In open-book exams, the students have full access to books, source materials, notes, and all sorts of study material during an exam. Open book exams are similar to traditional sit-down and limited-time exams but they are often actually the hardest exams. The purpose of the exam is to inspect the concepts and comprehension of the students to a particular subject. It’s a common misconception that there is no need to study for an open book exam because you have everything you need for the exam. It is recommended to make sure that you study well for the exam and you know the content of the subject like the back of your hand, since it’s an open book exam, you cannot rely on all the material that you have!
The instructor will be searching for very much organized and well-structured solutions. In this type of exam, the instructor is usually judging the extend of your critical thinking, analytical ability, and how you compare, contrast, and evaluate the given problem.
To get good grades, you have to study well and follow the strategy. This article contains all the information that will help you to know the right way to prepare for it and to be more successful. [bctt tweet=”How to Prepare for Open Book Exam”]
1. Organized your study material
Taking too many notes and study material along with you can be troublesome during the exam. Instead of helping you during the assessment, it will hinder your performance. As Barbara Benedek rightly said, “More is not always better, it sometimes just more”. Taking the bulk of unorganized study material is actually less and will waste your time. Therefore, reference study material should be well-organized i-e identify the key concepts that instructor likely to include during the exam, it is always recommended to attach sticky notes. There is another great trip to make the table of content of the important heading with the page number in another sheet. It will help you find things straight away, and you not have to shift through all the pages during the exam. You can also watch a very informative video by Azaria to get step by step guide for the preparation of open book exams.
2. Study Conceptually
The conceptual study is the key factor in securing good grades in the open-book exam. The teacher realizes that you have your notes and content directly before you, so he is probably not going to pose questions that simply approach you to duplicate information from the book. Therefore, it is highly recommended while preparing for an open-book exam, instead of memorizing the content, focus on the true meaning and practical application of the subject. The best way of preparing for an open-book exam, treat it like a traditional exam, study, and understand all contents of the subject on a deeper level.
3. Exam day tips
Managing time before starting the exam is very effective and increase the chances of getting the good marks. Always try to answer the question that you can answer without any study material assistance. Don’t spend too long on the single question. Examination center is not the right place to learn and understand concepts, rather use your known concepts and understanding to answer the question. Another great tip is not to copy long passages and paragraphs from the supportive study material. At the end of the exam, it is always recommended to check and verify your solution from the study material that you have.
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