Mathematics Exam Technique Tips

Here are some good bullet points to get you started. Everyone s different but the following tips worked well for me personally!

The most important thing is actually putting the time in. Many of my friends were more than capable with the work but because they didn t put the work in, the work load got too much towards exam time. So the best thing to do is to put the time and effort in from the very beginning.

Algebra is the most important part of Maths because without it, you will find it very difficult to solve more of the advanced areas such as Calculus. So if there s any holes in the algebra section, the first thing to do is to spend 100% of your time practicing and putting it right. If algebra seems difficult at first, it will get easier with more practice! Start off with some easier questions and gradually work your way to the more difficult questions. Basic things such as looking to see where you can cancel out terms and creating a common denominator is the first step. Very often an equation will look much more straight forward after you break it down.

Quite a big piece of the syllabus before University is the introduction of Calculus. The best thing to do is to start on the polynomials such as y = x^2 +2. Try differentiating and then integrating the equation and check that you go back to the same equation! After you can then try with sin, cos and tan, and then the exponentials etc.

Usually if you have a problem and you are not sure where to go, the best thing to do is to look at the formulas and try and think ahead. Try and imagine how your equation will look after you have applied the formula, and if it seems more complicated try with another one. At first this may seem very difficult but it will get easier the more times you do it.

I have noticed with many exam problems, you don t have to get the correct answer to gain most of the marks. Very often 50% of the marks are awarded for simply writing down the formula and putting a few random numbers in. These numbers don t have to be correct but as long as you apply the formula, you will also be awarded with follow through marks. Basically if you have no idea, it s best not to just abandon the problem but write down the formulas and come back to it later.

In an examination, it was always best for me to complete the easier questions first. Very often when you have successfully completed a couple of questions, you start to develop a confidence and you can then tackle the more difficult questions. I used to say to myself: what percentage do I need in this exam and can I achieve this by completing these few questions which I am comfortable with doing. This would take the pressure off and I would be able to think more clearly on the more difficult questions.

Many people say that it is all about how you perform on the day. I would disagree with that. I believe if you have done your preparation and you have had plenty of practice with past examination papers, there is no reason why you can t achieve maximum marks.

In an exam after I got more confident, I used to say to myself, how many marks do I not want to lose rather than thinking how many marks do I need to pass.

Whenever you are stuck on a problem, always ask yourself the question, what exactly don t I understand? Keep asking yourself this question and it will force you to get to the root of the problem and go forwards.

Don t hope that a certain question will not come up in an exam because from my experience whenever I have done that, the question that I didn t want would always come up. The best thing to do is to revise all topics and then you are always prepared no matter what the examiner will throw at you.

Whenever you are doing past papers, try and spend a good half an hour on the problems which you are stuck on before abandoning the question and looking at the solution. Get yourself used to being stuck on a problem and being able to figure it out on your own. If you can manage that and then get the answer right, then you will improve 10 times faster! Also there s no greater feeling than getting the answer right and knowing that you did it all by yourself!