THE AIB EXAM GUIDE July 2011

©Australian Institute of Business

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V3-1July2011

GUIDE TO EXAMINATIONS This guide has two parts:  Preparing for exams  Taking exams It has an appendix with an example exam answer with comments about why it was so good. PREPARING FOR EXAMS   Make sure you have noted the correct date, time, duration and place for the exam. Start a revision schedule for the exam several weeks beforehand – many rehearsals is a key to success and if you have not planned to set aside time over many days to rehearse and rehearse, you may fail. Prioritise the material to be studied by looking at the core issues and the questions in past exam papers. To prepare an answer to a likely question, make up a plan in note form, to outline of how you would answer a likely question, using headings and sub-headings. Use diagrams and acronyms to emphasise the linkages or associations between concepts because associations help memory. Think about one or two examples that you will use to illustrate your mastery of the concepts – location, size and so on. Make sure you take at least one five-minute break every study hour, and do not study too late on the night before the exam (about two or three hours should be OK). Do a quick review of your notes on the morning of the exam to freshen your memory. Take a spare pen or biro to the exam room.

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TAKING EXAMS   Choose a seat away from the aisles and the invigilator’s desk (where early finishers hands in their booklets), to reduce distractions during the exam period. Read the exam paper instructions carefully to ensure you know how many questions have to be answered and if any are compulsory. This reading includes the very important Examiner’s Ruling. Then, read all the questions and decide on the ones you will answer. Allocate your time for each question (and for each part of the question