Common Exams Mistakes 2020 WASSCE/BECE students MUST avoid
The 2020 WASSCE/BECE students MUST avoid all kinds of common mistakes in the exams hall to increase their chances of passing.
It is not uncommon to find students coming out from an exam very confident that they answered questions very well only of the results to come out for them to realize, alas! they performed poorly or failed entirely.
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In this well researched and focused content, I will take you through what I call “Common Exams Mistakes” which every student seeking for exams success must run away from in the exams hall by working on it before entering the exams hall.
Before an exam starts just think of every student having an equal bowl of fufu or rice in front of him or her. How much you eat depends on how much you want to. Each time an exam starts, each student is offered 100% in the form of questions, the answers you provide determine how much of the 100 marks at stake you wanted. To earn more of the marks, avoid common mistakes in the exams.
What are the common exams mistakes?
#1 Not answering the question
There are two main reasons why students make such mistakes in the exams hall. First of all, many students are in a harry to start answering questions hence they fail to patiently read the question and to understand it. If you rush through reading a question and fail to understand it you are likely to deviate thus provide answers that never answered the question.
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When you are not able to read properly and to comprehend, you can mess up your chances of passing. Sometimes, the allocated marks to a question should give you a clue as to the kind of answers required. A discussion question with 20 marks is not a one-paged essay and you know that.
A one-word answer for a 5-mark question is not going to be enough if you want to obtain a high score for that question.
Many students fail to check the marks available, no wonder in marking examination scripts some students write a full page for a 5 mark question and help page for a 15 mark question.
How ever, if you are good at condensing your answers into small spaces so that your two and a half-page answer can be put on a page and a half, then you can still earn the required mark. Some times people can also write many pages but with less relevant information.
But very often than note, if your answer is short, it is possible you have missed some important facts.
#2 Total Dependence on Teachers and Tutors for Exams Preparation
If you think total dependence on your teacher will help you pass your exams, then you are wrong.
As a BECE 2020 or WASSCE 2020 candidate, you have to do a lot more on your own. Constant reading, preparation and looking for additional materials on the subject matter will broaden your mind, understanding and make your answers richer d unique. Do not over depend on your tutor, do more for your self and increase your understanding. Today, almost everything you are learning is available on the internet.
#3 Poor allocation not time to each question
Many students who write the BECE and WASSCE each year never have enough time in the exams hall just because, they do not allocate their time effectively to questions. If the exams require you to stop work in an hours time or the exams in an hour paper, and you are to answer 3 questions in all, then, allocation of time will be as follows:
a.10 minutes for reading questions, brainstorming and planning answers ie, listing relevant points and examples for each of the questions you intend to answer.
b. 15 minutes for answering each question which adds up to 45 minutes.
c. 5 minutes for reading through or scheming through your answers for spellings and missing ideas.
This means you should go to the exam hall with your on the wristwatch for exams and the digital one is preferred.
READ: 6 Ways to Fail WASSCE 2020 Exams and beyond
#4 Failing to plan your answers (particularly for essays)
In the above, discussion, I mentioned spending 10 minutes to plan your answers.
If you fail to plan your answers, you will not have a structure in mind and which points you want to explain and include. This can delay you.
Since in essays, you have to often make an argument, and let your thoughts flow reasonably to the finish like I am doing in this write-up, it requires planning. Do not start answering a question in the WASSCE or BECE exams without planning, it may end in a disaster.
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#5 Over-generalising or summarization of answers
Some students are lazy and hold back important information or answers and sometimes explanations in exams. They do not want to write enough answers for the allocated marks and I wonder what they keep the rest for.
Be specific as possible in whatever answers you write but do not over summarize and use statements that limit your communicating with the examiner. Always look for relevant examples to back your answers while preparing for the exams to add more flesh to your answers using them.
If you can, it is best to back or support what you say with evidence, but nobody really, seriously, expects you to be able to provide detailed references under exam pressure.
READ: WASSCE 2020 Examination Tips For Success
#6 Regurgitating your teacher or tutor’s notes
Sometimes, students fail to read their notes and to understand it. They learn by root “Chew” the notes, poor it in the exams and expect to pass. Such acts can be dangerous as the examining body may assume you enter the exam hall with foreign material. Always try to explain in your own words. Do not be a ruminant in the exams hall, just chewing and pouring.
#7 Making basic spelling and grammar errors
Making basic spelling and grammatical errors are common in exams because you do not have the dictionary by your side. Hence to avoid this error, whiles preparing for the exams, do not just read key words and vocabulary, learn to know their spelling and also avoid the tendency to use big words just to impress the examiner. Master the composition of grammatically correct answers from the text you are reading for preparation.
Avoid this mistake, use common or basic English to communicate your answers. And allocate some time in the exams to read through your answers to correct grammatical errors and spelling mistakes as much as possible.
READ: How To Pass WASSCE 2020 Examination – Economics
Conclusion…
You can pass your examination be it WASSCE 2020, BECE 2020, University Entrance Examination or whatever it is. Most often, avoidable errors are committed because of insufficient or poor preparation. Stress in the exams hall can make even a well prepared student make such mistakes.
Always be composed and focus on your work. Build good confidence and remain calm because it can help you in the exams and for you to give better responses to questions. Let your BECE 2020 or WASSCE 2020 bring you good results by practicing these simples tricks during your preparation and revision for practice makes perfect.
Source: Wisdom Hammond | NewsGhana24