Tips for Tackling Difficult Exam Questions

It’s inevitable that everyone will eventually face an exam question that completely stumps you, and although these questions might leave you questioning your knowledge on the subject, I can promise you that when following the correct strategies, you’ll be able to handle these daunting questions with confidence.

Therefore, I leave with some tips that should help you put yourself back on track.

It might seem completely obvious at first, but it’s highly common for people to panic when faced with a tough question.

This panic may very well cloud your thinking, and hinder your ability to rationally solve a problem. When faced with such questions, I urge you to lean back, unclench your fists, lower your shoulders, and breath deeply.

Close your eyes if you have to, just for a moment, and when you’ve returned to an open mind, confront the question once more. Through this, you may see the question from a difficult perspective and spark an idea that might help you solve it!

Too many times have I, and others, lost an intense number of marks, simply because I read the question wrong.

This has led to a result of answering a completely separate question. Remember, ensure you’re answering the question that’s being asked, and not the question that you’d like to be asked.

Make sure to take a moment, and read each question extremely question and ensure that you haven’t misinterpreted what’s being asked. Do this by looking through each word/number, along with keywords or phrases that associate to the question.

Examples of this include words such as “explain”, “compare”, “calculate”, etc. These keywords at the start of questions might completely change what’s being asked, and will alter your response massively.

Sometimes, looking at a question as a whole can be worrisome and therefore difficult to communicate. It’s important to break a question down into manageable and less-worrying parts.

Attempt to locate main components and what each part might actually require. Sometimes questions have different sections that interpret different ideas, in which case, tackle each one separately.

Often times, breaking questions down bit by bit can help encourage logic and imaginative thinking, along with making a question seem far less overwhelming and more approachable.

I say this primarily for questions requiring long answers, however short answers are also included: Make sure to plan your response beforehand! Although your time is considerably limited in the exam, it’s important to plan what you’re going to write in a separate section of the page.

You could quickly jot down notes in a bullet point format, or draw out a mind map if you deem it necessary. Doing so will help to organize your thoughts, and assist in structuring, promoting logic, and ensuring full coverage of all required points, which will allow you to develop a much higher quality answer.

Especially in multiple choice questions, but also in mathematical, scientific, or essay questions, the process of elimination can be vital towards pinpointing a correct answer, and eliminating the potential of incorrect ideas.

When faced with difficult questions, you may start thinking of a wide variety of responses, that may or may not be correct. In often occasions, only one, or a few would be considered correct.

Therefore, attempt to eliminate evidently incorrect answers. This can be done by pursuing part of an equation or response.

This will help to rat out the incorrect answers, leaving you with a smaller selection that provides you the ability to make educated guesses, or even develop new ideas to assist in pinpointing a correct answer.

Primarily in subjects like Math’s and Science, it’s extremely important to show your work.

Not only do you often gain partial credit for showcasing a correct path, even if your final answer was incorrect, but it can also help you develop ideas for difficult questions.

If you know where to start, and you begin developing your response, and you follow that by taking a step back and looking over the course of your working out, you may be surprised to see correlations that should help you in continuing that response and eventually identifying a correct answer. Doing this will also help you track your own thoughts, and catch any mistakes along with the way.

If a question appears unfamiliar, such as a topic you don’t think you’ve studied, then try to relate it to something you have studied.

In some cases, aligning potentially relevant theories, formulas or concepts you are aware of, can help you identify similarities in the question you’re trying to answer. Doing so may help you single out a potential solution!

Please, and I say this with experience, manage your time wisely at all costs. You’re provided a strict amount of time, which in some situations may not be enough.

When faced with a difficult exam question, it might be wise to skip it to ensure you don’t waste any time that could be spent answering other questions and gaining more marks.

If you end up with more time at the end of answering, you could return back to the question and utilize your remaining time on answering it then.

You might also, due to you having answered other questions, think of new concepts that will assist you in figuring out an appropriate response.

It’s extremely important to remain confident in prioritizing marks. Remember, you’re not answering questions for the sake of answering questions, you’re answering them for the sake of gaining marks.

Unless you’re in an exam where you’re faced with penalties for incorrect answers, may sure you respond to each question. An educated guess is far better than leaving it blank.

If you go through an entire exam, and skip a few questions, go back to them and guess if you have to. It’s highly possible that you’ll pick up a few marks, even if it’s for a partial or imperfect answer.

If you have enough time, and you’ve answered every question, do yourself a favor and review each answer.

Attempt to seek mistakes or incomplete answers throughout your paper. It’s possible that by revisiting your work, you might gain a fresh perspective and identify errors or develop ideas to help you gain some more last-minute marks.

Battling difficult exam questions can be tricky, aggravating and stressful.

But by remaining calm, thinking with an open mind, and applying strategic and educated thought, along with breaking down questions, planning responses, and managing your time effectively, you too can become a master examination taker.

With this advice, I hope that your confident and your performance will be boosted.

Every question will affect your mark, so answer it to the best of your ability. Strive for marks, any way how.

Good luck!