Press Start: strategies, guides and tips to begin your assessment journey
From levelling up revision planning to impressing examiners, we’re here for you every step of the way
Assessment and exams are on the horizon. Whether you’re an early starter or live for cramming sessions, we’re here to help you level up, collect the best tools and take on every stage.
Revision Planning
Having a revision plan is essential to exam success. It will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and set clear objectives for you to reach on your end goal.
Our revision and exam page has a great overview of everything you might want to consider, but here are some essential items to add to your inventory:
- Download our Quick Guide to Revision and Exam PDF for a speedy way to plan your next step.
- Past exam papers will let you repeat previous challenges to get more experience to use at the final stage.
- This blank revision template allows you to completely customise your revision journey to suit your needs.
Strategies and techniques
You need a revision strategy that works for you, that might be memory aids, rehearsing exam answers, hands-on practice or using visual aids like mind maps. Our revision strategies and techniques page has a rundown of all these methods.
And if you are locking in to take on your final written assessment, these resources might help you to unlock new skills:
- Final Chapter is dedicated to research projects and dissertations, providing you with a step-by-step walkthrough of one of your most important academic challenges.
- Our note-making techniques page can help you find the right tool for the job! Discover various options for notetaking and the advantages and key features of each approach.
- There is a Dissertation Workshop on Wednesday 9 April 1–4pm. Learning advisors will be on hand to give you motivation, guidance or just someone to chat with while you work!
Exam prep and defeating stress
You’ve got the knowledge and know-how, you’re revised and ready. Now you just need to take on the final boss – exam day.
Our exam preparation checklist can be found in the revision and exam guide. Being ready for anything will mean you’re calm, confident and clear-headed in the exams.
And to make sure you’re at full health, you can also book onto one of the Libraries' upcoming wellbeing yoga and meditation sessions in the Laidlaw Library to keep your mind (and body) flexible for whatever the assessment period throws at you. Book your session below:
- 8 April, 2–3pm, Meditation session
- 22 April, 2–3pm, Mediation session
- 29 April, 3–3:30pm, Mindful movement.
We also have wellbeing Pause Spaces in all our library sites, so you can save your progress, recharge and continue.
Exam day
It’s the big day, but you are not on your own. Here are some Library resources that can help you complete assessments with a new high score:
- Check out our 10 tips to get you through exam day for some practical advice to keep in mind as you head into your exam.
- Impress your examiners. This download covers what examiners want to see and the pitfalls you’ll need to avoid.
- Take things one step at a time and plan your answers.
- And if things don’t go as expected, our disaster recovery plan can help you restart!
Good luck.
We’ll be sharing more assessment and revision support as we get closer to the end of the year. Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky for more tips and strategies to help you complete your exam quest.
