Tips

[Jerry1237]

I am one of the invigilators in London. All I can recommend above anything else is spend the reading time actually reading (it is amazing to see the number of people sitting twiddling their thumbs!), try to understand the real question being asked and prepare your selection. Personnally, I'd attempt my weakest question last and strongest first but truly understanding what is being asked of you is of the upmost importance.

Jerry

[PJW]

I am staggered by that. I think I was the person largely instrumental in pushing for the 10 minutes rather than 5 minute time (though to be honest I was actually trying to get those candidate for whom English was a 2nd language 10 minutes as opposed to everyone else 5 minutes).

I agree that many do not use the time effectively and can throw away their chances by wrong question selection; I am staggered though that it is made quite so blatant by their demeanor at the time!

Perhaps it is that people do not prepare themselves at mock exams but just try questions individually as takes their fancy / as set by their Study Group and therfore just don't know how to cope with a choice.....

Does remind me of the mock exams we held last year. I was in Reading holding one mock exam and received a text from Doug in London holding one there simultaneously. I still remember wording: "Module 3 started 10 minutes ago. I have 7 candidates, none of whom is present". Given the fact that the mock had actually been arranged for the London Study Group for module 1, but in the week before we had been contacted out of the blue (by students that we didn't know) asking if they could possibly come and sit module 3 and both of us had made an effort to make this possible at the last minute, for 4 of them not to turn up at all and the other 3 arriving very late it did not convey a good impression!

PJW

I am one of the invigilators in London. All I can recommend above anything else is spend the reading time actually reading (it is amazing to see the number of people sitting twiddling their thumbs!), try to understand the real question being asked and prepare your selection. Personnally, I'd attempt my weakest question last and strongest first but truly understanding what is being asked of you is of the upmost importance.

Jerry

[luckevincent]

HI buddy
I did the same thing like you.But from now I am not checking which one is hard question and which one is easier .So this will help me keep my mind stable during exams..

[Walter125]

Hi dear,

It is right, first we should completely understand the questions and than we should attempt the strongest question first and weakest question at last. I always follow this rule.

[Jerry1237]

Walter125,

Yes indeed. Past of the art is to have a good exam technique.

[PJW]

As the date of the 2012 examination draws near, it is probably timely to reiterate some general advice:

1. By now you should have learned all relevant material. Hence you should be using your time to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. It is not so much as what you know, but how well you answer the questions within the time allowance in a way that is both legible and comprehensible- this means writing clearly, structuring your answer logically and using tables and bullets etc where appropriate and explaining WHY.

2. Make sure that you know the syllabus for the modules you are sitting so that you can interpret the questions IN THE CORRECT CONTEXT. Similarly re-familiarise yourself with the EXAM REGULATIONS.

3. Make sure you know how many questions to answer etc. The exam in 2012 will follow the example of 2011 which itself was different in some respects to earlier year. There have been hints that there is unlikely to be a standard TC calculation question in mod 5 and there is unlikely to be a pure aspect sequence chart question in module 3, although these topics are likely to come up in some shape or form.

4. READ EACH QUESTION CAREFULLY- what it says, what it doesn't say, what it implies.........Interpret all words as broadly as they permit within the given context, but do not go actually "off piste".
Think about the sub-text- the examiners are giving you an opportunity to display your technical and domain knowledge, experience and competence within the framework of the question posed- ask yourself which of them gives you the best opportunity to show yourself at your best.
a) Look out for the key words which should trigger a thought process; for example if you see "safety" in a question you should be thinking "freedom from unacceptable risk", "risk = product of likelihood and consequences", "harm may be loss of life, injury, equipment damage, environmental damage, financial loss, reputation tarnished". This should prompt you to display your breadth of interpretation by selecting a wide range of dissimilar examples.
b) Similarly try to attack any question from many perspectives; e.g. from the viewpoint of the business sponsor, designer, installer, tester, operator, maintainer, ultimate client/customer/passenger......

5. Think carefully which questions to select- don't just go for those on topics that you think you know enough about- consider how well you can answer the ACTUAL QUESTION ASKED. When selecting examples, make sure you chose well to give yourself the best scope to answer the entire question- TACKLE THE QUESTION AS A WHOLE- know how you are going to answer the end bit before writing a response to the first part, to avoid "painting yourself into a corner".

6. If you think you have spotted an easy quick question- AVOID IT. It is probable that it isn't actually easier than the rest; far more likely that you have completely overlooked the complexity and have rather missed the entire point of the question or perhaps only see a small proportion of the entire question. If you do it and think you have been smart and done well, you'll probably be bitterly disappointed wen the examiner comes to award marks.

7. Be ruthless about your time management- split time equitably between the various questions to be answered and within the subdivisions of each question.

8. Think carefully before you launch into one re what are your key points to include and how you are going to present and format your answer. Once you start, then answer the question without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Don't forget to state the railway context of your answer and specific assumptions

9. Don't work too hard at the last minute before the exam. Take some time out and go into the exam relaxed rather than at the end of a long tiring week.

10. Don't panic in the exam itself. Too late for that- just do the best you can. If you pass you pass and if not there is always next year and you should have gained some useful experience from having tried.