Effective assessment planning

The final year assessment period, for many students, is the scariest of time of the whole year. “So many deadlines, so much to do – where to start?!” It can all feel a bit overwhelming. But, if you do it right – make a plan and stick to it – you can be the master of the exams!

My top tips are based on the tried and tested methods I used as a student. Others are those that students have told me works for them over the years. Hopefully they are useful to you.
 
My first top tip, before we start, is that it is never too early to hand in an assessment or start revision. The earlier you start and submit an assessment, the more you will feel in control. The stress of submitting an assessment is something you can normally avoid if you plan well.  
 
They key to doing well in your assessment period and managing all the different deadlines is making a good plan and sticking to it. You should make your plan as early as possible, to give you plenty of time to carry it out and in case anything comes up that throws your plan off course. In other words, build in contingency. The plan should be week-by-week. It should include the dates/times of all your deadlines and exams. It should also include clear tasks that you intend to complete by particular times/dates (your personal deadlines). 
 
My plans usually look like this:

Four weeks before assessment or exam

• organise notes and handouts 
• identify revision topics (for exams). For exams with two questions, I recommend preparing for two really well, with a third reserve (in case one of the others don’t come up)
• identify and locate resources you might need (e.g. books from the Library or past papers)
• review previous assessments and feedback (formative and summative) 
• make a realistic revision timetable (see below) 

Two/three weeks before assessment or exam

• Complete your reading (approximately six-eight articles/book chapters per ‘topic’ or assessment), note taking, and review of lecture/seminar topics as related to the assessment or chosen exam topics
• Make consolidated notes – this should be the ‘core’ knowledge you want to make sure that is in your head for the exam, or the ‘core’ knowledge and evidence you want to put into an essay
• If the assessment is an essay, start writing it (aim to finish the ‘writing’ one week before the deadline)

One week before assessment or exam

• Use the extra time you have built into your plan to catch up if you have fallen behind
• Build essay plans for the questions you want to answer in the exam
• A few days before the exam, set up the exam conditions yourself and complete a past paper, using your chosen questions, under timed conditions. Do it without notes. This will help you identify areas you need to do further revision on. It also helps you feel more comfortable when it comes to the real exam and writing under time pressure
• If the assessment is an essay, review and finish the bibliography and citation (read aloud to check for errors). Submit as early before the deadline as you can. Take the stress away

Night before/on the day

• Never try to do revision the night before or directly before an exam. The information will not go in. It will only make you feel stressed. Instead, the night before have a nice dinner, do something you enjoy, and go to bed early. The day of the exam stay calm

During the exam

• Take a breath – sit for a minute before opening the paper. Try to keep calm!
• Open the paper and look at the questions
• Select your question(s)  
• Make a detailed paragraph plan before you start – including examples, theory, data, quotes etc. – that you can refer back to when writing
• Write! Divide the time equally between the questions
• Remember, it is the quality of an answer, not the amount of information about the topic you know, the marker is interested in
• Make sure you always provide a conclusion

These tips may not be applicable to everyone, and if you are in doubt you should always reach out to your personal tutor or module convener.

Dr Kathryn Woods is Dean of Students at Goldsmiths and a visiting research fellow in the Department of History.