Introduction
I think Benjamin Franklin once wrote something along the lines of death and taxes are inevitable in life, well for a lot of us so are exams! Many exams these days are ‘open book’ in format meaning that you can use sources of references such as the internet or textbooks, in particular NEBOSH now run most of their exams in this format.
Understand the question
For scenario-based exams it is important that you take your time reading and understanding the work based scenario that is provided and highlighting the key points. This is important as most answers will be based around your knowledge of this.
When answering questions probably the best advice to give you is to spend plenty of time analysing the questions. It is such a fundamentally important thing to do. Take time reading the questions and highlight the key words in the question. For example:
Question
‘What are five key direct environmental aspects from the activity stated in the scenario (5)’
Keywords here would be ‘five’, ‘direct environmental aspects’ and ‘stated in the scenario’.
I have lost count over the years where knowledgeable students have just quickly looked at the question and started to answer it and come up with a great answer but to the wrong question. It is so, so important that you take time and make sure that you understand what the question is after.
It is also a very good idea to take a look at the marks available, this will tell you something about the depth that your answers must be and how long you should spend on answering the question.
Before you get started you should read the question numerous times. Make sure you have a very good idea of what it wants, this arguably the most important phase in the exam process.
Draw up a plan
Hopefully at this point you have a good idea of what is required by the question. If not do what we have said above again, until you do! We must now think about planning, I would not recommend jumping in and trying to answer the question without forethought.
Your plan can be prepared as a list or if you prefer a mind map. Whatever you choose it should give a good overview of how you plan to answer the question. Initially you could develop a structure for your answer, by perhaps considering what you know already. You are likely to need to refer and provide information from the scenario to help back up your answer.
For the gaps that you encounter you will need to do some research. The internet and your textbook is extremely useful in this respect. Make sure that you look at reputable sources such as those from regulators, trade bodies or advisory services. These should help in filling in any blanks or may reinforce what you know already. You must always keep a record of your sources of reference and quote them in your answer submission. You must also write what you find in your own words, not just copy and paste information directly to your answer. Don’t spend too long looking for perfect sources of information.
Answer the question
If you have completed the plan properly, answering the question should involve taking the structure from the plan and providing more detail. As we considered earlier the amount you need to write will largely be dictated by the number of marks available. But, you should also stick to the word count stated in the question paper. Make sure you format your answer so that it is easy to read, long complex paragraphs should be avoided, and the judicious use of bullet points is sometimes a good idea. Finally, when you are happy with your answer read it a few times and ask yourself the following about your answer:
- Is it technically accurate?
- Is it tailored to the question?
- Is it easy to read? (formatting, sentence structure etc)
- Is it the right amount of detail (marks available and word count)
If the answer is ‘no’ to any of the questions above then make sure you amend the answer until it meets the requirements.
Final Note
There is a technique to answering open book exam questions that if followed, should increase your chances of doing well. It surrounds making sure you understand the question, prepare a plan, answer the question (based on the plan) and check the result.
John Binns BSc (Hons), MSc, MIEMA
John Binns BSc (Hons) MSc MIEMA is an experienced environmental tutor and consultant.