Exam time special report: Are we there yet?
Students across WA are flipping palm cards, highlighting sentences, note taking, rote learning and performing repetitive tasks to ensure the knowledge they need in their WA Certificate of Education exams sticks.
Students at Gilmore College use a variety of study techniques, some are text book-style while others take a more creative approach.
Students Jordan McCulloch, 16, and Ragnhild Bergli, 17, prefer to highlight key points and note take while fellow classmates Ellen Parker, 16, and Kristie Read, 16 said decorating their rooms with informative palm cards and posters was more effective.
‘‘It is pretty helpful because it gives you something easy to look at and they are always there with the key points of information,’’ Ellen said.
Kristie said teaching others also helped her learn.
Principal Carolyn Cook said exam success came down to exam technique and long-term memory.
‘‘Use your reading time well, plan while you’re reading what you are going to do first,’’ she said.
‘‘If you spend five to 10 minutes planning your essay you will probably write a lot more coherently. Balance your time, don’t spend an hour and a half on the first question.’’
In the past, Mrs Cook said she would often come across essays that did not link to the question.
‘‘Answer the question that was asked not the question you wanted,’’ she said.
She advised students to use proper subject vocabulary to gain extra marks and to allow time to read through answers.
WACE exams run from November 1 to 23 at various campuses across WA.
