Exam Preparation Strategies During COVID-19
Written in collaboration with Mika Parekh.
Cancellation of these exams at this crucial learning stage requires the student to stay self-motivated. While speaking to a teacher, we were informed of the challenges many students faced at the start of the last academic year in September 2020. Some of these students have required more adjustment to adopt a learning routine, leaving them burdened with a backlog of study material. For instance, A- Level Math syllabus is easier for those who have previously taken Advanced Math in GCSE.
Since students are not required to study for upcoming external exams, they may need encouragement to continue planning their intensive revision of coursework from February to June as in a normal school year. Even though exams may be cancelled, students need to take ownership of their learning. Consistent learning today will enable students to have a strong foundation as they progress to a more rigorous high school content.
Students need to ensure that they are working towards their mocks as the results of these exams may be the primary source of assessment. The accelerated timeline of mocks may also put undue pressure on them. These extraordinary times require a strong and caring support system as catching up may become difficult due to the curriculum work load. Our counseling team is in constant communication with our students to ensure they are guided in all aspects of their workload. We are also advising our students to continue to work on course content at the same pace and invest in developing their problem solving abilities by practicing past papers.
In addition to the mock exams, there will be more emphasis on teacher-led internal assessments over some of the external exams. It is important that students communicate with their teachers on a regular basis; this could be in the form of receiving feedback or asking for additional resources. Additionally, we encourage students to collaborate with their teachers to explore new tools and methodologies to improve students’ virtual learning experience.
The lack of structure places the responsibility of learning on the pupil; however, students can use this to their advantage to focus on topics and subjects that are of interest to them for advanced learning. Students can take ownership of their learning to begin building their expertise in their choice of specializations. Building strong foundations in these subjects now will benefit them in the coming years of high school and later, at university.
To learn more strategies to succeed in your learning, contact Uni Crest Admissions & Academic Consultants.
