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Exam Guidance

So, we've put this guide together to try and help focusyour revision, reduce your stress and give you clearguidance on what to expect from the exam.There are lots of key tips and techniques we've pulledtogether here for you. We hope these will help you togain an understanding of exam terms, how to applyuseful exam and study techniques and get a clearerunderstanding of what an open book exam actually isand how you should approach it.But as always if there's anything you're not sure aboutjust email us at vncertecc@vets-now.com.Exams are stressful. We know that. There's no getting away from it and sometimes it's hard to know where to even start.

Contents Helpful tipsOpen book exam guidanceExam techniquesExam question terminologyWays you might lose marksKey assessment preparationRevision tipsOther useful resources46131720212228Title Page

These are some helpful tips to bear in mind when completing the exam.

Marks  are  given  based  on  your  understanding  of  thesubject  content  on  which  you  need  to  give  a  full  andbalanced answer.  Just listing everything you know on thegeneral  topics  suggests  you  don't  really  understand  thequestion. It also wastes valuable time in the exam, becauseyou're not answering the actual question. We explain examterms more fully later in this document.Reviewing exam question terms is vital. If you are asked todiscuss signs of pain, you should provide some explanationfor your answers to gain full marks, rather than just listingsigns of pain.Reviewing exam techniques will also help you to gain moremarks  in  each  question.    Again  more  information  isprovided  later  on  in  this  document  on  the  top  exam  tipsand techniques.
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Ensure  you  are  very  clear  on  the  distinction  betweenmonitoring  and  providing  nursing  care  to  a  patient.  Ensureyou  discuss  monitoring/  nursing  that  is  relevant  to  thecondition the patient has.When  asked  to  discuss  nursing  care  and  monitoring  morepatient-specific detail and discussion would be expected.Make  sure  you  answer all  questions.  Even  if  you're  not  sure,it's worth attempting it, rather than not.Answers are saved automatically every 60 seconds.Make  sure  all  questions  are  fully  answered  and  ensure  youanswer  the  question  that  has  been  asked  to  avoid  losingmarks.

Open book exams Contents

In simple terms an open book exam just means that you canlook at your notes/books etc whilst you are completing theexam.Closed book exams rely entirely on you memorising keyinformation. This does not necesscarily demonstrateknowledge of a subject, just that you have committed it tomemory.Open book exams on the other hand, focus on higher levellearning. They test your knowledge by asking you to "discuss""explain" or "evaluate" a concept. You will not be asked to definesomething. The questions will be purposely worded so youcannot just look the answer up. This demonstrates yourknowledge and understanding of the subject to the examiner, ifyou are able to discuss or explain it coherently.But, you have the back up to be able to check facts/values etc ifyou need to. This mirrors how you would likely work in practice. So, overall it's a more effective assessment of your knowledgeand understanding.What is an open book exam?

It's  easy  to  think  that  you  will  be  able  to  look  up  all  theanswers, but unless you know exactly where you need to lookyou're  going  to  waste  a  lot  of  valuable  time  searching  forinformation, that probably won't fully answer the question youare being asked anyway.Because the paper will ask you to discuss, explain, assess etc,they will expect to see your understanding clearly exhibitedin  your  answer.  They  don't  want  to  know  what someoneelse knows. They want to know what YOU know. So  bearing  that  in  mind,  we  would  recommend  that  youcomplete the exam in the same way you would a closed bookexam  in  the  first  instance.    Answer  the  questions  from  yourexisting knowledge. Then you have a good basis to work fromand can go back and check anything you're not sure about.Writing  down  important  facts  or  information  on  separatesheet of paper before you start  answering the questions, canalso  be  a  great  benefit.   This  can  help  to  focus  your  answersand  decrease  the  amount  of  time  you  spend  looking  atreference materials
Don't rely too much on reference materials...
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What reference materials can I use?You  can  refer  to  any  content  you  like  during  the  exam.    Thismay  include;  books,  journals,  online  resources,  your  coursenotes (printed or online), webinars, anything you like.The only restrictions are that if you are accessing a web pageor internet content, you must do so using the same device youare using to complete the exam.It is key that we need to be able to verify the pages/websitesyou are visiting during the exam.You are limited to using only one screen on Moodle, so Proctoriocan  record  any  content  accessed to  enable  us  to  verify  thereferences used.  We  cannot  record  what  content  you  areviewing if you use an external device, therefore we would notbe able to validate your attempt and it may be disqualified.Remember:  Don't  overload  yourself  with  resources.  You  needto keep them organised and easily accessible.You  must  NOT  use  any  other  external  devices  (suchas a phone or tablet)8

So, it's a  good idea to plan how long you have for eachquestion.  For example, you have a total of 3 hours per paper. There are  6  questions,  which gives you around  30  mins perquestion.That's not a long time when you think about it and you needto make sure to read the paper through first at least twice andleave yourself enough time to proofread at the end. So it's keyyou use that time effectively to ensure you are more likely toget all or most of the paper completed in the allotted time.It might be worthwhile answering the questions you're mostcomfortable with first and leaving the more difficult ones thatyou will require using your reference materials till later.Ensure  your  answers  are  clear  concise,  accurate  but  alsothorough.  Finishing  all  the  questions gives  you  a  far betterchance of being successful than leaving one or two questionsunanswered.If  you  refer  back  to  your  notes/reference  materials  for  everyquestion,  you  are  very  quickly  going  to  run  out  of  time  andwon't be able to complete the exam.Manage your time effectively.
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Familiarise yourself with key conceptsTake  some  time  to  familarise  yourself  with  key  concepts,before  the  exam  so  you  don't  need  to  rely  on  your  referencematerials during the paper.The quote "More isn't always better. Sometimes it's just more"by Barbara Benedek definitely applies here.You  just  won't  have  time  to  search  through  all  yourbooks/notes etc for each question.      In  fact,  trying  to  do  thatcould significantly hinder your performance.Organising  the  reference  materials  you  plan  to  use,  will  helpimmensely. This could include adding tabs or post it's to yourcourse notes, or having a specific web page on ECGs or bloodtransfusion ready if you know you struggle with those areas.You should definitely take some time to sort through all yourreference materials and plan what you are going to have withyou. Creating an outline of your materials so you can quicklyfind important  information once the  exam has begun  mayalso be helpful.Organise yourself...

All of your submitted exam papers should be entirely yourown work. You are not required to reference within theexam. Examiners want to know what you have learned, notwhat information you can locate in a textbook.Your screen is recorded during the exam, so any websites youvisit will be monitored and can be checked after the sitting ifwe are concerned plagarism may have taken place.You are not therefore permitted to use any external devices(such as a phone or tablet) to access information, as we areunable to check this. If you do access material externally, thenit may invalidate your exam attempt. Likewise, for any hard copy resources used, such as coursenotes or books, we will at random check a sample of thepapers completed through Turnitin to ensure no plagarismhas occured.You can use the course handbook and the mock papers toidentify key concepts, formulas or terms that are likely toappear in the exam.Don't plagarise11 Contents

For example, ECGs, fluid therapy, blood transfusions,anaesthesia and analgesia etc. Then for that particular papermake sure you have the relevant resources or references tohand, so you can access it quickly.You can also use this to help focus your revision. Using themock papers to get an idea of the types and formats ofquestions will help you to anticipate what you might be askedin the actual exam. Paper One covers units 1 - 3 and Paper 2 covers units 4 - 6. Soit's worthwhile going through the content for those units andlooking out any key concepts/topics, you think are likely toappear in the exam.Work out what material the exam is likely to cover.ProofreadIt's key to try and leave yourself enough time at the end to gothrough all your answers and proofread them. Make sure youcheck all your answers make sense, read clearly and check forany spelling or grammar mistakes. It's worth making thatextra effort at the end to refine your work.12

Make sure you read all questions very carefully.Make sure you answer the question that has been asked.Exam TechniquesThese might sound obvious, but we often find that candidatesdo not answer the question they are being asked. Understanding the exam question terminology fully, so youunderstand what is being asked of you is vital.13 Contents

Use your stress. If you find your mind wandering,try to focus on concrete tasks such as proof-reading or noting key points for the question.Get to know your exam paper. Read the instructions and questions at least twice.Think like an examiner. Make sure you give clear, concise answers that are easy to read. Write in succinct sentences. This willhelp with clarity and making every pointstand out for the examiner. But, becareful to ensure you are not too brief. Very short answers do not demonstrateunderstanding to the examiner.Keep an eye on the clock. Time management is key.14

Avoid the obvious mistakes. Make sure youdon't misread and have answered ALL thequestions.Final checks. Leave yourself time tocarefully check through all youranswers. Check for missing words andthat they make sense.Running out of time? Don't panic! Add a shortoverview or a list of the points you would haveadded for the remaining questions. Use technical terminology. Use this whenpossible to demonstrate your understanding ofthe subject area.Check your spelling. Try to use the correctspelling, punctuation and grammar.15 Contents

Keep it structured. Try to structure youranswer so that it is organised and clear.Stay hydrated! Make sure you drink water andhave some snacks to hand. Nuts, bananas or oatsnacks will give you a gradual release of energyacross the exam. Sweets or chocolate will give you an initial rush,but will leave you feeling tired later in the exam16

Exam question terminologyCommand verbs and termsEach question will start with a command verb which outlineshow you should answer the question as well as the level ofdetail expected to achieve marks.The definitions below will help you understand exactly whatthe command verbs are asking you to do, as well as giving tipsdemonstrating how you can best phrase your answer.Analyse:Examine in detail to show meaning. An idea orinformation needs to be examined and each partexplored. Provide good detail in your answer with justifiedreasons for any conclusions you reach. Analysing requiresthe writer to break something down into components.Comment:Give an informed opinion.Consider:Review and respond to given information.Describe:This can be seen as the 'what is it?' command verb.provide a series of points of a topic/give characteristicsand main features.17 Contents

Discuss:Write about issue(s) or topic(s) in depth in a structuredway. Your response should explore the issue or situationthat is being targeted in the question. Consider differentviewpoints and contrasting ideas such as 'advantages vdisadvantages' or 'strengths v weaknesses'.Evaluate:Requires a reasoned argument. Much like 'discuss' youare expected to give both points of view, consider'strengths v weaknesses' or 'advantages v disadvantages'.However you must then provide a conclusion in whichyou make a decision on the most appropriate option andjustify your choice.Examine:Investigate closely, in detailExplain:This is the 'how does something work/do?' command. Forthis you will need to provide an explanation withreasoning. You will need to use words such as 'because' or'therefore' to help you to provide explanations.Identify:Name/select/recognise. Usually tests your skill ofremembering information. It can mean that you need toselect from a list of options, point something out or give alist of main features.18

Assess – reasoned arguments of the factors with a conclusionCalculate – determine (the amount or number of something) mathematicallyClassify – group, place or scale a number of characteristicsComplete – add information to a table or a graph until it is finalDefine – give the meaning of a word or phraseGive – recalling a factJustify – give reasons for your answerState – recalling a fact but often in relation to some data or graphical informationOther command terms include:Its vital to read the questions carefully and answer what has been asked.19 Contents

We can't  stress enough  how important  it is to  read  the  questioncarefully. Sometimes  1  or  2  marks  lost  here  or  there  can  be  thedifference between a pass or fail in some cases. So it's imperative youtake the time to understand exactly what you are being asked to do.Incompletely or partially answered questions.The question asked isn't answeredDon't discuss, explain or give reasons when askedConfuse monitoring and nursing. They are not the same, even ifoften done together.Failure to discuss nursing or monitoring if asked.Do  not  discuss  nursing/monitoring  relevant  to  the  condition  ofthe patient in the question scenario.Make errors/ cannot perform calculations correctly.All these issues mean that marks cannot be given.Less  often,  but  of  concern,  is  if  a  candidate  gives  an  answer  whichwould be harmful or a welfare issue to the patient. Marks cannot beawarded if the patient is going to be harmed by what is suggested.Examiners often encounter the following issueswith candidate exam papers...20

Key assessment preparationContinue to read widely from various sources and reflecton all emergency cases that you are involved with tosupplement your current knowledge and understanding. Continue to review the course materials, all previous tutorfeedback and access all the resources. Practice doing exam questions under timed conditions. There are mock papers you can use in the Revisionmaterials.Attend or listen to the revision webinars as they really helpexam prep.Review the pathophysiology of diseases/ injuries thatmight be emergency presentations. Make sure you read the questions and answer what isasked. 21 Contents

Start revising earlyPlan your revision using a timetableSpace out your revision and take breaksDon't spend too long making your notes look pretty.Dedicate a quiet, tidy space for revision.Vary your revision with different activitiesSleep and eat properly Reward yourselfTry to stay calm and positive.Revision tipsThere are loads of tips and tricks for "good revision". Not of all them will work for you. But most of them are definitely worth a try. The tips below, are the ones we think are most useful.Planning your revision is key. It means you canspend more time revising and less time worryingyou've forgotten something.22

Set aside some time as often as you can. Either an hour everynight or two hours every other night etc. Whatever time youcan spare. Make sure it is time you will not be disturbed.Remember that learning takes time. Five hours of revisionover five days is better than five hours in one day. Staggeringyour revision time will help it stick and gives you the bestchance.Once you have your study times, break it down into 20minutes slots. This is the optimum time before you loseconcentration. So scheduling in breaks is vital.A good place to start planning your revision is with theCertificate handbook. All the units, topics and learningoutcomes are listed there, so it is helpful to review this andmake a revision list. Focus on the areas you struggle with, butyou should also review those that you are more comfortablewith. Create a revision planSchedule your time23 Contents

People learn in lots of different ways, so what works for oneperson might not work for you. Making learning active andvaried is helpful, so make sure you take advantage of all thedifferent options available to you.There are lots of resources contained in the revision materials,such as mock papers, links and resources, as well as recordedwebinar sessions. You can also review/revise the course notesand assignments, and make your own revision notes ordiagrams.Mix up your revisionSlot the topics you want to cover into each 20 min slot. If it's atopic you know you struggle with, then you can schedulemultiple sessions if needed. But keep it to the 20 mins so youhave a break in between. Stepping away from your revision fora short time helps your brain processand cement information, improvingyour ability to remember it. So go getthat cup of tea or coffee! Take a break24

Don't just read content, MAKE NOTES. Write things down, even if it's just a bulleted list. Reading content and re-writing it in your own words is a key revision tip. You might overlook this and think it's better just to keep studying as long as possible, but sleep is so, so important. Good sleep helps your brainIt's much easier to answer questions in the actual exam if youhave tried similar ones beforehand. There are lots of mockpapers for you to try as well as sample questions in theRevision course. We strongly recommend you attempt themock papers. They are great revision andhugely beneficial.Sleep and eat properly. Staying hydrated and eating healthy foods will also boost your concentration throughout the day.store all the information you've learned that day, so is key to retaining that knowledge. 25 Contents

Discussing topics with another person,getting them to test you or even teachingsomeone else can help. This helps youremember information and identify areasyou don't understand.There are lots of ways you can learn, so you mightfind you benefit from thinking outside the box anddoing things a little differently...Creating notes and sticking them up all overyour revision space, can help for a visuallearner. Using colour's and cues can also help. Highlighting,or colour coding as well as making your own notescan be hugely beneficial.Likewise, you can use the forums to start adiscussion with other learners. Group learningcan be hugely beneficial.26

If you are a logical learner, you can try and apply a system, statistics or classification of a topic. Mind maps or flow charts are good for this. Sometimes a bit of everything will work for you, sogive it all a try and find what works best for you.Other learners need some physicality to help it stick. For thesetypes of learners, its key to schedule breaks, so you don't loseyour focus. Also if you need to move aboutduring the session, do it. Decluttering desks and surfacescan also help to focus you on thetask at hand, so you don't getdistracted. 27 Contents

Other useful resources This document and lots of other useful resources are contained in the Moodle Revision Course These documents will help you during the exam itself so you must make sure you access this resource prior to the exam and read through it all so you know what to expect No exceptions will be made for any issues that occur because of something you should have been aware of before you started for example the time available to you what content you could use etc The documents listed below are required reading Candidate Guidance Final Assessment Information 28

You have already achieved so much to get toYou have already achieved so much to get to this point.this point. You should be very proud ofYou should be very proud of yourself.yourself. I know we are!I know we are! You can do this!You can do this! Contents