Good luck to all exam students

Good luck to all Junior and Leaving Cert students starting exams tomorrow from www.24-7tutorials.com

The day before the Exams

• Think positive –examiners want to give you marks not take them away from you
• Focus on what you already know –now is not the time to look at new topics
• Allow at least an hour to unwind and relax before going to bed
• Get a good night’s sleep –you will often have 6 hours plus of exams the next day and need to be alert in the afternoon too.
• Pack all pens, equipment, calculators or whatever else is needed for each exam
• Allow plenty of time to arrive early and unstressed
• Avoid exam post mortems at lunch hour

Common mistakes made in exams

Not reading the question correctly

Ignoring part of a question

Misunderstanding questions e.g. define/compare/contrast/outline/analyse

Summarising the plot of a text instead of addressing the question
Mismanaging time and not finishing the paper
Ignoring the marking scheme

Repetition
Irrelevant quotations

Read more blog posts on Exam Time Management and Exam Past Papers and Marking Schemes

Last minute Leaving Cert English

Focus on Paper 2. Sketch out rough plans with a brief introduction, 3-5 points and a conclusion for each question. Support each point you make with a quote or reference
Stand alone text
Write short summary notes/plans on main themes, characters and relationships
Comparative texts
Higher level 2011: Theme or Issue/ General Vision and Viewpoint/ Cultural Context
Ordinary level 2011: Relationships / Theme / Social Setting
Do not plan your answer using sub headings with the title of the texts at the top. Use points of comparison/contrast between texts for each paragraph.
Poetry
(Higher level) Sketch out rough plans on main themes and features of style for 4/5 of the poets depending on the time you have available.
(Ordinary level) test yourself on the theme, tone, genre and language used for as many poems as possible

Last minute exam help

www.24-7tutorials.com  is still open and not on school holidays. Some of the tutors are busy with last minute requests for exam help If you’re having difficulty finding a tutor for a particular subject, contact us directly and we’ll try and match you up.

Exam Time Management

Mismanaging your time within an exam can easily cost you a full grade. Attempt all questions. Sketch out an approximate time plan in advance e.g. 3 hour exam and 4 questions: Q1 9.30-10.15 Q2 10.15-11am Q3 11-11.45 am Q4 11.45-12.30
It is much easier to get the first 20% of the marks for any question than the last 5%. If you find yourself stuck for time on question 3, don’t waste anymore time perfecting the answer, move onto question 4. It is better to attempt the final question in points form rather than leave it out altogether. If you have answered only three questions instead of four, the highest mark you can get is 75%.

Use past exam papers

Use past exam papers when you are revising. Don’t wait until the exam itself to familiarise yourself with the general layout of the paper, compulsory questions, options and marks allocated for each section
Check previous questions on a subject topic. Note any trends in the questions asked   Draft short plans for important and recurring questions.
You can also check out the marking schemes for past papers e.g. Higher Level English the percentage of marks awarded for clarity of purpose (30%), coherence of delivery (30%), efficiency of language (30%) and accuracy of mechanics (10%)
Past exam papers and marking schemes are available on www.examinations.ie