HOW TO USE YOUR TIME IN THE EXAM

When you first look at the exam paper, you get a flurry of thoughts - 'Good, that topic is on the paper' and 'I couldn't do that one' and 'What's that question about?'.

The first thing to do is check the details - how many questions do you have to answer? How much time have you got? How many marks are different questions worth? Those three questions are the key questions. Between them, they work out your Time Budget.

Remember the plan of how to use your time in the exam? Here it is again:

0-10: Look at paper, check details of time and number of questions, choose which questions to answer.
11-15: Plan answer to first question.
16-60: Write first answer.
61-65: Check first answer over.
66-70: Plan answer to second question.
71-115: Write second answer.
116-120: Check second answer over.
121-125: Plan third answer.
126-170: Write third answer.
171-175: Check third answer over.
176-180: Check whole paper over.

It doesn't leave you any time to spare, so you have to use your exam time as effectively as possible. The first big decision you have to make is: Which Questions Should You Answer?