Exam / revision techniques

Thanks for your honesty Clare. Also just so you don't think I'm totally nuts I am taking a full 6 months off the day job, but I think I'll go mad if I don't keep my hand in with something during that time - hence an hour and a half a week of lecturing I am hoping will be managable after those first couple of weeks or so (once I can be sure of being showered and dressed by 5pm!!!!). I also feel a bit of a responsibility towards students and don't want to leave them abandoned for long!

Thanks also for making me realise that I needed to get a move on and get some plans done for September - you inspired me to get some work done and funnily enough did a couple of worksheets last night to get the students to read some research papers in a more targetted way.

I hope you find it easier to focus on just the two for November - it should give you a bit more confidence, but if you are not going to go back for a new year of study this year please speak to your centre about what support they can offer in terms of revision sessions for retakes, just so that you have some structured study in there as well. You don't want to break the habit of learning and doing homework, because you may find it harder to get back into next year.

Good luck (not that you'll need luck any more!) and let me know how you do.

Claire

Hi Clare

I am in total empathy with you! These are the first CIPD exams I have sat, PDS 2nd year : PMD, ER and PR and failed all three? I intend to re-sit in November however, after reading the examiners' reports - which helped put things just a little more in perspective, I have decided to spend money on getting personal exam feedback. This, I hope, will identify any exam or knowledge weakness and try to plan my revision and practice exam technique around this exam feedback. I have also decided to postpone my final year to concentrate on the revision and to begin my Management Report. I will let you know how useful the personal feedback was if you're interested?

You have received some very good advice which I intend to follow - so thanks to everyone's posting.

Perhaps the CIPD could arrange workshops of their own on exam technique through their branches rather than through course centres?

If anyone out there has failed the exams I have taken and would like to get together in a study group and live in the Herts/Cambs/Beds area please contact me?

Finally, good luck Clare - if you need any help on your next level of study (and I have passed the exams) contact me through the Herts branch.
Cheers
Elaine

Elaine, you make an interesting point about the CIPD arranging exam technique workshops but what do you pay your fees to your centres for? As a tutor I feel a strong sense of responsibility to my students to send them into the exams as prepared as they can be, and in fairness as prepared as they want to be, given the revision the students wish to put in. Tutors can't do everything for their students - but after my first year of teaching I can honestly say I was more nervous about this years exam results than I was when it was just my own!

It is disappointing that not every student has that but I would definitely see that as a basic responsibility of the college/study centre, rather than the CIPD. The CIPD hold conferences for tutors/ programme co-ordinators to share feedback on the exams, so it should be possible to pass that on and influence their teaching methods/content accordingly.

Hi Elaine,

I would be very interested to hear how useful your exam feedback is. I have heard very mixed views on the subject.

Good luck for November!

I have failed the Managing Information (part of the old Core Management syllabus) exam three times. The last time I sat it was in May 2004 and have since given up taking the view that clearly this is a subject I am destined never to grasp! Each time I have tried different learning methods, the first time I sat the exam I was going to college in the evening with a tutor who assumed everyone in group had the capability of completing degree level maths! Not helpful if maths is not your strong point. The last two times were on a home learning programme, but that still didn't seem to do the trick. Luckily I have a very sympathetic boss who has not pushed me into taking it a forth time so I have decided to take a break and think about what to do next. Anyway, I paid £50 for one of the 'personalised' examiners reports and have to say that I didn't think it was worth the paper it was written on. It was really no different to the generic examiners reports you can download off the CIPD website. It certainly didn't help me understand where I was going wrong each time which for me, was what I needed to know!

Hi Julia
Sorry to hear that you have been unlucky in taking exams but glad that you're taking the time out to re-think what you want to do.

Interesting - in what you have to say about the personalised examiners report(s). As there were no written details of what a feedback report contained, when I contacted the exam team for information, I was informed that the report would contain feedback on each section of the exam, how I performed and what would have gained me a 'pass' mark. Were you asked for 'feedback' on what you thought of the report etc etc? It would be interesting to know how many students request feedback and pass exams as a direct result of this?

Have a good break and I'm sure you will make a decision that is right for you.
Thanks
Elaine

Hi Claire

I failed 2 modules last year Managing Information for Competitive Advantage and Managing for Results I have gone back to college but yet again I am struggling!!! I have found a dictorphone has really helped however I am nervous as I can do the assignments just not the exams I have found I do not understand the way the questions have been written

So don't worry you are not the only one!!!

Hi Gemma,

Don't forget that it is just a game. The examiners write the questions in a reasonably consistent style so familiarise yourself with as many practice questions as you can, and spend time on interpreting the questions before you even think of trying to put any content to an answer. It's a bit like the difference between hearing what someone says and listening to it - read as though you are listening not just hearing. Does that make sense? I think a lot of students struggle because they answer the question that they wish they had, rather than the one the examiner wanted answered. That is "just" technique, but can be practiced. If you can master the technique of reading the questions you'll have more confidence, with more confidence you are more likely to do well.

Good luck for May - I'm sure you'll get there next time around.

Claire

I just wanted to say thanks to all who have posted on this discussion. I just started the PDS in September and I am beginning to worry about the exams. At the start of the course, I thought all was ok until you realise the amount of work you need to put it. All the comments made have been useful to me and I am truly grateful, thanks again.

Leeanne

Leeanne,

A tutor of mine always told us not to panic, and that as long as we worked hard from January and stuck to it, that we would be fine for May. Obviously it is preferable to have a constant pace from September, but I have noticed that it usually takes until January for students to realise exactly how much they do need to do! I find it really encouraging that people are using the community to help with their studies, and can't help but think that it is the students that don't use it that really should do. The fact that you are reading the posts means that you are taking your studies seriously, and I am sure that you will be fine. Organise yourself from now until May to make sure that your study schedule is realistic - if you think you're going to work all day every Saturday from now until the exams you might be kidding yourself, but if you decide that you're going to do x number of chunks of 2 hours during the week, you're more likely to stick with it and not end up cramming over Easter!

I'd wish everyone luck for May, but it seems pointless - anyone reading this for hints and tips won't need luck!

Claire