Exam preparation

Preparing for exams includes organising your study, staying engaged in all learning activities, and asking for help from lecturers, tutors, or support staff when needed. It also means knowing what type of exam you’ll be sitting and the kinds of questions or tasks you might be asked to complete.

Exam Rules and Expectations

As a university student, it is important to understand the exam rules and what is expected of you. Exam information specific to each subject can be found in the subject outline, and your lecturer will also provide further guidance and advice. For a detailed description of formal examinations, follow this link: Formal Examinations.

Preparing for Exams

  • Start getting organised 3-4 weeks before exams.
  • Use the exam timetable to make a study plan for your exams.
  • Gather all your subject materials together, such as lecture slides, notes, learning outcomes, examples etc.
  • Get help or advice early.
  • Make a list of the main points covered in each week’s lectures – match these to the subject learning outcomes.
  • Study in chunks (e.g., 1-hour blocks) – take breaks between study blocks to refresh and regroup.
  • Summarise the key topics in a format that makes meaning to you. For example, you could use the Cornell Method of note taking, create a mind map, or a concept map.
  • Use active learning strategies  to revise information. Examples include group discussions, teaching key points to someone else, making flashcards and highlighting then summarising text.
  • Plan to have a quite space to sit your exam.
  • Ensure your technology is set up - If you have a Respondus Exam, visit the downloading and using Respondus guide.
  • Take the practice exam to ensure all your equipment is ready
  • Dress for exam success – Remember that for some exams you will be on camera, so ensure you are dressed appropriately.
  • Ensure you have contact details for the correct support staff, should you experience any technical difficulties.
  1. Formal Examsexams@jcu.edu.au
  2. Oncourse Exams (Exams held during the teaching period) – Your Subject Coordinator, their email can be found in your Subject Outline
  • Familiarise yourself with the building/s and room/s you have been allocated to.
  • Check your JCU credentials and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are working. You can do this by performing the following steps:
  1. Launch either the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browsers on your personal computer.
  2. Open a private or incognito browsing window by pressing the CTRL + Shift + N keys at the same time.
  3. In the new window, navigate to the following website: https://www.jcu.edu.au/learn/log-in-to-learnjcu
  4. Enter your JCU username and password, then click Log In.
  5. You will now be prompted for MFA, complete the MFA verification step to continue.
  6. You are now authenticated to the LearnJCU platform.
    If you encounter any issues with the above process, especially with steps 4 or 5, then you may need to change your password or reset your MFA. Please contact the IT Help Desk if you require further assistance with recovering access to your JCU account.

*Allow yourself sufficient time to travel to campus on the day.

Helpful Links

Exam Tips from JCU Students

Exam Tips from JCU Students