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Home Home and Family Parenting How To Revise For Tests Using Exam Test Papers And Mind Maps
How To Revise For Tests Using Exam Test Papers And Mind Maps PDF Print E-mail
Written by Daniel Wilson   
If you are about to take a test or you are helping your child study for an exam then you may find the following tips for exam revision helpful.

If you are about to take a test or you are helping your child study for an exam then you may find the following tips for exam revision helpful.

Revising for exams can be a stressful time for both younger and older children. Also for parents anxious that their children will do well. It is important therefore to prepare early.

Preparing for the exam is a process that should not be rushed. Memory and comprehension are inextricably linked so revision should be based on hours of study and comprehending the material is crucial to remembering it.

Obtain past exam papers

A crucial step to preparing for a test is to give priority to study material that will be of greatest use for revision purposes. To do this you must have a good idea of the type of questions that will be asked during the exam. You can obtain this information by talking to their teacher. Ask them what key areas will be emphasised in the test. Whether the test involves multiple choice or written answers and what reading material your child should give the greatest attention to.

Another important way of preparing your child for a test and helping them revise efficiently is to obtain past test papers.

1. They will enable your child to see how the questions are structured and how the answers are marked. Also what areas to focus on when revising for the exam.

2. If the test papers involve written questions rather then multiple choice some answers will carry more marks then others. The more marks that are rewarded for each question usually the more points that have to be given for that answer. It is important your child dedicates the right amount of time and written material to each answer. Past test papers enable your child to see how to answer a question and not just what answer to give.

3. Obtaining past exam papers will enable you to test your child against the clock. It is vital your child manages his or her time effectively during the exam. Getting every question correct but partially completing a test paper can still result in a fail. Using past test papers enable you to carry out practice timed assessments to establish how they should manage their time during the exam and how much time they should dedicate to each question.

Note taking techniques

Revision involves 3 fundamental steps. Firstly planning and managing your time effectively. A timetable can be useful for this. Secondly focusing on what matters. Past test papers will have made it easier to concentrate on key areas most likely to be asked during the exam. Thirdly writing notes efficiently that can also be reviewed quickly before an exam.

Dont let your child get bogged down writing too many notes from books. In fact its best to avoid writing linear notes altogether. These can be monotonous, boring and difficult to recall.

The most effective notes are those that utilize colour, drawings and highlight the key topics that make it easy to locate the information that matters.

Mind maps involve images, words and symbols to represent key concepts and information in a visual form. The main topic is located at the centre with subtopics arranged around that central image. Related information is connected using branches.

Mind Maps are very effective note taking techniques due to the way that mind maps arrange and present information. Images and drawings are much easier to remember and the branches on the mind map help the mind to organize and associate related information which is crucial for recall. Also the most important information is easier to find and scan quickly making it easier to review information quickly before an exam.

The child should create mind maps for each topic of the subject they are revising for. They should start off creating a mind map of knowledge they can recall from memory. This is knowledge they have gained from books, notes, classroom activities and discussions. Also knowledge of the subject they may have gained from outside the classroom. It is easier to build upon pre-existing knowledge then to start from scratch.

Memory works best using images, order and association which is why mind maps are such a powerful tool.

As they revise for the test their mind map should become more detailed with keywords, pictures, and phrases representing key ideas and points.

They should keep reviewing their mind maps and try and recall as much as they can using the images and keywords to jog their memory. This will assist recall, re-enforce knowledge gained and help preserve the knowledge in long term memory.

Reviewing before the exam

Mind maps are great for reviewing information as they are quick to scan and the most important information stands out. Also trying to recall as much as possible for each key area using the mind maps helps to review gaps in their knowledge which can be revisited before the exam

Just before the exam they should insure they have read the exam paper thoroughly and know the requirements. Proper sleep and plenty of water before the exam will increase concentration and memory.

Knowing what to study by gaining as much information as possible before the exam can save a lot of time. Good note taking and exam preparation should significantly improve the chances of success

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