Understanding question words

It is important to look for the question words (the words that tell you what to do) to correctly understand what the examiner is asking. Once you have read the question once circle the question word and then underline any other important key words. The combination of the circled and underlined words will tell you exactly what is being asked.

Use these explanations as a guide when answering questions:

So you’re ready. You’ve done your revision and practised thousands of exam questions. Now it’s time to face the exam paper. Here are some tips for surviving in the exam room:

Keep calm

• Try not to panic – after all, you are well prepared!
• Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and count to 20 slowly.
• If necessary, try to relax every muscle in your body for 2 minutes just before the exam starts.

Get ready for battle!

John Bransby is a former principal and examiner and is currently a Maths and Science Educational consultant


Studying Maths and Science, and other subjects that involve calculations, require a slightly different approach to studying other subjects. Here are some tips for doing well in these subjects:


1. Before class or before your study session