FEATURE FOCUS: EXAMS
recall in exams need to be based around pictures and then stories. Revision skills that are taught from an early age become life skills and reduce the stress and anxiety that exams cause forever.
Attention span
Another of the major problems as a product of modern living and technology, is attention spans. Everything is moving so fast, like scrolling through social media, video games etc., that lessons can seem incredibly slow compared to phones, laptops and tablets. Attention spans are now at approximately 6 seconds. I will show you what I mean – think about what you have been thinking as you read this last paragraph - 6 seconds into reading this paragraph your brain has already gone somewhere else and thought of something else, you can’t help it!
• Do the easy questions first.
These two tips are so simple, yet they are very hard to get students to execute because it feels counter-intuitive and if you have ever invigilated an exam, you will know it rarely happens. I have even had students report back to me that teachers have approached them in exams to check they are alright because they haven’t started immediately time was called. Here is what Lucy told me happened to her: “It was really funny; it makes me laugh as it happened exactly like you said. It was our mock exam for Chemistry in the main hall. I sat back and started reading through the whole paper like you said. It took me a few minutes and I sneaked a look around the room and everyone had their heads down. Then my teacher came up to me and asked, ‘Are you alright?’ I was already smiling and it made me snort out loud as I tried to stop a laugh. I was more relaxed and I could feel the stress in the room but reading through the questions – I worked out exactly what to do first.”
If everyone was taught to read the whole paper first and do the easy questions first the grades would go up from that alone! The reason is down to brain function. It’s like booting up your computer. If you turn the laptop or PC on in the morning and start hitting the buttons before it is ready it doesn’t work. Reading through all the paper first starts to unlock the files hidden in the subconscious and load them into the conscious part of the brain to use. Have you ever done a crossword, got stuck, left it for 5-10 minutes and then gone back? Suddenly you get more of the clues – the ‘files’ have to be opened just like a computer.
Then there is ‘do all the easy questions
first’. There is no advantage in missing the easy questions because of time issues. Doing the easy questions first banks marks and builds confidence during the exam. Doing hard questions first, loses time and increases stress. These two simple techniques, if practised, can provide 5-10 extra marks on every exam. How many grade differences would be achieved from that alone?! Exams are a skill, and the skills need to be taught and practised.
Revision skills
Next are the Revision Skills. Something that requires everyday training and not last minute just before the exams. When a student asks, “What
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should I do for revision?” What do you reply? The problem is, there are very few methods developed that are easy for kids to understand and follow.
Going through notes and making flashcards seems to be the go-to response, both of which can be useful but only if the techniques of making the best notes and flashcards are taught - have you even been taught how yourself? I wasn’t during my teacher training! Revision skills for exams need to be derived from how the memory works and develops recall. Memory has been shown to be triggered in MRI scans by the firing of a single neurone which then fires lots of associated neurones for you to recall your memory. Revision should follow the natural pattern of recall memory which, for exams, is pictures. Memory works very strongly with pictures and not words so copying out notes as a revision technique is a total waste of time and forgotten 6 seconds after you started. Memory is about pictures and needs to be taught that way.
Here’s what I mean: - If I say “Elephant” the first thing that pops into your head is usually a big eared animal with a long trunk. It might be Dumbo, a circus elephant, a Wild African one and then other connected elephants you have seen in the past with associated images. The thing is it is all about images not the word ELEPHANT you don’t picture in your mind the word “elephant” unless you are trying to spell it.
Revision methods that work and allow instant
There is a simple neuroscience-based technique which, if practiced, can quickly change attention span for any student. Including neurodiverse individuals and you can try it yourself – you may have found you can be listening to someone and you have drifted off while they are talking? Even if they are not boring, whatever they are saying sparks thoughts in all direction. Practice this: - As they speak say their words back to yourself under your breath verbatim and focus on repeating every word they say, you will lag a fraction of a second behind them and it is a great game! This one skill practiced on a regular basis can increase attention span from 6 – 9 seconds in a short time and make a huge difference to retention of information. It works particularly well for students who are easily distracted.
What has been mentioned here are just a small selection of key skills that I develop for students in “The Exam Slayer”.
The Exam Slayer was born out of years of experience and my aim is to provide simple steps that will help anyone with a desire for better exam results, to boost them very quickly with exam techniques, revision skills and learning methods that work fast when applied and are delivered in a way that is accessible to secondary students.
Different results require a different approach because if you don’t change something how can you expect a different outcome?
To find out more about Paul, please go to:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exam-Slayer- without-giving-screen/dp/1738510808/
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