STUDY & EXAM
TECHNIQUES
Presentation by
MUHAMMAD
BASHEER JUMA
MUSTAFA KAMAL
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An Effective student
• Has a regular study schedule
Usually works at the same time
each day
Works mostly in a regular study
place
Works for short periods with
frequent rest breaks
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An effective student
Reviews notes soon after a lecture
Does not leave work until the last
minute
Does not get easily distracted
Does not need exams for
motivation
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PERSONAL WEAKNESSES
• LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
– LIFE OBJECTIVES
– GOAL SETTING
• LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE
• LACK OF PLANNING
• OVER SOCIALIZATION
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PERSONAL WEAKNESSES
• LACK OF PROPER PRIORITIES
• SPREADING TOO THIN
• FAILURE TO LISTEN
• PROCRASTINATION
• POOR COMMUNICATION
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Students to do
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Students to do
Imagine what you want to be
after ------years.
Assess your assets and liabilities.
(Good and bad things.)
Set your goals.
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Students to do
Determine your priorities.
Plan yourself.
Schedule your activities.
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Students to do
Change your habits accordingly.
Develop your skills.
Work hard.
Review your progress.
Document yourself.
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PLANNING
• EXAM TREND
• BOOKS SELECTION
• HOURS ALLOCATION
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PLANNING
• Weekly review
• Notes Making
• Study cards
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IF YOU FAIL TO
PLAN
YOU ARE
PLANNING TO
FAIL
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•This not
the debt.
This is
load of
books and
syllabus.
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S TU DY
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WHEN TO STUDY
• PLAN THE WEEKS STUDY AHEAD
• PLAN A STUDY SESSION FOR EACH
OF FIVE OR SIX DAYS A WEEK
• SESSIONS SHOULD BE FROM ONE TO
THREE HOURS
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WHEN TO STUDY
• HAVE A DEFINITE BREAK EVERY
HOUR
• AVOID LATE HOURS
• PLAN RECREATION AND
RELAXATION INTO YOUR TIME
TABLE
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WHERE TO STUDY
• ALWAYS IN THE SAME PLACE
• CHOOSE A WARM, LIGHT, WELL
VENTILATED ROOM
• AWAY FROM OTHER DISTRACTIONS
• PROPERLY FURNISHED
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ATTENTION and INTEREST
• REMOVE IRRELEVANT AND UNWANTED
STIMULI, e.g. NOISE, HUNGER, COLD
• PUT ASIDE OTHER PRESSING MATTERS BY
LISTING OR TIMETABLE THEM
• SUPPRESS UNWANTED THOUGHTS BY
QUICKLY SWITCHING TO TOPICS UNDER
STUDY
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ATTENTION & INTEREST
• UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE
STUDYING
• TAKE A LIVELY INTEREST IN THE
SUBJECT OUTSIDE YOUR STUDY
HOURS
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PRINCIPLES OF
MEMORIZING
• NEVER MEMORISE SOMETHING THAT YOU
DON’T UNDERSTAND
• ALWAYS TRY TO LINK NEW MATERIAL
WITH WHAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY
LEARNT
• SELECT THE IMPORTANT ITEMS TO
REMEMBER
• ORGANISE THE MATERIAL INTO A
MEANINGFUL SYSTEM
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PRINCIPLES OF
MEMORIZING
• ACTIVE REPETITION OR RECALL SUCH AS
RECITATION OR WRITING OUT AIDS
MEMORISING
• THE SEQUENCE OF MEMORISING SHOULD
BE THE SAME AS THE LOGICAL SEQUENCE
OF THE MATERIAL
• LONG PIECES SHOULD BE MEMORISED IN
SHORTER CHUNKS
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MEMORY & LEARNING
• NEVER TRY TO MEMORISE WHAT YOU
DON’T UNDERSTAND
• GO OVER NOTES, READING etc. WITHIN 12
HOURS OR WRITING, READING etc.
• MASTER EACH TOPIC BEFORE LEAVING IT
• START EACH SESSION WITH A REVIEW OF
THE PREVIOUS SESSION
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MEMORY & LEARNING
• OVER LEARN. DON’T STOP WHEN
YOU HAVE ONLY JUST LEARNT
SOMETHING
• SELECT IMPORTANT POINTS TO
LEARN
• ORGANISE SELECTED ITEMS
• USE ACTIVE RECALL (RECITATION
OR WRITING) TO AID MEMORY
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MEMORY & LEARNING
• KEEP YOUR MATERIAL IN A
LOGICAL SEQUENCE
• BREAK UP LONG PIECES INTO
MANAGEABLE CHUNKS
• USE RHYTHM WHEN LEARNING BY
HEART
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MOTIVATION
• KEEP YOUR VOCATIONAL AIM IN
MIND
• HAVE CLEAR AND REALISTIC GOALS
FOR EVERY STUDY SESSION
• CHECK YOUR PROGRESS AT EVERY
SESSION
• READ AROUND YOUR SUBJECT
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UNDERSTANDING
• TRY TO REORGANISE THE MATERIAL IN
THE WAY WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU
• LINK THE NEW MATERIAL WITH YOUR
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE
• LOOK FOR EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE
THE TOPIC AND OTHER THINGS
• ASK: DOES THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE
CHANGE MY OLD IDEAS
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UNDERSTANDING
• ASK: WHERE COULD THIS NEW
KNOWLEDGE LEAD? WHAT
CONSEQUENCES DOES IT HAVE?
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UNDERSTANDING-
SUMMARISED
• ALWAYS AIM FOR UNDERSTANDING
• PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING BY
REARRANGING MATERIAL,
QUESTIONING THE IDEAS AND
LOOKING FOR LINKS WITH OLD
IDEAS
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WAYS TO BETTER
THINKING
• UNDERSTAND ALL THE EVIDENCE
AND THEORIES
• LOOK FOR STATEMENT WITHOUT
EVIDENCE
• CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE EVIDENCE
• LOOK AT YOUR EXAMPLES - ARE
THEY TYPICAL?
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WAYS TO BETTER
THINKING
• TAKE YOUR ARGUMENT TO ITS
EXTREMES
• AVOID EMOTIONAL WORDS AND
PHRASES
• CONSIDER YOUR TOPIC FROM ALL
POSSIBLE ANGLES
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REVIEW
THE REVIEW STAGE IS THE
CHECKING WHICH FOLLOWS
RECALL. LOOK BACK OVER THE
CHAPTER AND CHECK THAT YOUR
RECALL WAS CORRECT. MAKE A
SPECIAL NOTE OF ANY IMPORTANT
POINTS WHICH YOU FAILED TO
RECALL, OR WHICH YOU WRONGLY
RECALLED.
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PREPARATION
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BEFORE THE EXAM
• PREPARATION PRESUPPOSES GOOD
STUDY TECHNIQUES AND HAVING
PLANS WITH:
– OBJECTIVES
– TIMETABLES
– REVISION SCHEDULES
• IN THE EXAM HAVE PROPER
EQUIPMENT WITH YOU
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PLAN YOUR ANSWER
• STUDENTS WHO TAKE THE TIME TO
STOP AND THINK DO
CONSIDERABLY BETTER
• FOUR TO FIVE MINUTES THINKING
THROUGH THE KEY POINTS (ABOUT
EIGHT) WILL SUFFICE
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PLAN YOUR ANSWER
• MINI MINDMAP IS GOOD METHOD OF
BRAIN STORMING AND PLANNING
YOUR ANSWER
• A PLAN GIVES RISE TO A
LOGICALLY, WELL STRUCTURED
AND CONCISE ANSWER
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READ THE QUESTION
• READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY A
FEW TIMES UNTIL YOU KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT IS REQUIRED
• NOTE ANY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
e.g. LIST, DETAIL, ADVISE, EXPLAIN,
REPORT etc.
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PRESENTATION
• PRESENT THE EXAMINER WITH
PARAGRAPHED MATERIAL WITH
HEADINGS UNDERLINED FOR
EMPHASIS
• FOR QUESTIONS REQUIRING
DISCUSSION HAVE AN
INTRODUCTION, A MIDDLE AND
PROPER CONCLUSION
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PRESENTATION
• WATCH YOUR GRAMMAR,
PUNCTUATION, HANDWRITING AND
SPELLING
• IN THE NUMERATE SUBJECTS YOU
WILL GET MARKS FOR THE CORRECT
METHODOLOGY EVEN IF THE
ANSWER IS WRONG
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PRESENTATION
• USE A LISTING TECHNIQUE WITH
NUMBERED POINTS
• USE LABELED DIAGRAMS AS
APPROPRIATE
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ANSWER THE QUESTION
• ANSWER THE QUESTION & NOTHING
BUT THE QUESTION
• READ THE QUESTION SLOWLY,
DELIBERATELY AND CAREFULLY
REALISING THAT EVERY WORD IS
IMPORTANT
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RELATE THEORY TO
PRACTICE
• USE PRACTICAL EXAMPLES TO
ILLUSTRATE THE POINTS MADE
• DO TAKE AN INTEREST IN WHAT IS
GOING ON ABOUT YOU IN GENERAL
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ANSWER ALL THE
QUESTIONS/PARTS
• ANSWERING ALL QUESTIONS SHOW
THE FULL COVERAGE OF THE
SYLLABUS
• MORE QUESTIONS/PARTS YOU
ANSWER THE GREATER THE CHANCE
OF PASSING
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ANSWER ALL THE
QUESTIONS/PARTS
• LEAVE SPACE AT THE END OF THE
ANSWERS TO CATER FOR IDEAS
• START EACH ANSWER ON FRESH
SHEET
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IRRELEVANCE
• AVOID IRRELEVANCE AT ALL COST
• EXAMINERS WANT PERTINENT
FACTS AND THEORY RELATED TO
THE QUESTION
• DON’T USE TAUTOLOGICAL
STATEMENTS
– e.g. ACCRUED EXPENSES ARE
EXPENSES WHICH ARE ACCRUED
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OVER-LEARN KEY
DEFINITIONS
• IDENTIFY THE IMPORTANT
DEFINITIONS FOR EACH SUBJECT
AND LEARN THESE BY HEART
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PLEASING THE
EXAMINER 52
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EXAMINATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME
PLANNING TO ATTEMPT THE PAPER
1. READ “REQUIRED 2. FIND CLUE 3. UNDERLINE THE CLUE 4. PRIORITIZE
5. OUTLINE AS FOLLOWS TIME FOR 1-4 10 MINUTES FOR 5 15 MINUTES THEN FOR EACH 1 MARK
ALLOCATE 1.5 MINUTES LAST 5 MINUTES FOR REVISION
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WHAT AND HOW
• MARKS YOU WILL OBTAIN FOR
YOUR ANSWERS WILL DEPEND NOT
SOLELY ON THE CONTENTS BUT ON
TWO FACTORS
– WHAT YOU ANSWERED
– HOW YOU ANSWERED
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LOOK CRITICALLY AND
NOTE THE FOLLOWING
POINTS
• THE ARRANGEMENT IS PLEASING TO THE
EYE
• THE INK IS BLACK AND SHARPLY
PRINTED
• THE TYPE IS LARGE ENOUGH TO READ
• APT SUB-HEADINGS ATTRACT YOUR
ATTENTION TO THE MAIN DIVISIONS OF
THE CHAPTER
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HELP THEM TO HELP YOU
EXAMINERS HAVE TO WORK UNDER
SEVERE HANDICAPS:
• NOISY SURROUNDINGS
• LONG HOURS OF CONTINUOUS
CORRECTION
• EYE STRAIN
• CRAMPED OR UNCOMFORTABLE
POSTURES
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HELP THEM TO HELP YOU
• WORK THAT IS MONOTONOUS
• IRRITABLE OR MOODY
TEMPERAMENT DUE TO THE STRAIN
OF EXAMINATION CORRECTION
WORK IN ADDITION TO THEIR
NORMAL DAY WORK
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HEED THESE HINTS
• GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION WITH A NEAT
AND BOLDLY WRITTEN COVER PAGE
• FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY
• WRITE ANSWER NUMBERS IN MARGIN,
BOLDLY AND ACCURATELY
• DON’T USE COLORED INK FOR THESE
NUMBERS
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HEED THESE HINTS
• BE LEGIBLE
• USE A DARK INK AND MEDIUM
POINTED NIB
• DRAW NEAT AND LABELED
SKETCHES WHERE REQUIRED
• LEAVE SPACE BETWEEN
SUBSECTIONS OF ANSWERS
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HEED THESE HINTS
• START EACH NEW ANSWER ON A
NEW PAGE
• STICK TO THE POINT, DON’T ADD
IRRELEVANT MATTER, POINTLESS
JOKES AND LONG ANECDOTES etc.
• BEFORE ANSWERING SPEND SOME
TIME PLANNING OUT THE POINTS
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HEED THESE HINTS
• USE SHORT SENTENCES AND SMALL
PARAGRAPHS
• WATCH YOUR SPELLING
• GOOD PUNCTUATION HELPS QUICK
READING AND PREVENT
MISUNDERSTANDING
• NEVER APPEAL TO THE EXAMINER
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PRAY
• Pray to Almighty Allah for the success in
the examination
• If you follow the study and exam techniques
properly, you can be sure that you are fully
prepared for the examination
• GOOD LUCK !
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