How to ace the upcoming IGCSE and IB exams: the revision and exam-day strategies students need
- Exams demand students apply knowledge under the stress of test conditions. Preparation is key, whether the subject is a science, social science or language
- Knowing what’s being asked and how to answer different types of question is vital, as is having examples you can cite. And there’s no substitute for practice
Recently, a 16-year-old student who takes her IGCSE exams in a few weeks asked me: “What exactly do you mean when you say I need to focus on exam-answering techniques as I revise for my exams, Mrs Hazari?” So, I was compelled to write about winning revision and exam strategies.
Put simply, exam-answering techniques are how your child applies what he or she knows under exam conditions.
Most IGCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) exam-going students are aware of the need to study to the command terms in the syllabus.
It is imperative that science students go into the examination hall knowing, for example, that “compare” means they are required to state similarities and differences. A “describe” question requires them to support observations with data. And they need to sift through their body of knowledge and construct responses differently to questions that ask them to discuss and explain.
In biology, students are taught topics independently, but they are required to integrate concepts and make connections across the syllabus. Thus when reviewing, for example, characteristics of Kingdom Fungi, they should endeavour to recall and review fermenters in which penicillin is extracted from a fungus, and the process of fermentation that requires anaerobic respiration of yeast.
Jargon is the backbone of biology, so articulating answers using scientific terminology is a must.
Mike Li, who teaches mathematics, reminds students that, “while maths is a test of concepts, knowledge is built through repetition”. “Practise papers with your formula booklet so you are familiar with its content and, perhaps more importantly, the formulas that are absent,” says Li.
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During the examination, recognise that some problems will have easy and difficult parts. Endeavouring to procure partial credit is key to maximising marks. Any problem with a “Show that” statement indicates that sub-parts of the same question can be done later if you are stumped. “And, if you find yourself explaining your lack of a solution in words, stop and move on,” says Li.
Harrington suggests students list out all topic areas and ensure they have a case study for each, in the run-up to their geography exams. Case studies must include: where, when, what happened, what response there was and how successful it was. Students should then create simple groups comprising of lists of key points. Issues might be grouped by economic, social, political and environmental factors, for example.
During the exam, Harrington reminds students to structure points according to a clear plan. “A useful approach is by scale – global, continental, national, regional and local.”
Gary Hadler, who teaches economics, suggests students ensure they are able to define all key terms and know all significant economic theories well. Properly labelled diagrams that carry explanations directly beneath them are useful, both for learning and illustrating ideas. During the exam, students should provide examples to back up main points, but they should be kept short.
Sue Smith prepares students for English exams and suggests they reread novels, play and poems. She advises students to organise quotes by each text and then make subgroups of quotes for major themes and the main characters.
“It is useful to make essay plans for all the past questions,” she says.
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Essay writing is crucial to success in psychology, as well. “Practise, practise, practise,” advocates Ruth Puentespina. “You will regret it if the first time you write an essay will be in your exam.”
Have your AMRCs (Aim, Method, Results, Conclusion) ready to answers questions on case studies. She finds GRAVE (Generalisability, Reliability, Application, Validity and Ethics) to be an effective and easy way to evaluate research studies.
Students should practise different kinds of physics questions, says Peter Wan. It will allow them to identify which of the question types – i.e. multiple-choice, short-open, open-response, calculations and extended-writing questions – they need more practice on.
He reminds students of unfamiliar contexts in the questions and the need to apply their knowledge from the main topic areas to those questions. An easier way to do this is to examine the list of formulas given in the exam paper, and then relate the most suitable formula to the context of the question.
Pragya Trivedi believes chemistry requires a thorough understanding of concepts to solve the indirect and unique questions asked with graphs, data and investigations, where application of knowledge is essential to come up with reasonable answers. The ability to explain concepts to others is a test of one’s own understanding, says Trivedi.
Finally, Harrington advises students: “If something is relevant to an answer, include it. Exams are positively marked so you can’t lose marks if you’re wrong. The ultimate exam crime is leaving an answer space blank.”
Anjali Hazari is a retired international-school biology educator who has taught for three decades in Hong Kong. She continues to tutor and write extensively on education policy and practice
