Exam preparation · lesson 18 of 24 · free

Reading the paper first — Exam preparation tips

When you get the paper, don’t start writing at once. Read the instructions, then the whole paper, and mark the questions you know well. Answer those first to bank sure marks and build confidence, then try the harder ones, and check at the end. Circle the key word in each question: “list” wants short points, “explain” wants reasons, “compare” wants how two things differ or match, “define” wants the exact meaning.

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Got it? Practise ↓

Study tip

Read, plan, bank — “read the whole paper, plan your time, bank the sure marks first”

  1. Order: read the instructions → read the whole paper → mark the easy questions → answer known ones first → try the harder ones → check your answers.
  2. Key words: list / name / state → short points; explain / why → reasons; compare / distinguish → how they differ or match; define / meaning → the exact meaning.
  3. Stuck? Move on and come back. “Answer any four of six” means choose only four.

Use it for: Every written exam and class test — the first 5–10 minutes with the paper.

Worked example: True or false: “Explain why we have day and night.” asks for the exact meaning. → False

  1. “Explain” asks for reasons and how it happens, not a definition.
  2. So the sentence is False.

Check: Try it: take any old test paper, read it fully and mark the order in which you would answer the questions ✓

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✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

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🏁 Lesson 18 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

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🖨️ Exam Preparation Worksheet: Reading the Paper

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