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the exam: Long term planning Types of exams and exam questions
There are many types of exam questions used at university and you need to prepare for different types of questions in different ways. To prepare well for your exams you should enquire about the nature, length and value of each exam so that you can allow adequate time and effort for your preparation. Check assessment details in your course materials and with teaching staff. You may find it useful to record relevant information for each exam so that you are clear about what the exam will cover and when and where it will be held. This information will help guide your preparation for the exam.
Some different types of exams questions, with a brief description, are listed below. For each type, you can use the link to additional suggestions relating to this type of question, how you can best prepare for it and practical strategies for answering the question:
§ Multiple choice questions offer a range of choices from which you select the most appropriate response.
§ Short answer questions require answers of up to a paragraph. The nature of the questions may vary. Some questions may test you recall of information, others may test your ability to apply concepts to new situations.
§ Essay questions require you to write an essay type response to a topic. Essay questions may be arranged in sections in the exam paper which reflect different sections of the course.
§ Open book questions allow you to bring and use reference materials in the exam room.
§ Take home questions are questions that are given to you to take away and complete and then return within a specified time e.g. 24 hours.
§ Seen questions or open questions are given to you before the exam to allow time to plan responses. In the exam you may have to answer a limited number of questions selected from the range you were given before the exam .
§ Oral questions are used to test oral language skills. Typically they are taken individually.
§ Practical questions test your practical skills and techniques usually in laboratory, clinical or field settings.There are differences in the learning you need to do for different types of questions. Your previous experience of exams may mean that you have developed very good approaches for some types of questions but but not for others.
If you are tackling new types of questions, find out about your lecturer's expectations as well as the exam requirements. The timing and duration of your preparation will be determined by a number of factors. For example, if your exam is worth a high proportion of the overall grade, you would be wise to prepare throughout the semester. If it's worth a small percentage of the grade you may decide to study intensely in last few weeks, but you'll need to lay the groundwork for that study in the way you take notes and file your work throughout the semester.