EXAMINATION ANSWERS:

The majority of courses require students to write exams at some point. The format varies considerably from short answers e.g. one paragraph per question; to long answers e.g. three pages, when there are four questions to answer in one three-hour exam.

The usual preparation for exam questions is to look at past exam papers. The majority are available through LISA. In some cases lecturers will look at them with you in class.

It is important to remember that for any piece of writing, being complete and correct is still really important: remember these points:

• always write an introduction and conclusion even if it's only one sentence
  
  
• put the title at the beginning of the question – this can help you keep focused on answering THAT particular question
  
  
• make sure you understand what the examiner wants you to do (click here for glossary of common exam terms)
  
  
• for any longer answer write yourself a plan to give a structure to your answer: don't just ramble on!
  
  
• always give yourself time to finish writing and have another look to correct any obvious mistakes: missing words, spelling, punctuation etc.