Exams

> Essay Tips

Read Question

To most this should sound obvious, but the first thing to do is to read the entire question. Make sure that you grasp the question being asked.

Highlight The Important

Words in a sentence can be put in a different sequence to yield an entirely different question. The key here is to highlight with your pen or pencil the key question in the problem, what the unknown variable is and if applicable, how you are asked to solve it. In case you need to move on to the next question, having highlighted the important things will facilitate your task when you get back to it (if you have time).

Outline

Once you are ready to get cracking, remain patient and visualize your response. Rambling on aimlessly will only frustrate the grader. Take a couple of minutes to break up your essay into a simple, powerful and concise outline that will be easy to develop. Add specific chapters, company examples and class lecture references as you write the outline. It may be the single best investment in your exam.

Blitz

Once you start to put down your ideas on paper, do not get cute. Get the job done, but work smart.

Reread

Wishful thinking perhaps, but it is always important to reread your answer.

> Multiple-Choice Tips

Time Per Question

At the expense of breaking into panic mode, divide the time you are allotted by the number of questions you will have to answer to get a feel of how much time you should spend on each.

Move On

A mistake many students make is to spend too much time on one question. Depending on how many questions you must answer in the time frame, keep in mind that partial marks are not up for grabs in multiple-choice exams. Thus time is critical. Spend a minute reading the question, highlight the important stuff as you go along and try to answer promptly. If this takes more than a couple of minutes, move on to the next one. Every second counts.

Plug It In, Plug It In

Imagine you are given a numerical problem and asked to solve it. Many can compute the problem but a shortcut is to simply plug in the choices. Only one alternative would yield an equation. If the numbers add up, you have found your answer.

Bottom line is that you can never do enough problems.

Regardless of what happens, in the end, it's only a grade.