This article is culled from The Excel Guidebook for Students: how to excel in exams, based on ethics compliant principles (Fourth Edition). The Excel Guidebook for Students is published by Exam Ethics Marshal International.
THE LAW OF RUBRICS
Different question formats require different answer formats.
Examinations vary in format. Each format needs a different approach. Finding out the nature of the questions should be an important aspect of your preparation. Part of your revision exercise should be to practice the correct approach needed to answer the different question formats:
Essay questions
Short answer questions
Multiple Choice Questions
Practical exams
True or false questions
Essay questions.
Example: “Identify and discuss ten things you must do in order to excel in examinations”
Jot down the initial ideas. Just write down any idea that comes to you without trying to justify its merit or otherwise e.g. positive thinking, hard work, planning, early revision, organization, discipline, time management, staying healthy, research, praying, final preparation etc.
After jotting down all ideas, then organize them. It is at this stage that you choose the ten strongest points, while eliminating those that are out of consonance.
Do an outline of the essay. Every essay should have three parts:
– The introduction
– The body
– The summary
In the introduction, tell the examiner exactly what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. For example:
In order to excel in my examination, I must think positively, work hard, plan, start my revision early, and be properly organized. I must also be disciplined, especially in managing my time and in what I eat on the morning of the examination. I will obey all the rules and regulations of the examination.
I will neither be involved in examination malpractice nor help any other students perpetrate malpractice.
The body of your essay should then elaborate on each point. Each major point should be dealt with within a new paragraph, using transitional phrases to link one paragraph to the other. For example: “Having considered the role hard work plays in passing examinations, I now turn my attention to the importance of staying healthy” Write straight to the point using simple English.
Always summarize your essay by recasting the high point of your argument. Try and use selected phrases from the question to remind the examiner that you have addressed the topic in line with what the question demanded e.g. “I have identified and discussed in this essay ten important things every student must do in order to pass his exam in flying colours without cheating”
Short answer questions.
These are mini essay. They are designed to test your ability to think logically and concisely. The answer is normally like an introduction for a major essay, only this time a little fleshed out. The important thing here is to be concise, brief and to go straight to the point. There are no marks for waffling.
