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After months or weeks of preparation, you are nearing your scheduled test date. While there is no substitute for experience, one is advised not to write an exam unprepared and then develop a test taking strategy for the retest. Try to imagine you taking your first parachute jump. There is not much of a chance of a 'do-over' if the parachute fails to open before your hit the ground!
Planning for the one and a half or two hours exam duration is an important part of your overall preparation. Using the exam content guide, do a quick analysis of the duration of the exam and number of questions asked. For example, let's take a 90 minute exam with 72 questions. That translates to an average time of 75 seconds to answer each question.
Here are five test taking tips to implement for your next certification exam:
- Spend less than a minute on the fixed length questions (those that are multiple choice - single answer). Preserve your time for the longer case study based questions
- Check the box for 'Mark for Review' when you are not confident about the answer. Review the answers after you have completed one round of browsing and answering all questions
- For case study based questions, scan the case study to get the highlights. Make sure to understand the context of the problem at hand and then, quickly move on to scanning the questions. While scanning make mental notes remember which sections of the case study you should focus on. The goal is to avoid having to study and analyze material that is not completely relevant because time allotment to complete the entire exam is limited.
- Budget your time. A good thumb rule is to answer at least 25% of fixed length and short answer (multiple choice - multiple answer) questions in the first 25% of alloted time (18-19 questions in the first 23 minutes, as per our example). A good progress is completing 75% of the questions in 75% of alloted time (i.e. 54-56 questions in 65-70 minutes)
- If you finish before the alloted time and there are still some questions that are unanswered and you are not sure about the answer, make an attempt to answer all questions. An unanswered question is always incorrect. There is a probability of your best guess being the correct answer.
If I don't sure about right answer.
ReplyDeleteI'll mark and answer after.
Anyway I relaxed before take exam.
Mohan's time management tips are great, and very important. One modification I would make: develop these habits while taking practice exams, so they become second nature. Too much "clock management" during the exam itself will only add stress to the experience.
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't fall into the trap of mulling over a single question for too long before moving. Not only does waste time, it also can negatively affect your state of mind. Don't be afraid to punt. Remember, the goal is to pass the exam; perfection is secondary. ;-)
Regards,
John P.
I've been an OCP since version 7.3, so I've had the opportunity to take many exams. I agree with Mohan's time strategies. I'd like to add a few more tips.
ReplyDelete1. Practice, don't just read. You have to use the product to be fully prepared.
2. Read the New Features guides when taking upgrade exams. Try out as many of the new features as you can on a test instance, to make sure you understand them.
3. Get enough sleep the night before. Resist the urge to stay up late to "cram"; it's important to be rested and alert.
4. Eat an hour before the test, with both protein and carbohydrate. Carbs give you quick energy, proteins break down slower and give you longer lasting fuel. But don't eat too much, or you'll feel sleepy.
5. Avoid "brain dump" websites. In addition to being a violation of Oracle's terms and conditions, the content is very often wrong.