Take a breath and prepare for VCE exams

VCE exams are fast approaching, but teachers say it’s not too late to get more prepared.

We’ve gathered advice from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, teachers and high-scoring students. Here are some simple strategies on preparing for exams.

In the lead-up to the exam

Don’t try to cram. Draw up a realistic timetable that takes all your subjects into account. Try studying in 20-minute chunks, allow time for exercise and relaxation, and make sure you get enough sleep. Put together notes on each of the key knowledge and skills set out in the course design.

Read previous exams and do at least three or four to revise. The 2021 All-Round VCE High Achiever, Olivia Voulgaris, says she did about 50. If you’d like more, speak to your teachers.

Work in a study group, check each other’s answers and discuss ideas. Read assessors’ reports. Voulgaris says it helps you find clues as to what assessors look for.

Some high-achieving students recommend waiting to do practice exams in test conditions until you feel comfortable with the content; others say to do them open-book style to help you identify which areas you find difficult.

Try the ‘‘traffic-light’’ method: highlight things you know in green, yellow for ‘‘unsure’’ and red for ‘‘no idea’’, so you know where to focus.

Teacher Dave Browning recommends using flashcards, getting someone to quiz you or trying Quizlet to memorise quotes, dates or key study topics.

Make sure you are physiologically ready for the exam and eat healthily to avoid sugar highs and lows.

Prepare for different kinds of questions

Ensure you read the examination specifications on the VCAA website. It will guide you as to what you will be marked on. Prepare for your individual exam: multiplechoice and short-answer questions, extended responses or questions with stimulus material. Are you prepared for what you might get?

What to bring to the exam

Make sure you have two or three spare pens. If you are allowed a calculator, make sure you bring the right one and know how to use it properly. Check if you are allowed a bound reference book/ sheet for your maths exam.

If you are allowed, bring a dictionary and ensure it is not annotated, highlighted and doesn’t have tabs.

If it is an external exam, you will need your student identification. Also bring a ruler, pencils (at least 2B), highlighters and a sharpener. Water must be in a clear bottle that is no more than 1.5 litres.

What not to bring

If you bring your mobile phone or any other unauthorised devices, such as watches that can receive or send information, they could be confiscated for up to three months.

During the exam

Take a deep breath and use your reading time effectively. Some students plan during this time, others use it to answer multiplechoice questions in their heads.

Some teachers advise students to read the question three times: once during reading time, again when attempting it and lastly when checking their answer.

If you are stuck on a question, mark it, move on to the next and come back to it at the end.

Keep track of the time. Calculate how long you have to answer each question. Don’t leave the room early. If you have extra time, double-check your answers.

Don’t cheat. It doesn’t work, and you’ll get caught.

Keeping COVID-19 safe

VCAA is reviewing provisions for students who need to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19. The authority will provide more advice.