How to prepate for the A/L exam effectively

How to face the A/L
exam effectively
by
Aurora Computer Studies
(auoracs.lk)
Aurora Computer Studies 1

The overview
1. Select the right A/L stream &
subjects
2. Mange your studies
3. Prepare for the exams
Aurora Computer Studies (www.auroracs.lk) 2
Right selection Manage studies Prepare for exam

Select the right stream & subjects
• How to select the right study stream &
subjects for A/L
o If you need more information, please refer the
following presentation
https://www.slideshare.net/auroracslk/how-to-
select-the-study-stream-for-al
Aurora Computer Studies (auroracs.lk) 3

Doing your A/L studies successfully
• How to do your Advanced Leve (A/L)
studies successfully
o If you need more information, please refer the
following presentation
do-your-advanced-leve-al-studies-
successfully

The overview
• Understand what is to be tested in the
exams
• Plan and prepare for the exams
• Face the exam effectively

What is tested in the
exams?

What is tested?
• Exams test to see if the student has
fulfill the objectives set for the subject
• First thing is understanding the
objectives and full fill it

What is tested (in general) ?
• Have you got the relevant knowledge
?
• Have you got the required skills ?
• Do you have the right attitude ?

What is knowledge

What is tested (at concept level) ?
• What?
o Explain the concept in short & clearly
• Why?
o What is the purpose or use of the concept?
• Example/Usages
o Can you give examples/use of the concept?
• Discussion
o Can you discuss the pros and cons of the concept
o Relate to other concepts
o What are the alternative concepts

• Do you have the following skills
related to concepts

• Analysis
o Ability to divide and understand concepts in detailed
• Synthesis
o Collect isolated facts to build broad concepts
• Application
o Use of the concepts

How to prepare for the
exams?

Prepare for exams (Overview)
• Remember that exam preparation is
part of the bigger task of studying the
subject
o And not the other way round
o So if you have not go through yet, highly
recommended to go through “How to do your
Advanced Leve (A/L) studies successfully “
do-your-advanced-leve-al-studies-
successfully

Prepare for exams - tasks
1. Plan and systematically prepare for the
exam
2. Gather all the resources (Organize)
3. Understand the concepts
4. Prepare mind maps
5. Do the past papers
6. Clarify all the doubts
7. Face mock exams, verify your answers
with a teacher and validate
8. Sit for the exams with confidence

Gather all the resources
• Syllabus
• Study notes
• Reference books/Online resources
• Past papers together with marking
schemes for at least 4-6 years

Steps for exam preparation
1. Get the official syllabus and mark
all the topics that you are confident
(green), you have doubts (gray),
and not yet covered or understood
(red)
o If there are gray areas or uncovered topics, either
get help from teachers or do serious self study on
those topics

Steps for exam preparation (con.)
2. Rush through the past papers and
get an idea of which areas are more
frequently tested and to which
depth and which areas are hardly
tested
o You can do this section-wise, after a major section
is completed

3. Now prepare mind maps using your
study notes and your understanding
for the each topic (Better to use
paper & pencil )
o For lengthy topics, prepare hierarchical mind maps
o If you have doubts get them clarified from your
teachers, friends or now you may even use on line
forums in the WWW

4. Now do the past papers in serious
way
o If you find anything difficult or not covered so far,
mark those in the past papers itself and later look
for understanding the concepts. Also add those to
your current mind maps & study notes
5. Now again double cross check with
syllabus, notes to see if anything is
missing

6. Now it is time to do mock exams of
sample papers and get the help from a
teacher to mark the answers.
o Also discuss your answers with him/her and see
why you get lower marks for structured/essay
questions (if so)
7. In the close of the exam, do not go into
new things, just make sure that your
current understanding of the concepts is
sound and you are relax

Understand – why?
• Memorizing is a pain, whereas
understand is a pleasure
“If you learn to remember,
you will ultimately forget.
If you learn to understand,
you will ultimately remember.”
-Unknown

Understanding – how?
• Get the big picture of the topics right
& never loose it
• Identify the connections and
relationships between concepts
• Think of real world usages
• Apply the concepts and solve
problems

Understanding – how? (cont..)
• Use mind maps effectively
o Give you the big picture
o Show you the connections
o Brain friendly (graphical)

Verify your understanding
• You can verify yourself on understanding
of a concept by answering following
questions
o What?
• Explain the concept in short & clearly
o Why?
• What is the purpose or use of the concept?
o Example/Usages
• Can you give examples/use of the concept?
o Discussion
• Can you discuss the pros and cons of the concept
• Relate to other concepts
• What are the alternative concepts

How to answer MCQ
papers effectively

Answering MCQ papers
• Calculate the time for each question
and manage time accordingly.
• Answer in rounds (In general in three
rounds)
o 1 st round – Answer simple and less time consuming
questions
o 2 nd round – Answer intermediary level questions
o 3 rd round – Answer complex and time consuming
questions as time permit

Answering MCQ papers (con.)
• Answer all the questions
• But do not answer any of the
questions on mere believe in luck.
o Use elimination method to increase probability of
correct answer(s)
o For each successful elimination of an answer, you
increase the probability of getting marks

How to answer essay
papers effectively

Facing essay papers
• Check the number of questions to
answer and if there are mandatory
questions
• Calculate the time for each question and
manage time accordingly.
• Answer in rounds (In general in three
rounds)
o 1 st round – Answer simple and less time consuming
questions
o 2 nd round – Answer intermediary questions
o 3 rd round – Review answered questions and attempt
more difficult questions if time permit

Facing essay papers (Cont.)
• In general, answer simple, straight
and brief
o Too short answers show that you lack details
o Too long and indirect or irrelevant answers show that
you lack confidence on the subject.
• Do not write too general points, rather
present specific points.
o .Do not answer like throwing stones at a tree without
real aim, hoping one or two will be hit.
o Examiners know this 

• Play close attention to terms like
define, state, explain and discuss.
• Write your best points first.
• Sketch diagrams where necessary
• Provide examples where useful.

• Use clear (not necessarily beautiful)
hand-writing.
• Use a pleasant language.
• Write interesting and unique points
when relevant.
o Especially, in answering discuss type questions.

How to answer structured
essay papers effectively

Facing structured essay papers
• Most of the points are same as for
answering essay papers
• But, the answers are mostly
o Short
o Specific

Further resources
• How to select study stream &
subjects for A/L
o https://www.slideshare.net/auroracslk/how-to-select-
the-study-stream-for-al
• How to do your Advanced Level (A/L)
studies successfully
o https://www.slideshare.net/auroracslk/how-to-do-your-
advanced-leve-al-studies-successfully

Thank You !
Presented by
Aurora Computer Studies
(auoracs.lk)

"We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit."
~ Aristotle.

Premier Study Center
Aurora Computer Studies,
Summerset College,
# 135, 3rd Floor,
DFCC Building,
High Level Road,
Maharagama.
City Study Center
Aurora Computer Studies,
Summerset College,
# 88/2, 2nd Floor,
BOC Building,
High Level Road,
Kirulapone, Colombo 06
Details and enquiries :
Call - 0719 842030
E-mail – info@auroracs.lk
Web - www.auroracs.lk
Aurora Computer Studies www.auroracs.lk

How to prepate for the A/L exam effectively

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