Running The Gauntlet: Mastering Your Short Answer Exam - Mvorganizing.org - Knowledge Library
Running The Gauntlet: Mastering Your Short Answer Exam – Mvorganizing.org
Master the middle ground with these tips‚Ä¶By Charles Hand.
Short answer questions (SAQs) require precise yet informative pieces of information to direct questions. This style of exam distributes marks over many of questions; so it‚Äôs not the end of the world if you don‚Äôt know an answer. If you do get stuck, do as any student does in a tight spot: give it your best blag!
Find out what you need to know. Look at the specific learning objectives for your course. This will ensure you know exactly what to revise and won‚Äôt waste precious time.
– Use flashcards and summary documents. As you revise, build a mental bank of buzzwords and make sure you know your definitions, dates and lists. This will help you learn the key facts, as you will often only need a few words to answer each question.
Never leave a question blank. SAQs can be answered so quickly that it‚Äôs always worth putting something down. If you really don‚Äôt know, mark the page and come back to it; you may find a clue or something that jogs your memory later in the paper.
– Make a quick plan. If the question says ‚ÄúDescribe how‚Ä¶‚Äù rather than ‚ÄúList the 5‚Ä¶‚Äù you will need to write a little more than usual. On this longer type of question, making a mini plan will help you get the key points across and save yourself time and space.
– Don‚Äôt write everything you know about the topic. Work out exactly what the question is asking and address that specifically. You won‚Äôt have time or space to waffle. Remember: there are no marks for the right answer to the wrong question!
Image: The U.S. Army/ Timothy L.