Getting your exam results can be a mix of feelings—maybe you’re happy, maybe you’re a bit disappointed, or maybe somewhere in between. Whatever the case, one thing’s for sure: taking the time to review your exam paper is super important. It’s not always easy to do a “postmortem” on your exam, but trust me, it’s worth it. The feedback you get from it can really change how you do in your next papers.
- Don’t Rush It
Right after you get your results, you might want to just move on. Maybe it feels too stressful to look back, you could be disappointed or even heartbroken, especially if things didn’t go as planned. It is very important that this processes isn’t rushed and once you are emotionally ready, you should go back to perform a review.
You should be ok with the process of review taking the whole day, even if you have the urge to jump into your study material again- it is always better to get back into studying with more guidance and the feedback from a past exam paper is jam-packed with guidance.
- How to perform an exam review
- What Did You Get Wrong?
Firstly, look at the questions you missed and try to figure out why. Was it because you didn’t know the content? Or maybe you didn’t understand the question? Or maybe your answer wasn’t clear? Finding out exactly where things went wrong helps you avoid making the same mistakes again.
- What Did You Get Right?
Although it may seem like a waste of time at first, looking at what you did right can provide you with important feedback of what you need to keep doing! It’s easy to focus only on what you missed, but also take note of what you performed well in. Read through your answers, read through the memo’s answer and see what about your answers awarded you the marks.
- Make Sure You Actually Learn From Your Mistakes
Don’t just glance at the memo (the exam answers) and think that’s enough. Try to actively recall the correct answers or work through a simple example related to your mistake. This helps your brain really remember the right way.
2. What was the case of your failure?
It is important to identify for each question the cause of the failure. This will help you know what to focus on for all your marks missed. It does not make sense to say all the questions you failed relate to a gap in your theoretical knowledge because this may not be the case- this is why it is important to drill down and investigate what the root cause of the problem could be.
Possible problems could include the following:
- You May Have Gaps in Your Knowledge
Maybe there are topics you need to study more of, you are misunderstanding or unable to apply them effectively to the scenario. Should this be why you failed, it is important to go back to these topics and restudy or refine the content to increase your understanding. - Your Exam Technique May Need more Work
Often, students have not exposed themselves to enough past papers to know what structure they should be answering particular questions in or they could be taking far too long on answering a question and either rushing it or not finishing the exam paper. If this is a reason you have identified, it is important to practise more questions under exam pressure to refine your exam technique. - Sentence Construction and Clarity
Sometimes students know the answer but their communication of this is not inline with what the marker is understanding. Make sure that what you write actually reflects your understanding of the topic as well as key principles. Rereading your answer after writing it in an exam is a great safeguard to confirm that what you have written is what you actually meant to communicate across.
Remember, reviewing your exam isn’t just about finding out what went wrong. It’s about using that feedback to do better next time. Take your time, look at both your mistakes and your wins, and actively work on fixing the areas that need it.
Reviewing an exam paper is an important process that requires all the time you need. Should you require assistance with reviewing an exam paper, Gap Learning offers exam script reviews: