a sweat even in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. All because of that dreaded — or painful — ‘E’ word: examination.
Of course, there are many for whom the word prompts nothing beyond a dull and familiar ache, having been through scores of preparatory tests and coaching sessions, all aimed at producing that much-desired perfect score. If you have an excellent memory and the ability to cram innumerable details into your head, those MCQs are bound to be an easy ride. Practice in test-taking does have its advantages.
But then there are exams of the other kind, where you are expected to (actually) write several sentences in response to a seemingly simple question, where you are expected to not only arm yourself with the information provided in textbooks and class notes, but also add analysis and throw in your own considered views. This is generally the case in social sciences and humanities, where reproducing content is not as important as demonstrating analytical and critical thinking. “Cracking” such an exam may take a different approach; simply “mugging” from the textbooks or doing a bunch of sample papers may not be sufficient. Some instructors provide study guides and a question bank that can give you a sense of what to read and how to read, and how to think about the material.
By and large, questions that demand longer answers are trying to get at one of three things: your knowledge of the material (how much do you know?), your understanding of the material (how well do you know it?), and your ability to apply the concepts contained in it (what are its uses?). Occasionally, the examination may also test your capacity to go beyond what was taught by asking questions that get you to think broadly and place your learning in perspective.
Strategy
While studying for such an exam, therefore, it helps to pay attention not only to the information you have gained from the course, but also to the ways in which this information is linked to broader questions. Depending on the subject, these broader questions may have to do with the natural or the social world. You should also be able to develop your own ideas on these questions. This requires you to think a little beyond the information and the analysis and articulate what you think about it all, and why.
Clearly, this kind of preparation doesn’t happen in an overnight cramming session. It needs you to be processing the information over time, making good detailed notes, and, most importantly, thinking about it all, at a deeper level.
While writing the examination, you should take a little time to consider the questions carefully and strategise your approach to answering them. Try to distinguish between content questions (that come from course texts) and analysis questions (that ask you to talk about the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the content) and also opinion or perspective questions (what do you think about all this and why). Figuring out this expectation saves you from providing unnecessary information and helps you focus on just what is needed.
Despite what you may have heard about answers being judged on the basis of length, avoid the temptation to write pages and pages filled with long sentences, thinking that bulk will impress the examiner. What does impress is a clear idea of what the question demands and delivering it — in just the right dose. No more, no less.
REFERENCE:
April 23, 2017.Different strokes.The Hindu.retrieved from
http://www.thehindu.com/education/different-strokes/article18190055.ece
