Why my past exam papers are GOLD, and why you need them
By: Fred (but mainly Emma)
I put so much effort into my past papers – I can honestly say they are the best in the business (and the most up-to-date!)
But why are past papers so important?
Because they give you superhero powers in your exam!
(And well basically, you would be crazy not to put the odds in your favour)
It’s no small feat
Every month without fail, we collaborate on all the past papers kindly given to us.
*** 😉 Shout out to my students! ***
I analyse and highlight them (any new tricky questions?) before adding my comments and notes. Then we put them in a carefully thought out order eg “more challenging” examiners may be at the top, followed by a “less challenging” examiner so we build back your confidence. And just when you are getting too confident, we strategically place another examiner who may get you to think outside the box. There is always a “system” to my madness so you are constantly learning and are being challenged.
How many papers do we have? Too many!
We currently have over 1200 pages of online past papers, and that’s just the OOW alone! - not that you could get through them all.
With over 60 online examiners, it’s like I am a traffic controller.
Shhh - it’s top secret
The story of “Fred’s Past Papers”, including names, characters, and incidents portrayed in the notes are fictitious.
Basically, we take out anything (and put some crazy stuff in) so no one will ever know where the exam debriefs came from. And we only give access to our papers to our students via our secure platform – which provides military grade encryption and protection.
Thinking of sharing? My system can hunt you and track you down! (you think I’m joking) It’s not just you I am protecting, but complying with the MCA code of conduct – plus, I don’t like sharing my stuff!
Now before you ask - Do you have past papers to Captain such and such……as think he is my online examiner
Well firstly, yes of course I do - But no, let me stop you right there - why?
• I find about 75% of the time your examiner changes right before your online exam.
• If you concentrate too much on one examiner you won’t learn the syllabus properly and it will bite you on the bum.
• You can’t take shortcuts with this exam. Why risk it, just learn the syllabus.
There is now a little warning from the MCA…..
“Any attempts to verify the examiner’s identity by any means prior to the commencement of oral exam will be viewed as cheating. Any evidence of such breaches will result in failure of the exam and be reported to the Chief Examiner for possible investigation and penalties”
Now back to the important bit!
3 reasons why past papers are like GOLD
❶ They prepare you psychologically.
The unknown can do all sorts of things to your mind; I have had students react to stress in all kinds of ways (shout, laugh, cry, freeze) however, when you know what is expected, it helps overcome your fear of the unknown.
It gives you the insight to prepare and adjust your focus accordingly.
❷ Motivates you.
I find you don’t study seriously until I give out my past exam papers.
You have practical insight into the expected level, so you stop looking at your Facebook page and finally get serious.
❸ Helps you learn - obvious, but let me break it down.
Tests your knowledge – so you think you know it…. Let’s see with real questions, not ones you make up.
Familiarise yourself with the terminology and vocabulary used - Ever heard of command words? They are rods and phrases used in exams that tell students how they should answer the question, so kind of important.
Find your weaknesses – I find most students always like to learn the things they know and neglect their weaknesses.
Practice speaking out loud – it is an oral exam after all, and you need to get all those words and information out and speak clearly. Use your study buddies for this. How many times do you say uhm…uhm…ohhh, I do say it a lot.
Do you have fluency illusion? Might be a good time to check out my other blog – How we learn: what the experts say.
Gives you the opportunity to do active recall (aka retrieval practice).
Shows you another perspective with different examiners – same question but asked differently.
Learn from other people’s mistakes.
Other things to keep in mind
Past papers are normally given out 2-3 weeks before your exam - student dependant.
The first exam paper delivers the biggest shock - deep breath, you’ve got this.
Look for common concepts across past papers - funny, that question keeps coming up.
I say this all the time, but listen to the question - AND ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT IS ACTUALLY ASKED!
Learn to look at the question both conceptually and individually - What does this mean? Well you need to look at the bigger picture not just run through checklists.
Reflection - Doing a bunch of past papers is great, but reflection is what makes your studying way more effective. So take the time to stop and think. Could I have answered that better? Did I mention the more important points at the beginning? What is the reason behind the examiner asking that question?
Flashcards - now you know what is coming, start thinning (like my hair) out those flash cards - Watch my video here
Want to be scared? BOO!
***Email Emma for an example of a past exam***
And lastly, words of wisdom from a past student….
“If you have great up-to-date past papers, you will be miles ahead of the game - and you will do better than the students who spent all their time making pretty flash cards”
