How to prepare for your exams and end-of-year assessments
It’s almost time for your end of trimester exams and end-of-unit assessments (EoUAs)! With so many of these now taking place online, we have some advice on how to prepare for success this end of unit assessment period.
What to do beforehand
Make sure you understand the requirements of your examinations or EoUAs. You can find this information on your unit site.
Most importantly – relax. Look after your mental health and try to keep yourself stress-free and calm before an exam. Check out the Developing exam confidence page for detailed advice and techniques.
Prepare your space and computer setup
If you are sitting an online exam, you should make yourself ready in your chosen exam location with sufficient time to check your environment and equipment. You can help to make your online exam as smooth as possible by preparing early and knowing what to expect.
Before the EoUA period commences, you should:
- read the exam rules (find them on your CloudDeakin unit site)
- watch the Get Online Exam Ready video
- read the how-to guide
- do the Try-It-Out exam to test your setup
- know what to do on exam day
- know how to get help during the exam if you need it.
If you are struggling to find a suitable location to sit your exam, the University is offering limited spaces on campus for students. You must fill out and submit the Expression of interest to sit Trimester 3 exams/end of unit assessments on campus form no later than Wednesday 7 February to be considered for these arrangements.
Don’t rely on open-book access
Having access to notes and relevant texts during your online exams or EoUAs may sound like a dream come true, but there are some pitfalls you should keep in mind.
Deep knowledge not simple facts
Your online exams and EoUAs are designed to test applied knowledge rather than memorised facts and figures that you can easily look up. Also, the tight timeframe will make it impossible to scour your unit text or check your notes for every question. Imagine your precious exam time ticking as you find the relevant resource, read it until you understand, and then apply the concepts to a complex question.
Resource access limits
You also need to be prepared as some of those resources could be library e-books that publishers have locked down to a few users at a time – and you might miss out! We recommend reviewing these resources well in advance and preparing your notes with the information you need. That way, you don’t need to rely on having digital access during your online exam or end of unit assessment.
Time goes by fast
When you’re logged in to the online exam or EoUA, you will want to spend that time figuring out what the questions are and then applying the knowledge you gained during the trimester to answer them. The notes and resources you need should only be referenced when you’re really stuck.
How to prepare
The Study Support team has put together a range of resources to help you prepare for your online exams and final assessments. You can visit their site for more information.
We suggest you:
- find and read relevant texts or articles now
- take plenty of accurate and meaningful notes
- save any documents you will need into one clearly labelled folder.
For any problems getting access to relevant resources or for tips on managing that information, get in touch with the library. We are here to help you succeed.
Good luck with your exams and final assessments!