Information collection & exchange

Rikyia and Fatima decided to (take) a walk. They (had) wanted (to) walk by the river, but the wind 
was (blowing) too hard. So they walked downtown instead. They met (some) friends near (the) 
market, and decided to (stop) for a Coke in their favorite cafe. The wind had dropped a (little) and 
the sun was (shining), so they sat at a (table) outside. 
Finally, make sure that your students understand the school policy on cheating and the consequences for 
anyone caught breaking these school rules. 
 
 National examinations 
The success of your students hinges on their ability to do well in the national exams. A high school diploma 
is frequently the reward for a whole family who have provided financial support to put one of their members 
through years of schooling. Your ability to prepare students for national exams is therefore an important 
response to your students' most pressing need. 
Figure 8.2 Examination Strategies 
ALL TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS 
Read the instructions. 
Plan your time - have a watch or clock with you. 
ESSAY EXAMINATIONS 
Read all the questions carefully at the beginning of the exam. 
Leave space at the end of each essay answer so that if you have time you can go back and add 
more information. 
Outline your essay in rough. If you do not have enough time to write a full answer, write your 
outline on your answer sheet. 
Answer the questions that you know best, first. 
MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMINATIONS 
Be sure that you mark the correct number/letter next to the correct number on the answer sheet. 
Read all possible answers carefully. 
Find out whether guessing answers will work against you. 

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Look for the opportunity to serve as an examiner in the national exams. You could be an interviewer in oral 
exams or a grader of essay exams. The educational authorities usually work through the school principals 
and it would be easy to indicate your interest to your principal. The experience will stand you in good stead 
when it comes to coaching your students for these exams. 
If this option is not open to you, familiarize yourself with the content and format of the examinations. Keep 
abreast of any changes in the examinations. Make sure that you cover the content in your lessons and that 
your students are aware of your doing so. Build into your lessons mock examinations with test questions in 
the national examination format, and when you go over the corrected copies of these exercises discuss both 
content and format errors with your students. An example of format error would be answering five questions 
when only asked to answer four. 
Examination anxiety is hard to overcome completely. But you may help you students master some of their 
anxiety by discussing and implementing examination strategies. Strategies range from the practical to the 
esoteric. Practical strategies might involve developing your students' sense of timing, helping them plan how 
they will use their time during an exam, and helping them stick to that plan. At the more esoteric end of the 
spectrum come relaxation exercises or exercises where students visualize their success during the weeks 
leading up to an examination.