Core Exam SKILLS | PERFORM in EXAMS

Developing
Core Exam SKILLS

Exam SKILLS Can be Learned

Effective and robust Exam SKILLS are critically important, allowing you to respond to your best to all the challenges presented by any exam.

Students taking exams commonly report difficulties doing as well as they know they can, whether as a result of anxiety and stress, various mishaps, mistakes, poor decisions during an exam, or the effects of poor preparation and / or overconfidence leading up to an exam.

Exam SKILLS take many forms and every exam taker needs to ensure that their own Exam SKILL set is as effective and robust as possible.

The good news – Exam SKILLS can be learned . . .

Exam SKILLS need to appreciated as real and practical SKILLS. Exam SKILLS respond to learning and practice. Exam SKILLS can be improved over time. With the right focus via coaching, and SKILLS development workshops, Exam SKILLS can be improved significantly.

Better Exam SKILLS =
Better Exam Results

ExamFIT Workshops – Why and How

What can you expect of ExamFIT Workshops? The ExamFIT objective is simple and practical – to build effective and robust skills key to success in exams.

The ExamFIT Workshops are tailored specifically for different exam takers, for Leaving Cert, Junior Cert, and anyone taking college or professional exams. ExamFIT Workshops benefit anyone who finds exams challenging or who simply want to ensure that they do their very best in exams.

ExamFIT Workshops are not subject grinds. ExamFIT Workshops aim to equip exam takers with the necessary Exam SKILLS to prepare positively for exams and to perform more effectively and reliably well in the exam room. ExamFIT Workshops develop the confidence and composure needed to do your very best in your exams.

‘For the things we have to learn
before we can do,
we learn by going.’

Core Exam SKILLS

Knowing Your Exam SKILLS

Every exam taker has strengths and weaknesses across the core Exam Skill set. It is critical that each exam taker both understands his / her strengths and weaknesses and takes appropriate steps to strengthen their Exam SKILL profile as much as possible.

Assessing Your Learning

Assessment is one of the most powerful and under-used tools in education. Anyone preparing for and taking exams needs to be able to rely on their own ability to assess their learning and use that assessment in managing their study, their learning, and their exam strategy.

Preparing Properly

Knowing how to prepare properly for exams is a critical Exam SKILLS. Preparing for exams properly goes beyond study. The skills involved in being EXAM READY are both practical and learnable, with focus and practice. Preparation improves performance!

Thinking Positively

It can be very difficult to stay positive about your exam preparation and management over many long months of preparation and anxiety. Yet being able to maintain a positive perspective and, if unsettled, to regain positivity are skills that are critical to succeeding in exams.

Managing Anxiety

There are very few exceptions to there being anxiety and stress in and around important exams. While a little anxiety is helpful, too much can be disruptive. Managing anxiety and overcoming its disruptive influence is a key survival and performance skill for exam success.

Managing Panic Attacks

Lots of exam takers report experiencing panic attacks before and during exams. Having a panic attack in an exam is always difficult and can be very disruptive to exam performance. Exam takers can – and need to – learn to manage and overcome panic attacks.

Reading Questions

Carefully reading exam questions is itself a key Exam SKILL. Exam takers often misread exam questions. Examiner reports consistently note this ‘failure’. It is very hard to do well if all the detail and sense of an exam question are not clear and are not addressed in the answer.

Overcoming Exam Blocks

Experiencing an exam ‘block’ is a common experience. Any exam block can cause anxiety and prove to be very disruptive. Time is lost. Pressure builds through the exam. Exam takers can learn how to overcome blocks and how to minimise effects on performance.

Harvesting Marks

Getting marks in an exam is an art in itself. Exam takers have access to marking schemes. Preparing well for an exam means knowing what marks are availabel and what answers will get results – MARKS. Exam takers can learn how to harvest the available marks.

Managing Time

Managing time in the exam room is a very common problem. Time pressure arises for a variety of reasons, some predictable and some down to events and decisions on the day. But time management can be learned and improved and is critical to exam success.

Completing Exams to Time

Very often exam takers leave exams early. Making good use of the available time is always productive. The practice of reviewing and checking answers is a valuable Exam SKILL in itself. Knowing how to use ‘spare’ time productively is a critical Exam SKILL.

Completing Exam Papers

Examiners commonly observe that exam takers often do not complete exam papers. Sometimes this is a result of time management. At times, it reflects a choice – not to attempt questions or to rely on doing well in some questions rather than attempting the full paper.

Solving Exam Room Problems

Being prepared for anything that can happen in an exam room is critical for getting through exams successfully. Not being able to problem solve in an exam can lead to anxiety and poor performance. Exam takers can learn how to be prepared for all exam challenges.

Performing to Expectations

Managing expectations coming in to an exam can be a very big challenge. All exam takers have their own expectations of their performance and their results. Poor management of exam expectations can be very damaging. Exam takers can learn how to manage their expectations.

Achieving Results

Exam takers are looking to get results in exams. Learning how to achieve results in exams is a core Exam SKILL. All exam takers can learn how to improve their ability to take exams and to achieve their exam targets. Better Exam SKILLS lead to Better Exam Results.