Exam preparation tips

YOUR HISTORY exam is around the corner and in this week’s lesson, we will be focusing on how to prepare for the examination.

1. KNOW THE FORMAT OF THE EXAM

Knowing the format of the examination will help in your preparation. The examination will consist of a multiple-choice paper (Paper 01) and a free- response paper (Paper 02). The multiple-choice paper will consist of 60 items based on the core. The duration of Paper 01 is 1 hour, 15 minutes. The freeresponse paper will consists of 18 questions with two questions set on the nine themes. The paper is divided into three sections and you are required to answer one question from each section. The duration of Paper 02 is 2 hours. Please see a listing below of the themes and core topics.

CORE TOPICS

1. The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. 2. The Europeans. 3. The Economic Revolution and the coming of enslaved Africans. 4. Slave Resistance. 5. Emancipation and Apprenticeship. 6. The coming of the Chinese, Europeans. (Madeirans, Germans, French), Indians and Africans. 7. The Establishment of the Peasantry, 1838 to 1900. 8. The United States’ influence in the Caribbean. 9. Popular Protests in the 1930s. 10. Movements towards Independence and Regional Integration up to 1985.

THE THEMES SECTION A

1. The Indigenous Peoples and the Europeans. 2. Caribbean Economy and Slavery. 3. Resistance and Revolt.

SECTION B

4. Metropolitan Movements towards Emancipation. 5. Adjustments to Emancipation, 1838-1876 6. Caribbean Economy, 1875-1985.

SECTION C

7. The United States in the Caribbean, 1776-1985. 8. Caribbean Political Development up to 1985. 9. Caribbean Society, 1900-1985.

2. PLAN YOUR STUDY TIME

When you sit down to study, think about how much time you want to devote to each topic. This will keep you from getting overwhelmed.

A good study technique to use is called chunking – breaking large topics down into chunks. For example, you are studying the topic the effects of the transatlantic trade in Africans. Instead of trying to process all the information in one instance, try breaking your study sessions into chunks, or studying the material by grouping the effects of the trade. For example, study in one session the effect of the trade on West African societies; in the other session, focus on the effect of the trade on the captives.

Most people can concentrate well for about 45 minutes. After that you’ll probably want to take a short break. If you find yourself getting distracted and thinking about other things as you study, pull your attention back. Remind yourself that when your 45 minutes of studying are up, you can take a 15-minute break.

3. START A STUDY GROUP

Sometimes it can be useful to go over things with people who are studying for the same test. You can make sure that your notes are correct and that you understand the subject. Study groups are also helpful because you can work together to come up with ways to remember concepts and then test one another.

For some people who are easily distracted, though, study groups spell disaster because they get off the topic. When you’re with a bunch of friends or classmates, you may spend more time hanging out than actually studying. One way to ensure quiet and focus when studying with a group is to study in the library. In the end, it comes down to what works best for you. If you like to study alone and feel most confident doing it that way, that’s great. If you think you’d like to work in a group, try it out – just be aware of the drawbacks.

4. RESIST THE URGE TO PROCRASTINATE

It’s tempting to put off studying until the last minute (also known as procrastination). However, with the number of examination papers you will be sitting, this would be an error in judgement. If you’re a procrastinator (and who isn’t sometimes), one of the best ways to overcome it is by staying organised. Organisation makes it harder to procrastinate.

Sometimes people put off studying because they feel overwhelmed by the fact that they’re behind on things or they just feel really disorganised. Don’t let this happen to you. Keep your notes organised, stay on top of required readings, and follow the other study tips mentioned earlier to stay focused and in control.

REVISING ACCORDING TO YOUR LEARNING STYLE

How do you learn in class? Is it when the teacher is talking or when you are asked to construct something on your own? Each student is unique and learns differently. You should have an idea as what strategies you teacher uses that make you learn best. You can use that same strategy when studying. If you are a visual learner, go back to your notes and use a highlighter to connect your terms. For example, highlight each term in one paragraph green and highlight terms from another paragraph yellow, etc. If you are an auditory learner, find a recording device to record yourself as you read over each paragraph slowly. Listen to your recording several times. If you are a tactile learner, make flash cards by putting all the terms on one side of a card and the entire paragraph on the flip side.