We are now in the thick of exam season! For most of us, this
means at least one in-person exam. These can be really daunting, especially
when we cover so much material over the course of the year. In this article,
I’d like to offer some tips on how to approach in-person exams and time
management strategies for when you are in the exam hall. I’ve used the 301
Academic Skills Centre’s website for a lot of these tips which I’ve linked
below in case you’d like to find out more from them.
Because many of us were still in school when the pandemic
and lockdowns occurred, we may be a little rusty when it comes to exams. This
might result in additional stress because we aren’t really sure what is
expected in exams, let alone law school exams.
The first thing to say is that the expectations are
different for an exam than they are for a take home assignment. Markers
understand that the conditions are totally different when you sit an exam,
compared to when you do an assignment. You have much less time to produce a piece
of work when doing an exam, and don’t have the ability to search up journal
articles or cases to refer to. Let this be a comfort! Know that you aren’t
going to produce your best work in a couple of hours, and that everyone is in
the same boat.
The second thing is preparation for exams. Do listen to what
your lecturers say about the exam in lectures; often they will go over the
format of it, and mention what sort of material will be covered. Everyone has
different ways of revising, but I think a simple pen and paper goes a long way.
Writing out key points from your notes or lecture slides is a great way to get
principles to stick in your head and to practice writing for a long period of
time. The law school also offers access to past papers, which are great to
attempt under exam conditions.
On the day of the exam, I’d recommend putting the notes away
and relaxing. Last minute cramming has been proven to be rarely helpful, and
can stress you out even more. Get to the exam hall in good time, ensuring you
have everything you need. When the exam starts, make sure to read the
instructions at least twice even if you’re familiar with the style of the exam.
Note how many questions you need to do, and make some initial choices about
which ones to answer if you have the option.
Allocate time to each question based on the marks on offer.
For example, if you have two 30 mark questions to do in 2 hours spend about 50
minutes on each one. This gives you a 20 minute buffer that you can use to
proofread at the end, or finish one that you didn’t quite conclude. Try and
stick to these self-appointed times.
A final key tip is to remember that examiners don’t want you
to write everything you know. Rather, they want to see that you have answered
the set question with a perspective backed up by solid legal reasoning.
And above all, remember that exams are not the be all and
end all – there is life outside of them! They are simply a way to show what you
have learnt over the year.
By Todd Langstaff
Wellbeing Ambassador for the School of Law
301 Academic Skills Centre Exam Techniques.
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