The benefits of a blended study approach
When this comes to financial qualifications, exam papers are specifically designed to test every candidate’s ability to do this, so practicing questions is just as important as burying your head […]
When this comes to financial qualifications, exam papers are specifically designed to test every candidate’s ability to do this, so practicing questions is just as important as burying your head in the books.
At the Reed Business School we call it blended learning, and advise all our students on the best ways to support their classroom studies to maximise their chances of success. While most students excel in the traditional classroom environment, many don’t like the idea of exam practice, but we firmly believe that your first experience of an exam-style question shouldn’t be in the exam itself.
Effective exam practice
Our exam kits are included in the courses we run, and we split them into individual topics so students can focus on those areas where they need to do more work. And as we’ve been in the business for over 40 years, that’s a lot of experience and past papers we can call on for those students needing extra help!
When ready, we advise students to work through an entire paper at their own speed, just to get used to the approach, the style of questioning and how to structure answers. After a while, patterns will start to emerge that will help in learning how to approach specific types of question and what examiners are looking for.
Time Yourself
Once you’re starting to get comfortable with the style of question, try to do a whole paper to time, in exam conditions. Don’t stop for anything, be tempted to cheat or admit defeat if you can’t do it. Whatever happens, it’s a learning experience and not the real thing, yet.
As revision, go back over questions you’ve already studied, check that you’re still remembering everything, starting in the right place, and including all pertinent details. It might sound boring, but repetition really aids the learning process, and the more you do it, the more confident you’ll feel walking into that exam room.
Mock exams
Completing a paper in test conditions and analysing it yourself is a great start, but why not go one step further and submit the paper to a professional tutor for marking and personalised feedback? Often we find it’s exam technique rather than lack of knowledge that let students down on the day – they know all they need to know, they just haven’t communicated it effectively within the time constraints. Feedback on a mock paper will allow you to learn exactly how much detail you need to go into to get the most marks in the least time.
We hope that doesn’t sound too daunting. Our tutors are here to help you succeed, and will be more than happy to assist you with your exam preparations with a blended learning approach. Get in touch with us to start today.
