B.
Managing in the Exam
Good Luck
PREFACE
This booklet
has been prepared by the Academic Skills and Learning Centre at The Australian
National University, Canberra.
The project
was funded out of a joint grant from the Department of Employment,
Education and Training to the University of Canberra and the
Australian National University to develop their support services
for students with disabilities.
This guide
may be reproduced whole or in part by other Australia universities.
It may be read in conjunction with the publication Reasonable
Accommodations: Strategies for Teaching University Students
with Disabilities produced jointly by Macquarie University,
the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney
and the University of Technology, Sydney
The Disability
Adviser at the University of Canberra can be contacted on 6201
2990 (lB126A) and the Disability Liaison Officer at the Australian
National University on 6125 5036 in the Student Facilities Building, 17A.
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FOREWORD
It is with
pleasure that we commend this Guide to you as a valuable resource
for both staff and students in the assessment of knowledge of
students with disabilities.
Both the
Australian National University and the University of Canberra
are committed to assisting these students to achieve their goals
in as equitable a manner as their peers. We recognize the barriers
that exist and are working towards removing them as far as possible.
The use
of a flexible format in teaching and alternative methods of
assessing students' knowledge are vital components in this process.
To date there have been few guides to assist both teachers and
students and this booklet should go far in addressing this need.
All Australian
universities are now required, under Commonwealth Disability
Anti-Discrimination legislation, to accept as students all people
with disabilities who meet the entrance criteria - not merely
to have a limited Equity program for special admission for this
category of applicant. This means that we are likely to have
in our classes many more students with a much wider range of
disabilities.
Existing
anti-discrimination law uses the concept of 'reasonable accommodation'
to ensure equal treatment in practice for people with disabilities
in many situations. In relation to universities, this covers
the provision of equipment and access, and study course design.
In practice it means that academic and administrative staff;
wherever it is necessary, possible and reasonable to do so,
take into account a student's disability and make appropriate
adjustments to the learning environment to lessen the impact
of the disability (see the booklet Reasonable Accommodations:
Strategies for teaching university students with disabilities,
prepared by four Sydney universities and available from the
Disability Liaison Officer in your university).
One consequence
may be that we will need to change some aspects of our teaching
practice and classroom management. Students who have varying
degrees of deafness or blindness, students who use wheelchairs
or who have manipulative disabilities, students who have mental
or psychological disorders which interfere with their learning,
all place new and differing pressures on the lecturers and tutors
who teach them.
If you
want more information about the range of students with disabilities
in your University or if you want to discuss the disability
related problems of particular students in your class, phone
the Disability Liaison Officer [ ANU: 6125 5036; University of
Canberra: 6201 2990]. You may also find the pamphlet Reasonable
Accommodations (see above) useful; it is obtainable from the
Disability Liaison Officer.
In this
booklet we offer some information and guidance about setting
up oral examinations for those students who cannot, because
of their disability, manage the regular formal end of semester
year written exam. The first section is written for those staff
who may feel unsure of their skills in assessing oral presentations
of students' work; the second section is for students who have
to learn to handle new oral assessment skills.
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SUGGESTIONS
FOR STAFF WHO ADMINISTER AND MARK ORAL EXAMS
In all cases
of variations in the examination system, you, as the lecturer
in charge of the course, are responsible for ensuring that any
alternative system of examination:
- is equitable
for both the student who takes the variant exam and for the
majority of students who sit the standard written or practical
exam;
- is comparable
with the written/practical exam in testing of the knowledge,
skills and capacity to handle the concepts on which your course
is based so that consistency of standards can be maintained;
and
- is not
unnecessarily time-consuming or costly for either yourself
as examiner or the students themselves.
Variations
of formal written or practical exams, which may be appropriate
for some special exam students but not for others, include:
- giving
extended time either before or after the regular exam
period;
- permitting
breaks during the exam (and therefore extending the
exam time);
- providing
the student with a reader and/or an amanuensis
(and possibly extended time for reading aloud and editing);
and
- arranging
for a take-home exam when the students can make use
of their regular study support systems.
Some of
these variations have funding implications; others may require
separate exam room conditions.
For some
students, however, the only real option is some form of oral
exam. The two most common forms of oral examination are
( 1 ) the taped response, and (2 ) the oral interview, or a
combination of these with some writing or practical work.
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1. THE
TAPED EXAM
Points to take
into consideration:
a.
in the exam room
- This
type of exam is relatively easy to arrange, as most students
have tape recorders or can borrow them from the university,
and the students can use the same permitted materials (notes,
texts, etc.) as other students.
- It may
be necessary to arrange for an invigilator (supervisor) and
a special room for each student working under these conditions.
Students who are sight impaired will also need a reader (who
may double as the invigilator).
- It is
probably appropriate to permit the same length of time as
for a written response; it is quicker to speak than to write,
but more difficult to revise and to develop coherent discussion
orally.
- Most
students find it easier if they have access to two recorders;
one for their 'initial draft' which they then play back, edit
and re-record on the second machine.
b.
in assessing the exam
- It is
possible, but expensive and time-consuming, to have the tape
transcribed before it is marked alongside other exam scripts.
If many students are involved, there may not be the time or
funding available for this transcription.
- If you
are grading the student's work directly from the tape, experience
suggests that you should mark at least a third of the regular
written scripts first, in order to get your eye in on the
styles and standards of the class responses. It is also important
to clarify for yourself the criteria you are using and the
weighting you are giving in your assessment to the content
as opposed to the presentation of the written answers. It
is then much easier to make an equitable and comparable assessment
of the taped response.
- It will
be necessary to make a few notes as you listen in order to
justify your final grade for each response . both for your
own records and in case the student later wants to discuss
the exam with you.
- Remember
that spoken material often appears less coherent when transcribed
than answers that are presented in writing from the start
- you may need to make some allowance for this factor in your
assessment.
- You should
retain the exam tape along with all the exam scripts, in case
you need it for a second marker or any other form of validation
required in your department.
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2. THE
ORAL INTERVIEW
Points to take
into consideration:
a.
in the exam room
- most
lecturers prefer to have two staff present at oral interviews;
the second examiner is usually the tutor in charge of the
tutorial group or section in which the student has worked
all semester or year. This person will be familiar to the
student, thus reducing some of the pressure of nervousness,
and will also be familiar with the student's usual behaviour
and competence. If you are both the lecturer and tutor, then
another member of the department will have to be called in.
- if the
oral exam involves discussion between the examiners and the
student, then experience suggests that the senior examiner
should remain outside the interaction and provide the main
evaluation while the second examiner leads in the questioning
and discussion of the materials with the student. This permits
greater objectivity of assessment.
- logistical
difficulties can arise if you have a number of students requiring
an oral exam in your class as they will all need to be examined
as close as possible to the time of the formal written exam
in order to preserve confidentiality and equity. In such circumstances
it may be necessary to have a team of oral examiners, with
an overlap of one examiner for every two teams to enhance
reliability.
- in most
cases the oral interview will be held at the same time as
the written exam, and so it will be assessed without benefit
of experience in marking the written scripts (which makes
it important to have two examiners present to provide two
assessments).
From experience,
a crucial management factor is reaching an agreement with the
students in advance of the actual interview about the terms
by which the oral exam is to be conducted.
The procedures
for essay-style exams usually include:
- allowing
the student the full reading period in which to decide on
the questions to be attempted. This may require one examiner
to read the questions to the student and maybe even jot down
initial notes based on the student's dictation.
- giving
the student an agreed amount of time in which to prepare the
answer to the first question. This may also involve an examiner
taking down some dictated notes.
- giving
the student an agreed amount of time in which to present the
answer orally to the two examiners. The student then leaves
the room while the two examiners agree on a tentative mark
for that question.
- following
the same procedure for each of the remaining questions.
- after
the final question has been answered, the student should be
given a few minutes in which to add to, or revise, any previous
answers ( ie. somewhat equivalent to the editing that would
take place in a written exam).
- both
the examiners and the students need to know, in advance, whether
the oral exam will consist solely of the student presenting
the answers to the exam paper or whether there will be interventions
or questions by the examiners leading to possible elaboration,
'editing', or discussion of the material presented by the
student. (If interactions are permitted, then this shifts
the nature of the exam further from the conditions which prevail
for written exams in which there is no possibility of prompted
elaboration or clarification of points).
- it is
important to tape the oral interview and retain the tape for
later reference. Some examiners prefer to at least listen
to parts of the taped interview again once they have begun
marking the written scripts, just to ensure comparability
of grading.
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3. COMBINATIONS
AND VARIATIONS
a. The
written/oral combination
Examiners
sometimes require a combination of written and oral exams (for
example, with students with an occupational overuse injury who
do have a limited writing capacity but cannot manage the strain
of writing for a full three hours). The variations, in each
case, are agreed on in advance by the examiner and the
student. The student may be asked to write one answer, or half
the paper, or spend an hour making outline notes for all the
answers; and then complete the rest of the exam orally. The
exam is assessed on both the oral presentation and the written
answers or outline.
b. The
multiple-choice/short answer exam paper
For multiple-choice
exams, a reader and/or amanuensis is the simplest solution
- in this situation no special skills or experience are required,
so a senior student or tutor could do the job. Extra time may
be needed for sight-impaired students to allow for the reading
and re-reading aloud of each question.
In short
answer exams, the taped exam works well. In an oral interview
the student should be given a breathing space between each item,
and the possibility for revision of previous responses.
c. The
practical exam
The exam
will need to be handled in the same way as regular practical
classes have been managed for these students. Different adaptations
will have already been evolved during the teaching year but
the examiner and the student need to arrange the system for
final assessment in advance.
Some
further points to note about oral exams:
- In all
cases the unfamiliarity of an oral interview results in nervousness,
for both the examiner and student. In fact the students may
soon become more experienced than the staff as they often
have to face this procedure three or more times a year whereas
the staff may only occasionally have to manage this exercise.
- In the
case of these special student examinations, many of the worries
about student's verbal fluency masking a weakness in their
grasp of material can be discounted; these students have not
selected an oral exam as an 'easy option' - they do it because
they have no other choice. In these circumstances they develop
real competency in oral exams, but this is comparable to other
students developing 'good exam techniques' in written exams.
- Awkward
or hesitant oral expression should be regarded in the same
terms as semi-legible handwriting. no more and no less.
- Allowance
also has to be made for different styles and tempos of oral
responses, just as individual students will organize their
thinking and writing styles very differently under exam stress.
A student should not be expected to talk non-stop for the
agreed amount of time given to the oral presentation; brief
(and less than adequate) answers are common in written exams
too.
In conclusion,
three basic guidelines for holding an oral or taped exam
- Arrange
the actual exam procedures to be followed in advance of the
exam both with the student(s) and the other examiner(s) to
avoid confusion and to enable all of you to prepare for the
exam in a practical and relevant way.
- Make
the conduct of the exam procedures very explicit so that both
the examinee and the examiners have some feeling of control
over the interview or taping.
- Decide
on the breakdown of your own assessment criteria (weightings
for content/ for coverage/ for argument/ for presentation/
for accuracy, etc.) in advance of the oral exam and follow
these guidelines closely. This helps to safeguard you against
subjectivity in your assessment of oral materials.
The next
section provides suggestions and guidelines to help students who
are planning to take an oral examination. We hope you will read
this section also, in order to get a student perspective on this
exam procedure.
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SUGGESTIONS
FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PREPARING FOR AND TAKING ORAL EXAMS
If you are
a student who is planning to take an oral exam, please first read
the previous sections for staff, to get an idea of the academic
background to this type of exam. Then work your way through the
rest of the booklet which deals with matters that you need to
think about.
If you
need to arrange for a variation to the regular exam procedure
set out for one of your courses, there are several steps you
must take as soon as possible
1. Contact
the Disability Liaison Officer (ANU: 6125 5036; University
of Canberra: 6201 2990) to get assistance in how to make the necessary
arrangements with:
- the lecturer
in charge of the course, and
- the Examinations
Section (part of the university central administration)
which is responsible for the conduct of all university examinations
It is important
to make these arrangements well in advance of the exam period
as they may involve administrative and timetabling changes
- and your lecturer also needs to make some different arrangements
too.
It is your
lecturer's responsibility to find out what arrangements need
to be made for individual students by contacting the Disability
Adviser and then relaying this information to the Exams Section
- but you may need to check yourself, nearer the time of the
exam, that this has been done.
2.
Follow the general guidelines for efficient exam revision.
- Find
out about the style of exam you will be taking. It is not
a good strategy merely to revise the content of your course.
It is always sensible to know the style of exam you will be
attempting: is it a multiple-choice (tick the box) test? a
short answer exam? an essay-style exam? a mixture of these
(if so, in what proportions)? a practical or lab-based exam?
do you have to write it in a formal exam room or is it a take-home
exam? how long is the exam? can you bring in textbooks? notes?
maths tables and calculators? dictionaries?
Once you know
the format of the exam, then you can revise the course content
in a more focused and purposeful fashion.
- If past
exam papers are in your course guide or are available in the
library or department, make use of them to focus your revision
and your practice answers. Check first with your lecturer
if there are significant changes in this year's exam format.
Remember:
it is not what you know inside your head that will
be assessed - it is what you can produce during the exam that
actually counts. So organize your revision accordingly.
There are
many ways in which the formal exam procedures can be varied
to meet the needs of particular students. Look back to p. (
5 ) of this booklet to see some of the variations that have
commonly been used in university exams. There are probably other
possible variations. You may have useful experience from secondary
school about the procedures which you have found to work best
for you. You can always discuss your own preferred exam method
with your lecturer and then negotiate some solution to the problem
of assessing your command of the course in a reasonable and
equitable way. [The Disability Liaison Officer can help you
in these negotiations, if necessary.]
In this
booklet we are discussing only one variation: the oral exam.
This type of exam, whether it involves taped responses or an
interview, can be a bit unnerving the first time round both
for you and for your examiners. But there are sensible ways
you can prepare yourself for this experience.
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A. Preparing for the oral exam
1. ADVANCE
ORGANIZATION OF THE ACTUAL EXAM
You need to
consider the following points, some of which will apply only if
your exam involves a mixture of oral and written work:
- Discuss
with the lecturer in charge of your course exactly what form
the exam is to take. You need to ask for details about:
- the
type of exam which is being set: multiple-choice?
short answer? essay-style answers? practical work? problem-solving?
etc. If the exam covers more than one of these categories,
you need to know how much of the exam is of each type
(eg. 33% multiple-choice, 33% short answer and one essay
answer).
- the
length of time you are to be allowed to answer:
the whole exam,
each section of the exam, and
each question in the exam
If you are to be given extended time for the exam,
ask if this is to be added to the beginning (ie. an earlier
start) or the end (ie. finish later) of the regular exam
time.
- if
you require rest periods during the exam, you need
to agree on a timetable for the conduct of the whole exam
with the lecturer.
- If you
need a separate room in which to take the exam, either because
of your requirement for extra time, or special equipment,
or a reader or amanuensis (writer), you must check with the
Disability Liaison Officer or the Exams Section how the necessary
arrangements will be made.
- If you
require a reader or writer, or someone to assist you in a
practical exam, ask if you can meet this person for a few
minutes before the actual exam so that you can discuss any
particular needs you have and you can begin to feel comfortable
with each other. In the oral interview, the reader is likely
to be one of your examiners, probably your tutor or the staff
member you know best; in the taped exam the reader may be
someone employed by the Exams Section.
- If you
will need any special equipment, such as tape recorders, a
typewriter or micro-computer, make arrangements for this well
in advance [get the Disability Liaison Officer to help here,
if necessary] and arrive early at the exam room to check that
the necessary equipment has arrived and is in working order.
[NB. Bring spare batteries for any battery operated equipment
- just as ballpoints run out of ink at critical moments, so
batteries run out of power...]
- If you
want help in the skills of presenting material orally, most
universities have a Study Skills or Counselling Centre where
assistance is available on techniques of effective public
speaking and overcoming shyness - check with the Disability
Liaison Officer about what help is available. [In some places
you may find a branch of the Toastmasters Club can help you.]
- If you
are going to have an oral interview, find out from the lecturer:
- how
many examiners will be at the exam interview, and who
they will be (it is usual to have the lecturer responsible
for the course and the tutor in charge of your tutorial
group - if the lecturer is also your tutor, then another
academic from the department will be the second examiner).
- whether
you are to answer each question in an uninterrupted monologue,
or whether the examiners will raise questions
or discuss each topic with you.
- how
you will be informed about the time allowed and the
elapse of time for each answer.
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2. REVISION
AND PREPARATION STRATEGIES
The golden
rule is to revise your materials in the way best suited to the
form the exam will take. So use past exam papers as models, and
check with your lecturer if there are significant changes in this
year's exam style. [Past exam papers are usually available
in the Library or from the department.]
a.
If you are going to have a taped exam:
- practise
taping answers to questions from past exam papers within
the prescribed time limit. Most students find it best
to revise each section of their material separately and
then check out their knowledge of it by referring to questions
from previous exam papers.
- practise
working with two tape recorders, so that you can edit
the material you first recorded into a final version on
the second recorder.
- practise
making and then talking from outline notes, if this is how
you will take the exam. You may make the notes yourself
or you may want to dictate them to a writer (if possible,
find a friend doing the same course, and revise together
- you'll both benefit from this cooperation.)
- if
you will be using a reader for the exam paper, get
a friend to read a past exam paper for you so you can get
experience in close listening and then working out an outline
response. If it is a multiple-choice test, pick/choose the
best way of selecting among alternative answers (eg.. do
you want your reader to read the whole item through once
and then repeat all the answer options again?).
- use
your regular system for making notes on the material
you are revising, but concentrate during your revision on
extracting the main points for each section of the course
and condensing it to a page or so of notes. These skeleton
notes will be useful for last minute revision.
- work
out some reliable way of keeping track of the time
you are spending on each answer - this is often important
when you are under the time pressures of the real exam.
- check
if your lecturer is prepared to listen to a trial answer
and then give you some quick feedback on how well you've
covered the material. If this is possible it will give you
more confidence in facing the actual exam.
b. If
you are going to have an oral interview:
Follow
all the steps suggested above [except 2], adapting the strategies
according to your own experience and suggested needs.
In particular,
practise your oral presentation skills by recording answers
to past questions on tape and then listening critically to the
replay. These rehearsals can give you confidence in handling
oral answers under time pressure.
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B. Managing in the exam
1. THE
TAPED EXAM
- Arrive
early in the exam room and check that the equipment
you need is there and in working order, and that you can
use it confidently.
- If
you are using a reader (or a writer to take
down your outline notes), make their acquaintance in the
month before the exams so that you begin to feel comfortable
with each other and then explain the particular way you
want to work with them.
- Clarify
with the invigilator (the person in charge of your exam)
that arrangements have been made for the variations
in time allowed, rest periods, or other conditions which
you have previously agreed on with your lecturer.
- Use
the reading period for an essay-based exam to identify
very carefully the exact focus of each question on the exam
paper (not just the general topics being covered) and select
as quickly as possible the questions you propose to answer
in the actual exam. (Your lecturer should be available
during this period to answer any general questions you have
in relation to the structure of the exam paper and the conditions
under which you are to respond.) If the exam is all
or partly of the multiple-choice or short answer type, see
advice in the following section.
- Follow
your accustomed pattern of responding to questions -
make or dictate outline notes, take appropriate rest periods,
replay the tape and edit your answers where necessary, etc.
(This is where your earlier practice in answering questions
as part of your revision will really give you confidence
under the stress of the actual exam.)
2. THE
ORAL INTERVIEW
In all cases,
arrive early and allow time to be introduced to your examiners
and to confirm the way in which the exam is to be conducted (which
you will have earlier agreed on with the lecturer).
a.
the essay-based exam
- Use
the reading period to decide on the questions you
will attempt (as suggested in the section above) and then
you have to inform the examiners which questions you propose
to answer.
- Plan
your time for answering each question carefully. If
you have, say, forty-five minutes for each question, allow
plenty of time (say ten minutes) for planning your
answer. It may be wiser to allow even more time for
this stage of planning and ordering your thoughts, as it
will take you less time to present your answer orally than
it would to write it out. Make or dictate an outline or
notes if you find this helpful.
- When
you are presenting your answer orally, try to make clear
each new step in your discussion. In writing you can
indicate a new step by starting a new paragraph; in speech
you have to make it clear in your wording (eg. "Now, turning
to my next point. . . " ).
- Try
to present your answer clearly and logically, as
it will be more difficult for your examiners to follow and
assess an oral response than a written answer.
- Your
spoken answer will not take up the full time allotted for
writing an answer, so you should not feel that you need
to fill up the whole time speaking. It is also acceptable
to pause between points to collect your thoughts,
just as you would in writing.
- Even
if you feel shy, remember that because you are doing
most of the talking you have a lot of control - your
examiners have to listen to you and you do have a real chance
to show them your knowledge and competence.
- Also
remember that your answers are not all likely to be uniformly
good, detailed or long (just as written answers would
not be uniformly good), so do not be upset if you feel you
have done less well on some of the questions. Just keep
going and do the best you can.
- If
it has been agreed that your examiners will run the exam
more like a discussion, where they will ask you questions
and raise new points, then you need to concentrate carefully
on each question they ask. It is not a good strategy
just to continue saying what you had originally planned
if an examiner is raising a new direction for you to consider.
Such discussions can be more demanding but also less frightening
- they do give you the chance to express yourself more easily,
as talking with other people is usually easier than presenting
a speech.
b.
the multiple-choice test
- If
your exam consists wholly or in part of multiple-choice
questions, then you should decide on your answering system
in advance. You need to inform the examiners whether you
will require a reader or whether you will be ready to read
and answer the questions directly. (If you use a reader,
this is likely to be one of your examiners - probably your
tutor or the examiner you know best).
- Make
sure you have some method of knowing how much time
you have got for each question, and how much time you have
left. Multiple-choice tests place emphasis on speed
as well as accuracy of response.
- The
standard strategies for handling these tests are:
- read/listen
to the whole question and the alternative answers.
- if
you know the correct answer immediately, give it - and
move on quickly to the next question.
- if
you have some understanding of the question but you
are not sure of the best answer, you can always ask
to have the question repeated if you are using a reader.
Then eliminate those alternatives that are clearly wrong
and decide which is the best answer from the remaining
alternatives.
- if
you still have no idea which is the best answer, it
is usually best to guess quickly - and move on.
- if
you have no knowledge or memory of the content the question
is covering, move on to another question which you can
answer. It is sensible to complete everything you do
know first, and then use up the remaining time in returning
to the questions you find more difficult - and answers.
c. the
short answer exam
This
type of exam is a blend of the essay and the multiple-choice
exams: you have to respond in sentences but briefly and quickly.
So you should follow:
- the speed-based
strategies for the multiple-choice test:
* answer first the questions you know you can do well
* return to the questions you are less confident about and
attempt them later
* keep a close watch on the passage of time
- the coherence
requirements of the essay-based exam:
* keep your answers short but make sure they cover the demands
of the question (usually the equivalent to a paragraph in
an essay)
* in most cases these questions require you to define or identify
some specific concept/ process/ event/ person/relationship/
formula and then add a further sentence or so of explanation
or example. In some tests you may be asked to comment on graphs
or diagrams - in this case one of your examiners will assist
you if you require a reader.
* remember that a short answer is not an essay, so you do
not discuss the topic but merely provide the necessary
information and then comment on it as briefly as possible.
d. the
practical exam
For this
type of exam you will have to follow the procedures for practicals
which you have already worked out during the term. If you generally
work with a partner or need special equipment, then you will
work in the same way but using one of the examiners as your
partner for the exam.
In conclusion,
three basic guidelines for taking an oral or taped exam
- Arrange
the actual way in which you are to take the exam well in advance
with the lecturer in charge of the course, and ask the lecturer
or the Disability Liaison Officer to make sure all the appropriate
arrangements have been made with the Examinations Section.
- Revise
for the exam by going over your course materials in relation
to past exam papers and practising, as far as possible, the
way in which you will actually be examined.
- Develop
an exam strategy that fits your needs, including the confidence
to take the time you need for each step of producing your
answer and to ask for questions to be reread to you when necessary.
Go into the exam with a positive approach: the examiners want
to find out what you do know, not what you do not know; and
you know that you do know a lot!
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GOOD LUCK
This booklet
was prepared on the basis of the current experience of Academic skills and Learning Centre
advisers who have worked with university students with disabilities.
The Disability Liaison Officer would welcome suggestions and additional
information from both staff and students who have experience of
oral exams. They will pass on your comments to the authors so
that they can be taken into consideration for the next edition
of this booklet.
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