Section outline

  • PLAN & DO / WHAKAMAHI

    PLAN & DO / WHAKAMAHI learning intentions:

    • We are PLANNING our study time and study materials so that we can prepare for our various CAT next  weeks.


    How to Prepare for CAT? - Things to Keep in Mind - Leverage Edu


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    Cat Prep Week

    Review your EP tasks and complete the practise CAT in Google Classroom.


    How do I start preparing for CAT?
    Practising previous years' question papers and mock tests helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. 

    One of the most important factors in cracking CAT is the choice of questions. Make sure you analyse a question carefully before you attempt it, and go forward only if you are confident enough to solve it.


    Short answer questions

    Short answer questions range from a sentence or two through to a paragraph in length.

    • Keep to the point. Short answers are usually two-three sentences.
    • Main ideas. Your answers should incorporate the key points, words, ideas and phrases the marker will be looking for.
    • Leave one or two lines after each answer. This is so you can add important points later on.
    • Try to answer all the questions.  If you don’t know the complete answer, put down what you do know, as this is likely to get you some marks.

    Exam essay questions

    The advice here is in four parts: Time allocation | Task analysis | Planning | Presentation

    Time allocation
    • Use the reading time at the start of the exam to choose which essay questions you will answer.
    • Check how much time you might have to answer each essay question, and stick to it. You can come back and add more to your answer in your revision time at the end of the exam session.
    • If you haven’t finished your answer, jot down the rest in note form. This will show the marker what you know, and you might get some marks for it.
    Task analysis
    • Read the question carefully.
    • Underline or highlight the content words. What is the topic?
    • Pick out the instruction words in the question, e.g. identify, describe, compare and contrast, evaluate. What are you being asked to do with the topic?
    Planning
    • Take some time to think and plan your answer. For example: use the reading time to select which essay questions you will answer. Then use the start of the writing time (5-20mins) to make notes of all the points you remember that are relevant to the essay.
      General guide for timing: for 30 minutes of writing, allow 5-7 minutes for planning.
    • Plan out the structure by organising your points into a logical order:e.g. by numbering them according to intended sequence.
    • General writing rule for exam essays - one paragraph = one point. Follow standard essay-writing procedure, e.g. start with a topic sentence that contains your key point, and then support this with examples, explanations, and evidence.
    Presentation
    • Make sure your handwriting is legible. Markers should not have to decipher your handwriting. If your handwriting is illegible, it could compromise your marks.
    • Make sure that you can express ideas effectively in terms of sentence structure and word use.  Incoherent sentences and incorrect terminology will likely result in the marker not being able to understand your answer properly.
    • Don’t worry too much about punctuation, grammar and spelling. Getting your ideas down is more important than ‘perfect’ writing (and markers usually take this into account given that students are writing under pressure in an exam situation). However, you do need a basic level of competency in these areas: an answer that lacks any punctuation and is full of spelling mistakes will probably be incoherent for the marker.
    • Don't waffle. Get straight to the point in terms of your answer so that you don’t waste time and word space on unessential or irrelevant detail. Planning your essay beforehand is key to avoiding waffle.