{"id":373,"date":"2020-12-02T13:14:49","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T13:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/?p=373"},"modified":"2022-11-24T18:02:29","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T18:02:29","slug":"top-tips-for-taking-open-book-exams-2-on-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/12\/02\/top-tips-for-taking-open-book-exams-2-on-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Top tips for taking open book exams 2 - on the day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>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.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/774802360?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Tip 1 - Don't panic!<\/h2>\n<p>The first and probably most important thing to remember about online open book exams is that in many ways they can be similar to coursework assignments. The difference is that time is more limited. So you can use all the same skills you've gained during the academic year (and you have way more than you think!) to produce a first class answer.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip 2 - Eat before you begin<\/h2>\n<p>You may feel too nervous to eat, but you need to feed your brain and ensure your energy levels are high. So make sure you've eaten something (but not too much as that can lead to different problems!) before you start. You could also have a few healthy snacks to hand during the exam, to keep your energy levels high.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip 3 - Be ready<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure your desk area is prepared and organised with notes, pens, paper etc.<\/li>\n<li>Choose a room or space where you won't be disturbed. You could pin a notice to your door saying 'EXAM IN PROGRESS - DO NOT DISTURB'.<\/li>\n<li>Don't forget a watch or clock to keep an eye on time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tip 4 - Exam orientation<\/h2>\n<p>Read through your exam paper and work out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How many questions are there?<\/li>\n<li>How long should you allow per question (if your exam has a set start and end time)?<\/li>\n<li>Where do I start? Start with easiest questions to help build your confidence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tip 5 - Question analysis<\/h2>\n<p>Before you start writing, it's important to understand what exactly the question is asking you to do. Unpack the question by identifying:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The focus<\/strong> - what is the specific topic area you need to address in your answer?\u00a0 Here you're looking for key words that point directly to this target area.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The instruction words<\/strong> - these are the words that tell you exactly what you have to do e.g. discuss\/analyse\/highlight\/compare etc. Make sure you understand the meaning of these terms before you start the exam <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/2020\/10\/02\/understanding-instruction-words-in-academic-essay-titles\/\">(see this blog which explains the common terms)<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The scope\/limits <\/strong>- it's also vital to identify how far you need to extend the focus area. In other words, what needs to be included and what doesn't. This will help you avoid including irrelevant content which can waste time and lower your mark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tip 6 - Plan your answer<\/h2>\n<p>Once you've analysed the question, devise a quick outline of how you'll approach your answer. Think about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Introduction - what to include and the <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/2020\/04\/25\/thesis-statement\/\">thesis statement<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Structure - how many paragraphs and how will they link together<\/li>\n<li>Focus points to include<\/li>\n<li>Relevant theories, arguments, examples<\/li>\n<li>Relevant quotes (use sparingly)<\/li>\n<li>Your conclusion - implications, critical evaluation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Taking time to plan your answer will help you stay focused and avoid including irrelevant information.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip 7 - Avoid the 'over-answer'<\/h2>\n<p>Don't over-use your notes, write too much and get bogged down in too much detail. It's highly likely you're including irrelevant information and you'll run out of time. Stay focused, on topic and include only relevant information presented as concisely and clearly as possible.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip 8 - Checks and balances<\/h2>\n<p>Make sure you include time at the end to go through and check your work, and edit if necessary.<\/p>\n<p>Things to check may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>missing information - relevant content\/range of arguments\/sufficient examples\/ theory etc<\/li>\n<li>irrelevant information - ask yourself: does this connect to my thesis\/essay aim?<\/li>\n<li>typos \/errors<\/li>\n<li>structure - is there a logical flow of ideas and line of reasoning? Do paragraphs link together? Is everything clear?<\/li>\n<li>conclusion - are implications and overall evaluations included?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Follow these tips to make sure your online open book exam experience is positive and successful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1438,"featured_media":915,"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":[21,24,25],"class_list":["post-373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-skills","category-exams","tag-open-book-exams","tag-question-analysis","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-open-book-exam.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":371,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/12\/02\/top-tips-for-taking-open-book-exams-1-preparation\/","url_meta":{"origin":373,"position":0},"title":"Top tips for taking open book exams 1 - preparation","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"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\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 taking an online open book exam","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-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-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-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-exam.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/12\/online-exam.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"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":373,"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":373,"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":764,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2022\/03\/02\/moving-on-from-disappointing-results\/","url_meta":{"origin":373,"position":3},"title":"Moving on from disappointing results","author":"Alexandra Paramour","date":"March 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Didn\u2019t get the exam results you wanted? Here are some practical ways to move past the disappointment and come back stronger. 1. Allow yourself to feel disappointed (for a while) Disappointment hurts and it\u2019s OK to feel frustrated or upset. Give yourself a little time to process your feelings. (If\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":"Laptop next to an illuminated sign reading 'You got this'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/03\/prateek-katyal-6jYnKXVxOjc-unsplash-1.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\/03\/prateek-katyal-6jYnKXVxOjc-unsplash-1.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\/03\/prateek-katyal-6jYnKXVxOjc-unsplash-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"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":373,"position":4},"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":[]},{"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":373,"position":5},"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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373","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=373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}