The insurance exams are just a week away, so whether you love them or hate them, they are something which have to be done.
Now, the important thing is to employ an effective exam technique, to ensure you secure that all important pass.
Here are some of my top tips to help you:
- Adopt a positive mind set - you have worked hard and have learned a lot about your topic; this is a great opportunity for you to share your knowledge with the examiner.
- Read the whole question paper before making a start, please remain calm as you are doing this; jot down words and thoughts that come into your head as you read. You can now identify the questions which you are going to answer first. Remember, you can answer the questions in the order to suit you - start with the questions with which you feel the most comfortable, this will help you relax and build your confidence, which will aid your memory recall.
- Answer the exam question and all of the question, don't just write everything you know about the topic. For instance, if asked to explain a principle and provide examples, ensure you also include the examples- marks will be allocated for these examples.
- Watch your time - hopefully you will have calculated how much time you should be spending on each question, based on the number of questions, the time allowed and the number of marks allocated. Ensure you stick to these times, as far as possible; don't spend a lot longer on a question because it is your strongest subject.
- Answer all the questions - if you don't attempt all the questions you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to gain marks. Just picking up a couple of marks on a question could be the difference between a pass and a fail.
- Formulae and equations - always show your working out, for example - if required to provide an average calculation, show:
Sum insured divided Value at risk X Loss
Example - £40,000 divided by £30,000 X £2000 = £1500
- Running out of time and two questions to answer - what do you do? Assuming you have some knowledge for each question, I would recommend that you answer both questions in part, you usually gain the most marks in the first few minutes of writing, with this approach you are likely to achieve a higher number of marks.
- Don't panic - if you find yourself struggling to concentrate, take a few moments, do some deep breathing, until you find your mind has relaxed and you are able to concentrate again.
- Review your paper - although it can be quite tempting to just sigh with relief when you have finished - take a few minutes to read your answers. You may well be surprised as to the extra points you can add to your answers.
- Get a good night's sleep the night before. Don't be tempted to revise until the early hours - you will make yourself and your brain too tired to function properly the next day.
- Know where you need to be and at what time - allow plenty of time to travel so that you arrive relaxed and calm.
- Drink water during the exam to keep you and your brain hydrated. There is evidence that students who stayed hydrated through drinking water benefited from higher pass results - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17741653
Remember, one or two marks gained here and there across the exam paper may seem small numbers, but they can add up to a big difference in the total score, so that all important pass mark is achieved.
I hope these tips help and we look forward to hearing about your success when the results are announced.
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