{"id":371,"date":"2020-12-02T13:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T13:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/?p=371"},"modified":"2022-11-10T09:34:01","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T09:34:01","slug":"top-tips-for-taking-open-book-exams-1-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/12\/02\/top-tips-for-taking-open-book-exams-1-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Top tips for taking open book exams 1 - preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>During the exam period, you may be asked to take a home-based online open book exam. Open book exams allow you to consult external sources such as textbooks and your own notes during the exam time. Here are some tips from former Academic Skills Course Leader Tom Reid to help you prepare for this form of assessment.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Tip 1 - Logistics<\/h2>\n<p>Before you do anything, you should find out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>when you'll be able to access the exam<\/li>\n<li>the time and date the exam should be handed in<\/li>\n<li>where, how and what format the exam should be handed in<\/li>\n<li>how much time you have to complete the exam<\/li>\n<li>the topic areas the exam will cover<\/li>\n<li>how long answers should be<\/li>\n<li>whether you need to reference<\/li>\n<li>the types of questions, essays, short answers, report, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Getting this information should help to steady your nerves.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip 2 - Get organised<\/h2>\n<p>During the online open book exam, you may be tempted to have a large amount of notes and resources at your fingertips to make you feel more secure. However, this can lead to confusion, loss of focus and wasted time. It's best to work from a few pages of relevant, concise notes and carefully selected texts.<\/p>\n<h3>Before the exam<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Use tables of contents and index pages to locate relevant sections in the books you plan to use.<\/li>\n<li>Bookmark useful chapters or pages with Post-it notes.<\/li>\n<li>Prepare brief summaries, e.g. in margins of texts, to provide a quick reference.<\/li>\n<li>Prepare a list of key information (formulae, key definitions etc) likely to be used.<\/li>\n<li>Use index cards to list key topics and relevant page numbers of texts. Use one card per book. This can help you find information quickly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Effective note-taking<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Review the subject to get a good overview<\/li>\n<li>Work out the key themes and topics<\/li>\n<li>Identify key concepts, information, arguments, theories, conceptual frameworks<\/li>\n<li>Make brief and legible notes<\/li>\n<li>Summarise important information<\/li>\n<li>Use clear headings<\/li>\n<li>Organise notes by topic<\/li>\n<li>Identify how topics are connected<\/li>\n<li>Include real-world examples to illustrate concepts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tip 3 - Avoid pre-preparing model answers<\/h2>\n<p>When preparing your notes, it's best to avoid preparing a 'model' answer to a predicted question. Essay style questions tend toward a 'free' response rather than a fixed 'single right answer' question, so formula answers just won't work.<\/p>\n<p>Revise around the topic and look for key points, arguments, evidence, examples, relevant conceptual frameworks and theories etc.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, approach your revision for the open book exam in the same way you would approach a 'normal' exam, or even a quick-time assignment.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip 4 - Check past papers<\/h2>\n<p>The University Library has a large collection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/library\/exampapers\/index.php\">past exam papers<\/a>, listed by department, course and year. Past papers will provide you with really useful and relevant questions that you can use to revise and practise. Tutors often recycle or adapt existing questions, so it's possible that some questions may make a reappearance!<\/p>\n<p>Remember, don't pre-prepare a model answer and don't second guess the content of the exam.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Tip 5 - Application, not regurgitation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Because this is an online open book exam where, in theory, you have access to unlimited resources, the questions are more likely to focus on testing your ability to critically assess facts, methods, ideas, theories etc rather than simply recycling learnt information or answering true\/false type answers.<\/p>\n<p>When studying each topic, you'll need to demonstrate a critical, analytical and evaluative approach in your responses, and consider areas such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>issues and problems related to the topic<\/li>\n<li>impact and implications of the study or research<\/li>\n<li>arguments for and\/or against<\/li>\n<li>limitations of research\/future research opportunities<\/li>\n<li>examples to illustrate successes and\/or problems in practice<\/li>\n<li>the real-world application of theories\/frameworks<\/li>\n<li>your overall evaluation of the topic, based on the evidence you have presented.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The video below is also a useful guide to help you prepare for open book exams.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Study Tips - Getting organised for open book exams\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O2qjyrP_F_s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Blog post adapted from:\u00a0https:\/\/student.unsw.edu.au\/open-book-and-take-home-exams<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During the exam period, you may be asked to take a home-based online open book exam. Open book exams allow you to consult external sources such as textbooks and your own notes during the exam time. Here are some tips...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1438,"featured_media":914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91,9],"tags":[22,21,23,25],"class_list":["post-371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-skills","category-exams","tag-note-taking","tag-open-book-exams","tag-past-papers","tag-top-tips"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-exam.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":373,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/12\/02\/top-tips-for-taking-open-book-exams-2-on-the-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":371,"position":0},"title":"Top tips for taking open book exams 2 - on the day","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're taking an online open book exam, you'll need to deal with a number of challenges including maintaining focus and managing your time. This short guide by former Academic Skills Course Leader Tom Reid gives you some strategies to help you succeed in your examination. https:\/\/vimeo.com\/774802360 Tip 1 -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Student typing on a laptop taking an online open book exam with textbooks on the desk.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-open-book-exam.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-open-book-exam.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-open-book-exam.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-open-book-exam.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":724,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/12\/08\/fixed-time-exams-your-questions-answered\/","url_meta":{"origin":371,"position":1},"title":"Online fixed-time exams: your questions answered","author":"Alexandra Paramour","date":"December 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Most exams for Semester 2 2021\/22 will be online 'fixed-time' exams \u2013 short in duration, scheduled in a specific time slot and sat remotely via Inspera. Here are some questions you may have if you\u2019re taking this type of exam. Are fixed-time exams like traditional exams but online? In many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A laptop and a phone displaying a clock","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/12\/al-ghazali-Uyxkm0HJ93E-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/12\/al-ghazali-Uyxkm0HJ93E-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/12\/al-ghazali-Uyxkm0HJ93E-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/12\/al-ghazali-Uyxkm0HJ93E-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/12\/al-ghazali-Uyxkm0HJ93E-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/12\/al-ghazali-Uyxkm0HJ93E-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":806,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2022\/05\/04\/my-tips-for-exam-preparation\/","url_meta":{"origin":371,"position":2},"title":"My tips for exam preparation","author":"Erifyli Vologianni","date":"May 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi, I\u2019m Erifyli. I\u2019m a final year International Management student and Skills Co-Creator. Here are some of my personal tips that will help you to organise and revise efficiently for the upcoming exam period. Exam period. \"That time of the year\" is approaching. People are setting revision schedules, libraries are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exams&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exams","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/exams\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lines of desks and chairs in an exam hall at university.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/05\/FH-exams-2-small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/05\/FH-exams-2-small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/05\/FH-exams-2-small.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/05\/FH-exams-2-small.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1409,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/01\/09\/preparing-for-in-person-exams-part-4-on-the-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":371,"position":3},"title":"Preparing for In-Person Exams Part 4: On The Day","author":"Kyra Ings","date":"January 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"What you do just before an exam can make a big difference to your performance and your confidence. Here are our tips for staying positive on exam days and ensuring that everything goes smoothly. https:\/\/vimeo.com\/810532463 1: Know when to stop revising\u00a0 The evening before your exam, give yourself some time\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Illustration of a desk with a lamp, calendar, laptop and notebook","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams-3.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams-3.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams-3.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams-3.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1392,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/01\/06\/preparing-for-in-person-exams-part-1-revision\/","url_meta":{"origin":371,"position":4},"title":"Preparing For In-Person Exams Part 1: Revision","author":"Kyra Ings","date":"January 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s normal to feel nervous about in-person exams, but the right approach to revision can go a long way towards helping you feel more confident. 1: Gather all the necessary information Anxiety often arises from uncertainty, so before you get started, make sure you have all the practical information you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Illustrated image of a desk with a lamp, calendar, laptop and note paper","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Preparing-for-In-Person-Exams.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/12\/02\/top-ten-tips-for-exam-preparation\/","url_meta":{"origin":371,"position":5},"title":"Top 10 tips for exam preparation","author":"Kevin Renfrew","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Whatever type of exam you'll be sitting this exam period, here are some general top 10 tips from former Academic Skills Course Leader Tom Reid on how to improve your exam scores. 1. Attend revision sessions Revision lectures and workshops are designed to help you focus on key content from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Student sitting an in-person exam in an exam room.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/exam-800x450-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/exam-800x450-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/exam-800x450-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/exam-800x450-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1438"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}