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Posted May 22, 2013

7 Most Common University Exam Mistakes

Tips From Academics

Exam time can be the most stressful part of any degree, and with so much pressure on one set of exams, you need to ensure that your exam technique does not end up costing you marks and letting your final grade down. We have compiled a list of the 7 most common university exam mistakes that academics have pointed out; fix these and you will be one step closer to your dream degree.
 

Spelling and Grammar

Spelling and grammar is one of those things that some people struggle with and others don’t. If you need to brush up on yours, reading lots of academic thesis and research papers can be a great way to tune in to the language required and to improve upon your spelling and grammar. This is not something you want to drop marks over.
 

Carelessness

We are all responsible for carelessness from time to time, but the key to eradicating it from your exam paper is to ensure that you allocate enough time to properly check over your answers.
 

Too Much Focus on Word Count

It is obvious to an examiner when you are writing because you have something to say and when you are writing because you are trying to fill up the word count. This will not get you any extra marks, so think carefully about what you are saying and ensure that there is a specific purpose to it otherwise you are simply wasting your time.
 

Regurgitating Material

The best grades go to those who are able to put across a strong and unique voice in their writing, and not just to regurgitate material from text books and lectures. This means putting across the facts but backing them up with your own opinions and views.
 

Lack of Reading on the Subject

Students who are too selective in their revision and do not cover a wide range of topics relating to their subject may find that they lose points in exams for showing a lack of overall knowledge on the subject. Give plenty of time for revision to ensure that you are confident on the subject and have a wide knowledge that will be able to cope with any questions that may come your way.
 

Poor Planning

Planning is vital to the success of your exams, so before you panic and start writing within seconds of opening the paper, read through everything, make a plan, and allocate time to every question plus some extra for checking at the end.
 

Not Reading the Question Properly

Just about the worst mistake you can make on your university exam paper is not reading the question properly. Postgraduate exam questions are intended to make people think carefully under timed conditions, and are often worded to ensure that students do not simply see the keywords of the question and write a pre-planned response to it. Think about exactly what the question is asking for and what type of response is required. This is key otherwise you will be writing the answer to a question that was never asked!
 

Do you have any exam tips? Share them with us!
 

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