Student Gateway

• Writing Skills
• Referencing
• Communication Skills
• Study Skills
• Time Management
• Maths Skills
• Exam Preparation
• Managing Stress
• International Student Resources
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Contact Info

Learning Development Service
Student Guidance Centre

Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 3618

E-mail: lds@qub.ac.uk

Office Hours

Normal hours are Monday-Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Evening and Skype appointments are available upon request.

2011 Teaching Award Recipient



In preparing for your exams it may be helpful to consider different areas regarding study skills. Time management, for example, can be a crucial skill when facing several exams and trying to find time to study while also working part-time. It is also good to consider different learning styles; approaching revision in different ways and incorporating different learning styles may improve what you are able to remember and recall in the exam. More tips regarding these issues can be found under our different academic skills sections on the left. There are also exam preparation workshops scheduled during the semester and the possibility to book a one-to-one to speak to one of our tutors regarding exam preparation. Below is a short checklist to start the preparation for your exam:

CHECKLIST

• Check Queen’s online and emails to make sure you have all the updated information on your module and exam timetable
• Make a list of your exams, dates, times, rooms, duration and what you need to bring
• Check the assessment criteria in your module handbooks
• Can you find out how marks are allocated?
• Be familiar with the exam format. How many questions do you have to answer? What style of answer; essay, short questions, multiple choice?
• List the topics you need to cover
• Rate how confident you are on each topic (0-10)
• Use a revision plan to see what time slots you have available - Click here to download a revision timeplanner.
• Look at past papers and practice defining what the question is asking you to do. Past papers are a good way of checking how effective your revision has been. Also practice your approach to answering questions. Spend a couple of minutes reading over the question. Plan your answer and jot down key points you want to include.
• Go over any feedback you have had that will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses in exams. Do you spend too much time on one question, do you forget to plan your answers and leave out key information, do you sometimes not answer the question being asked?
• Test yourself – it is useful to use past papers for this, or set yourself mini quizzes, and work with other students who you work well with
• Recognise unhelpful thinking that is causing you to feel anxious
• Recognise stress and when it is becoming unhelpful
• Be familiar with where the exam room is,  have a look at it beforehand so there are no surprises on the day