how to answer exam questions

Stephanie Chew – MSc, Applied Physics and Material Science (California Institute of Technology)
Head, Strategic Learning, Best Physics Tuition Singapore

How To Answer Exam Questions

Do you often find yourself going off-topic when answering an exam question to the point where you forget how to give answers to what the question really requires you to do?

Similarly, do you struggle to formulate a concise and well-structured answer to a exam question that carries many marks?

We all want to know proven techniques that can help us get the grades that we need, whether it is for school or national exams.

If so, the following steps and tips can help you improve your approach.

Answering Exam Questions: Tips for Clear and Structured Answers

BEFORE THE EXAM

  1. Be prepared. Everything starts with thorough preparation. The better you understand the course material, the easier it becomes to formulate a well-structured answer and the less likely you are to digress
  2. Pay attention to the structure and organisation of the materials in your textbooks. This will help you develop a comprehensive grasp of the subject matter. Make sure to examine the table of contents carefully
  3. Distinguish between what’s essential and what’s not
  4. When studying, focus not only on understanding the learning content but also on retaining it
  5. When retrieving the learning content, try to stick as closely as possible to the reasoning and terminology used in the course material
  6. Test yourself by thinking of potential exam questions
  7. Gather information about the exam format in advance. For example, look at exams questions that appeared in recent years
  8. Talk to your fellow students or classmates about their study strategies for processing the curriculum content. This way, you can improve your own approach to studying
  9. Analyse the exam questions and model answers provided to understand what the exam marking scheme expects. Determine whether they want a concise answer or more context and details, and the level of detail that is expected in your answer
  10. Focus on the content provided by your teacher, to avoid studying inaccurate information
  11. Ask yourself: is my answer logical and well-structured, and is my answer coherent?

DURING THE EXAM

  1. Read the exam question carefully, thoroughly, and multiple times
  2. Rephrase the question in your own words, to ensure that what you understand from reading the question is indeed what the question requires you to do
  3. Underline the key elements of the question to focus on what is being asked
  4. Highlight question words (who, what, where, when, what consequences, why, etc.)
  5. Highlight dates, names, and other important details to ensure your answer is relevant to the question, i.e. about the right person, chemical formula, etc.
  6. Prepare an outline of your ideas. Creating a draft can help you organise the structure and content of your answer
  7. Keep an eye on the time!
  8. Consider using mind maps if you regularly use them for studying
  9. You may find it easier to formulate the answer in your head first, especially if time is limited
  10. Structure your answer logically: what is your main argument, and with what facts and data do you support it? What relationships exist between those elements?
  11. Do not skip any steps, including the obvious ones. Show the exam marker that you understand the content that you had learned
  12. Consider the structure of the question. If the question has several parts, make sure to answer each part following the structure of the question. Often, there’s a logical flow
  13. Ask yourself:
  14. Did I answer the question (right person, historical period, concept, etc.)?
  15. Have I answered each part of the question?
  16. Have I answered every additional question?
  17. Have I elaborated on things that aren’t relevant to the question? If so, retain only the parts that are relevant to the question.
  18. If your answer consists of multiple parts, ensure a clear structure
  19. Number the different parts of your answer if necessary
  20. When answering essay questions, structure your response with an introduction, body and conclusion. Leave white space between each section and use paragraphs. Typically, a paragraph should consist of 6-10 sentences
  21. Announce what you are going to discuss
  22. Elaborate on your answer to the question
  23. Include arguments and examples
  24. Formulate a conclusion
  25. Emphasize the key points
  26. Do not include new information in your conclusion
  27. Ask yourself: “Have I included everything from my outline on my exam copy?”
  28. Avoid: Repeating yourself, elaborating on irrelevant topics, redundant information, overly focusing on your own opinion
  29. Include the information as it is written down in the syllabus
  30. Proofread your answer. Ideally, you should proofread your answer several times. Focus on different aspects each time, such as structure, spelling, clarity, and relevance
  31. Check whether your ideas are sufficiently substantiated through the use of examples, evidence, scientific references, etc.

MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMS:

How do I read the question carefully so that I can understand what a question is really asking?

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. When you read the question, underline key terms. Be especially careful with questions containing double negatives
  2. Break the question into smaller parts. Sometimes long questions are hard to keep up with. Read slowly, sentence by sentence, and make sure you understand each part rather than focusing on the question as a whole

HOW CAN I DECIDE BETWEEN TWO VERY CLOSE ANSWERS?

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. When you don’t know the correct response, compare each option and analyze how each is different. One response may have something that others do not have
  2. Responses that are more precise or technical are more likely to be correct. However, responses using technical terms not mentioned in the material studied are probably incorrect
  3. If unsure, select the response that seems to be more inclusive
  4. If you are guessing between two responses, avoid options containing words such as “none,” “all,” “always,” and “never.” Choices using “some” or “often” are more likely to be correct
  5. Examine opposites carefully: one is definitely incorrect, and one is likely to be correct

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH “NONE OF THE ABOVE” OR “ALL OF THE ABOVE” CHOICES?

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. Refer to the strategies for the first question above. Sometimes, these questions are difficult simply because it is hard to understand what the question is asking
  2. Read each possible option individually and decide on the correctness of each. We often become stressed when we see terms such as “all of the above” or “none of the above” and we try to read all of the responses together
  3. Choose “all of the above” when two or more choices are definitely correct. However, only one response has to be wrong for this choice to be incorrect
  4. Read each question thoroughly before looking at your choices
  5. Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible answers, this way the choices given on the test won’t throw you off or trick you
  6. Be sure to read all the answers before selecting the correct one. There may be two that are similar but only one is right
  7. Make sure you restrict your response only to the topic at hand. Don’t infer reasons- go with what was stated in the question
  8. Break the question into smaller parts. Sometimes long questions are hard to keep up with
  9. Read slowly, sentence by sentence, and make sure you understand each part rather than focusing on the question as a whole. It may help to cover part of the stem or some of the options with your hand so you can focus better
  10. Underline key words and phrases in the question
  11. Pay special attention to words that could throw you off i.e.,“which of the following is not…”
  12. Eliminate answers you know aren’t right
  13. Incorrect answers almost always contain words such as always, never, all, none and every
  14. Correct answers almost always contain words such as often, most, rarely, may sometimes be, can occasionally result in, and are often
  15. Watch the meaning of sentences containing double negatives. Cross out both negatives and then answer the question
  16. A positive choice is more likely to be true than a negative one
  17. Usually the correct answer is the choice with the most information or is more inclusive

I DON’T SEEM TO STUDY THE RIGHT INFORMATION. WHEN I READ THE EXAM QUESTIONS, I DISCOVER THAT I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWERS MIGHT BE

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. There are two parts to test taking – one is the actual taking of the test and the other is the preparation for the test. All of the test-taking strategies in the world will not help you whiz through a test if you haven’t prepared properly
  2. When you are taking the test and feel totally lost, there are still some test-taking strategies you can use. For instance, use the test itself as a source of information. Many times teachers will unwittingly supply the answer to one question in another part of the test
  3. Answer the questions that you know first and save the difficult questions for later. You can boost your self-efficacy by starting with material that you know. You also want to get marks for everything you know and not run out of time.

ESSAY EXAMS – BROAD STRATEGY

  1. Read the essay questions and do everything that it asks you to do – some essay questions contain more than one part
  2. Budget your time and begin to plan. Outline or diagram the main points you want to cover
  3. Write out examples, sources and quotes you want to use to support your essay
  4. Start with a thesis statement or idea that explains what you will be covering in your essay
  5. Write legibly. Organization, clear thinking and good writing are important. So is neatness
  6. Save time at the end so you can reread and revise your essay
  7. Keep your eye on the time. Make sure you’re not spending too much time on one answer at the expense of others
  8. If you run out of time, jot down the last few ideas in point form. Your teacher will be able to see where you were going with your answer, especially if you used an outline before you began

ESSAY EXAMS

I feel so rushed while taking essay exams! How do I avoid this?

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. You probably will feel quite rushed. Many exams you take are meant to be “speeded tests” to see how well you can work within a time limit
  2. Essay exams tend to be broad questions. When you review your notes, look for broad themes in them rather than focusing on details, unless your teacher specifically tells you otherwise. This strategy will help you predict potential questions
  3. Give yourself a time limit for each question so that you don’t devote too much time to any one part of the test
  4. If you are running out of time, finish your essay with an outline. You might get some points with an outline versus not putting anything down

MY MIND GOES BLANK DURING THE EXAM

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. Temporary lapses in concentration are common. Just because you can’t remember something at first doesn’t mean it’s totally lost to you. You might want to try glancing over other parts of the test. As you read other questions, you might see terms that will refresh your memory
  2. If you are really stuck, try to think of a title for your essay. If you think of the title, you can give yourself a perspective or a focus from which to answer the question

HOW DO I MAKE SURE THAT MY ESSAY IS ORGANIZED?

POSSIBLE STRATEGIES:

  1. Write a rough outline before you begin
  2. Writing practice essays before the test will help you sharpen your organization skills. Timing yourself while writing these practice essays will help to give you a more realistic testing situation
  3. Giving your essay a title is also a way to give yourself a focus

FILL IN THE BLANK/SHORT ANSWER TESTS

  1. These questions often ask for definitions or short descriptions
  2. Similar to essay questions
  3. Over-learn the material so that you can answer questions as fast as you can write
  4. Look for grammatical hints. For example, a sentence that begins with “an_” indicates that the word starts with a vowel
  5. Try to anticipate questions that will be asked on the test and prepare for them. Often, what your teacher emphasizes in class will be on the test
  6. If you don’t know the answer, come back to it after you finish the rest of the test and make an educated guess
  7. Other parts of the test may give you clues to what the answer may be
  8. Read the question carefully and make sure that you answer everything that it asks for. Some short answer questions have multiple parts

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