Study hints and tips

Give yourself the best chance of success during your training and on the day of your examination. 

During your training and revision 

Clarify requirements: Make sure you are clear about coursework requirements, dates and deadlines. If you are unsure about anything, please contact your study coach or course trainer without delay.

Invest in a calendar: Plan your study time carefully. Produce a personalised study plan at the start of the programme and allocate dedicated time slots for when you will sit down and study over the coming weeks. Build in time for the unexpected and consider your other personal and professional commitments. Be sure to commit to your plan and not leave everything to the last minute!

Comfortable environment: Find a suitable place to study, where you can concentrate and avoid distractions. Everyone learns in a different way, so consider the study techniques that have worked best for you in the past. Be aware of your limitations, take regular breaks to avoid overload.

Collaboration: Gain support from others. Those around you can be of great assistance, allowing you time and space to study. They could even test your knowledge of the materials!

Little and often: Break down the learning materials into smaller sections. This will help you to cover the materials in a more manageable and digestible way.

Get creative: Create rhymes or mnemonics to help you remember lists or processes. Using highlighters, underlining, sticky notes or using coloured index cards are also great creative ways to help you visually learn. Try a few methods and find out what works best for you.

Create checkpoints: Monitor your progress against the goal you have set in your study plan. Are you on track? If so, celebrate. If not, you will need to catch up as soon as possible, so be sure to reallocate your time.

On examination day

Apply the theory: This is an easy thing to forget under exam pressure, but examiners are not looking for knowledge of theory, but for your ability to apply it to real life situations. During your revision make sure you apply what you’re learning to real scenarios that can be used to back up your theoretical knowledge - this is key to securing a higher grade on the day.

Read the question: The examiner’s standard mantra to “read the question” really can’t be underestimated in its importance. You’d be surprised how many candidates fail to address the key issues asked, but this simple mistake can mean the difference between a pass and fail. Simple rule: before you start writing make sure you understand everything being asked of you.

Use memory aids: Under pressure it can be easy to forget everything you intend to include in your answer. Strategies such as making notes or bullet points about key aspects before you start writing can to keep you on track and ensure you thoroughly answer questions during the exam.

Manage your time: Time management is important - don’t underestimate how quickly time will pass on the day. It’s important you try to spread the allotted time across the whole examination paper to give yourself the best chance of completing all questions adequately. Spending too long on one answer could jeopardise your chances of achieving a high result overall.