examGURU

If you know your stuff but don't know how to get it down on paper, then read on...let examGURU ease the stress of exams and put YOU in control of your revision.

Take on board this advice - if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail!

So what exactly is examGURU?

It's simply a collection of answers to frequently asked questions and solutions to ongoing problems.

The information on this page is regularly updated and is based on the real life experiences of students like YOU.

All advice below is the result of previous experiences, class discussion, exam marking or pupil queries.

geoGEORDIE examGURU gives it to you straight!

What do you mean "I didn't answer the question?"

Your answer lacked focus and included too much waffle! Don't fall into the trap of answering the question that YOU want to...do exactly what the examiner says. If they want causes, give 'em causes (and don't write about effects!). If they want you to use examples then don't just use one!

When there's a graph or a map, how do I describe it to get the full 3 marks?

It's simple...get into the habit of remembering to wear your thinking H.A.T. (Highs 'n' Lows, Anomalies, Trends).

Describe simply means "say what you see" (yes...I've watched Catchphrase too!). So, write down which part of the graph has the highest figure and/or the lowest, pick out anomalies (i.e. pieces of data that don't seem to fit in with the rest) and identify overall patterns/trends (i.e. is there a negative or positive correlation).

Areas of No data may also be noteworthy (or if a choropleth map has a key with high and low population density shaded, anything blank on the map is probably medium population density).

Remember, too, that you must refer to the data on the graph or map.
ABOVE ALL...do not explain if the question simply wants you to describe.

Are case studies really that important?

You bet they are! Without them you'll be lucky to scrape a C grade.

Make sure that you use the right case studies for the right question and for goodness sake get 'em right - for example, don't write about "India's One Child Policy" when you mean "CHINA's One Child Policy".

With respect to detail, in a question requiring an example of a city you've studied in an MEDC, you'll get much more credit for "Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK" than you will for "Leeds".

Oh...and never fall into the trap that geoGURU likes to call the "e.g. Africa syndrome" - your case studies should always be tightly focussed and specific.

These may seem like little things but the examiners keep on saying that, if you get them right, they make a BIG difference.

But that's what I've said isn't it? What do you mean use key vocabulary?

Many students miss out on the highest level of marks in the 6 and 8 marks questions because they do not use an advanced geographical vocabulary.

Think about it...you wouldn't be too impressed if someone was speaking about Premiership football and referred to the "relegation zone" as the "part of the league where the teams that aren't very good (and will end up in the next league down) can be found". It might be right, but it's waffle, it's long-winded and it's wasting valuable space and time.

There is a better way of putting it, so why not use it!

So, don't refer to the "middle of the city"...write about the "CBD"; forget about a river "wiggling as it goes through an area which might get flooded" and write about "a meandering channel working its way across a flood plain"; and avoid using "the number of people who can read and write" when you really mean the "literacy rate".

Choosing the right question...

When you are presented with a choice (e.g. between Settlement and Population), choose carefully.

My advice is to look at the 6 or 8 mark questions first - if you can do them then you're on the way to success!

Don't get carried away with the first few questions and think "Great...this is easy" - things will get harder and to get the top grades, you need to be getting top marks for the more difficult questions.

So...I missed off the units..big deal!

It can be a VERY big deal and can result in so-called "easy marks" being thrown away.

So, for example, if you're writing a temperature, put the symbol for degrees centigrade after the number. If you're writing about a distance, include metres or kilometres.

Don't just read the questions carefully - read EVERYTHING carefully

Under the pressure of an exam room, there is always the temptation to "dive in" and get writing straight away.

DON'T.

Instead, read the question, read all the data (tables, graphs etc.) that might go with it and then read the question again.

This won't take long and will actually give your brain some breathing space in which to start formulating a high quality answer.

It will also stop you from going off on a tangent and losing marks for irrelevant information.

What exactly are command words?

They are the words that are at the beginning of the question and it is VITAL that you understand what they mean the examiner wants you to do.

geoGURU likes to call this "understanding examspeak" - half the battle is being confident that you know what is being asked of you.

So, for example, make sure that you know the difference between "describe" and "explain" and what you need to do when asked to "suggest reasons"...

This is Geography not English...

Maybe...but unless you can write clearly and get your point across you won't get many marks.

DO NOT presume that the examiner knows what you mean - don't hold back...give it to 'em straight!

You must write down exactly what you want to say even if you think it's stating the obvious.

So many marks are lost as a result of students thinking "it can't be that straightforward" or "he/she will know what I mean"...DON'T FALL INTO THAT TRAP!