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The Challenge of Examinations
Examinations are used by educationalists as part of an extensive assessment programme. They assist us to assess our students' knowledge and skills.
We use many other instruments of measurement including class projects, speeches and presentations, performances, class tests and individual tests. However it is clear that examinations are the most reliable form of summative assessment across a large cohort of students. They provide consistency, reliability, and are a valid method of assessment on this scale, hence the School Certificate (Year 10) and the Higher School Certificate (Year 12).
Students can feel intimidated by the process of examinations, leaving parents feeling powerless to assist them. I encourage you to talk to your Year Level Co-ordinator or class teacher for guidance and individual help.
However there are a number of ways to encourage your son or daughter to enjoy the challenges present in the examination process.
- Encourage your child to view examinations as an empowering process of sharing their knowledge and skills with their teacher. Teachers want students to succeed.
- Teachers set examinations to test, not trick. They use the material and skills taught in class as a basis for each examination.
- Regular practice in examinations is essential for final (HSC) success. Students need to view this as part of training for academic success. They can learn more about their examination strengths and weaknesses from each examination.
- Examinations are also a test of perseverance. Ensure that your son or daughter is well rested, hydrated and has eaten a good meal before an exam. The brain functions better when we care for it.
Students can adopt these techniques in the exam room:
Read the exam instructions carefully, checking on the format, time limit, number of questions to be answered, and the marks for each question.
Skim through the whole paper to gain an overview (reading time is often allocated for this). This is also a time to breathe deeply, to relax your body and your brain!
Follow the instructions on the examination paper exactly. To avoid panic on the day, you can ask your teacher for these instructions before the exam.
Divide your time equally between all questions in terms of distribution of marks. (For example, if a question is allocated only 5% of the total mark, then you should only allocate 5% of the total exam time to answering it). Many examination papers have suggested time usage. Use these as a guide.
Answer every question that the paper asks you to.
Read each question carefully so that you focus on the question asked. Be careful to read the question for its overall meaning and purpose, rather than just identifying the topic and then writing down everything you know about that topic.
Answer the questions in order of your preference (e.g. answer the questions that you feel most confident with first, or perhaps you prefer to attempt the harder questions first to get them out of the way).
Examination stress:
It is important to know that exam stress is very normal. A small amount of stress is part of performing at our best!
The quickest and most effective way of eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close your eyes and take several long, slow, deep breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole nervous system. Simultaneously you could give yourself a mental pep-talk by repeating to yourself I am calm and relaxed or I do know how to do well. It is advisable to rehearse this and feel the stress leaving your body before the exam. It really does work!
If your mind goes blank, don't panic! Panicking will only make it harder to recall information. Instead, focus on slow, deep breathing for about one minute. If you still can't remember the information then move onto another question and return to this question later.
After the exam, don't spend endless time criticising yourself on where you think you went wrong. Often our own self assessment is far too harsh. Congratulate yourself for the things you did right, learn from the areas where you know you could have done better, and then move on.
Examination stress is not hereditary! Don't share your exam disaster stories with your child. We can all learn to approach exams proactively and perform well.
From 1999 - 2006 I was a member of several NSW Board of Studies examination committees. The process of setting and marking examinations is transparent - the Board of Studies uses the syllabus to set exams using familiar language and examination techniques. These are found in the subject syllabus which is available on the Board of Studies website. Staff rely on these documents to define their teaching programmes.
I encourage you to visit the sites below for more information (some of which was used in this article).
http://www.tntisland.com/exams.html
And finally I begin to have such a success in my examinations that I found myself in a career you see.
Victoria de los Angeles
Mrs Heather Norton
Principal