How to Start the Test:

Reading and note-jotting time

Usually, you will be given 10 minutes immediately prior to the test. This time is to read your instructions clearly first and foremost.

Note how many questions you are required to answer and work out how much time you have per question. This is best worked out prior to the test when you can, so that you are just confirming it for yourself rather than being aware of it for the first time during the test reading time. Knowing the test format before coming to take the test leads to efficiency and gives you some sense of control and confidence of what you are about to start.

Brainstorm and jot down any key words, formulae, and ideas as a ‘brain warm-up’ during this time.

Deciding the order in which to answer questions

1. Generally, it works best to complete the easiest (relatively speaking) questions first. Again, this works as a warm-up for your brain.
2. Next, answer the most difficult ones. Having started answering a question or two already, your brain is energised to tackle these more difficult questions.
3. Finally, answer the ‘in-between’ difficulty level questions. It generally works best to answer these medium level questions last since they do not require the same effort from you than the previous two levels mentioned.

Working out how much time for each question

This may vary according to the difficulty and depth of each question, but you need to make a general estimate so that you don’t spend too much time on one question before moving onto the next. You can always leave some extra space on your answer page so that you can come back to add more to an answer if you feel it needs it and if you have time at the end.

If you have not left enough space, you can always indicate with an asterisk that there is more to the answer at the end of the page. If you do this, make sure you label with the corresponding question number clearly, so that the marker does not have to work out to which question your answer is connected. See the exemplar below of “adding more to an answer”.

How to Answer:

Structure

Begin your answer by using the directive and/or key words from the question and turn it into a statement. See the exemplars below of short answer questions from different disciplines, and how to structure a response to them.

Find out beforehand whether it is acceptable to answer with dot points or if you are required to write full sentences. Even if you are required to write your answer in full sentence structure, if you feel that you are running out of time, do jot down main points to even partially answer a question. This is better than leaving a question completely unanswered.

Use the notes that you may have jotted down during your 10 minute reading time. Also, if you answered a multiple choice quiz in this same test paper, you may be able to use key words in the multiple choice answers in your short answers or there could be topic words to trigger your memory and thinking to write your short answers.

Note: Short answers don’t generally have a defined word limit, but you are normally given a guide to how much detail is expected in your answer. Anything from a sentence to a page can be considered a short answer. Your lecturer or tutor may give more guidance on the expected word requirement in instructions prior to the test, or the question itself might specify an approximate word count or number of sentences to adequately answer the question.

Content

Rule number one: stick to answering the question. This is what makes it a short answer. Technically, it is a short answer not just because of its length, but because it answers the question directly without background or build-up to an argument. It is an answer that is to-the-point. As mentioned earlier in this section of the program, short answers require you to focus on the directive verb and the subject.

To ensure you follow rule number one, underline the directive and key subject words or phrases of the question.

See the previous section for a list of directive verbs and their meanings.

Have a go at Activity One, on the right-hand side of the screen, to test yourself on identifying directive verbs and key subject words or phrases.

Rule number two: do not simply write down everything you know about the topic. Read and understand what the question is asking, and give a clear, concise answer.

Rule number three: when there is a word limit given, stick to it. Writing much more detail than is required is not going to get you more marks, and you may run into time management trouble if you start writing an essay rather than a short answer!

Have a go at Activity Two, on the right-hand side of the page. Then, click on the NEXT PAGE button at the bottom of the screen to go to How to End the Test.

When you want to add more to an answer example

5. The analysis step requires the execution of an explicit set of recording instructions about the rules for coding the data into categories. Recording should involve more than one judge so that the coding of each content/unit can be examined for reliability, and sources of disagreement can be identified and corrected. *

5. *Reliability of the coding system can then be evaluated through computation of coefficients of agreement between two or more different judges/coders.

(Extract from FoodRisc Resource Centre: A resource centre for food risk and benefit communication. Retrieved December 2016).

Question: From the facts given, analyse the opportunity costs in terms of investment.

Answer option 1: From the facts given, the opportunity costs in terms of the investment are…

Answer option 2: From the facts given, the opportunity costs in terms of the investment are the following:
(in this structure, you can use dot points to list the opportunity costs).

Question: List and describe the 3 main functions of the skeletal system and explain how physical exercise benefits bone metabolism.

Answer option 1: The 3 main functions of the skeletal system are mechanical, protective, and metabolic. The mechanical function provides support by a framework for the attachment of muscles, ligaments and tendons. The skeletal system also has the function to protect internal body organs as well as marrow within the bone. Finally, the metabolic function works on mineral storage, blood cell production, and energy storage.
Physical exercise benefits bone metabolism by…

Answer option 2: The 3 main functions of the skeletal system are as follow:
• Mechanical
• Protective
• Metabolic
Physical exercise benefits bone metabolism by…

Question: Compare and contrast the different perspectives of ‘belonging’ conveyed in the two texts…

For this type of question, you are most likely expected to use citations, such as quotes or paraphrases, from texts studied in the course or extracts given in the test paper. These will need to be formatted as per the course preferred referencing style, but you would not be expected to include the page number for a quote.

Answer: There are different perspectives of ‘belonging’ conveyed in Text A and Text B… (name the texts and their authors. Begin your answer with a brief summary of the main message; follow this with the techniques used by the authors to put their message across: give examples of similarities and differences; and finish with a conclusion of the effect of each of the texts. For this type of question, you more than likely would format it in full sentences and not use dot points).

Question: Explain why alkanes are less reactive than alkenes.

Answer option 1: Alkanes are less reactive than alkenes because alkanes do not have any functional group. (Provide an explanation with evidence of what alkanes are made up of and how they function and their effect to follow this. Finally, explain their effect and why they have this effect; highlighting their differences to alkenes).

Answer option 2: Alkanes are less reactive than alkenes because of the following reasons:

Alkanes

• Do not have any functional group
• Their bonds are chemically inert
• (Use as many dot points to cover all the relevant reasons to answer the question well).

Alkenes, on the other hand

• Have carbon-carbon double bonds
• Have two hydrogen atoms less than the corresponding alkane
• (Use as many dot points to cover all the relevant reasons to answer the question well).

Therefore, alkenes give the addition reactions while alkanes give substitution reactions.

Extract question and answer 4 from Pearson Education, Inc. 2014. Introduction to Organic Compounds. Retrieved from: http://www.desu.edu/sites/default/files/u687/04_Lecture.pdf.2016.