Exam Format

The paper for 20301 comprises 6 questions divided into two sections A and B. Candidates must answer four questions, two from section A (botany) and two from section B (zoology). A compilation of past questions from the Department of Botany for course 20301 is available.

Exam Techniques

Timing. Try and organise your time so that you do not spend too long on one question. This is especially important with the multipart type of question. Because you may know a lot about one subject it is very easy to go on writing about it, but it is a waste of time. Once you have got full marks for that part of the question you cannot get any more and your time would be better spent trying another part even if you can only put down a few things. Remember that it is usually easy to pick up the first few marks on a question. If you don't even attempt it , of course you cannot get any marks for it!

Always plan your answers before you start writing. It is a good idea to use the spare page provided to note down related topics and structure your answer. This is particularly essential with an answer that requires an essay. Unfortunately it is usually obvious that most students fail to do this sufficiently, of course you feel pressed for time, but fewer coherent and logically presented sentences are much better than a random jumble.

Illustrate your answers wherever possible. Use graphs and diagrams as a rapid and efficient means to explain complex concepts. It can be much quicker to sketch a graph or diagram than spend half a page trying to explain something and having to worry about your grammar. It can also often be easier to remember something in a pictorial representation. But if you do use a figure, don't forget to label it! Every year too few students use figures even in situations where it would be the most obvious way to answr a point.

Equations Students taking this course are often concerned to know if they need to use any equations in the exam. the answer is that you do not need to perform any calculations and that you can easily write a perfectly good descriptive answer without resort to equations. However, equations can be a very useful form of shorthand to help you remember the relationships between different parameters in a logical fashion. The danger with using them in an exam is that you will mix up the symbols, many of which are similar but can mean different things in different equations. But I would strongly encourage you to use them in your revision as they will help you understand why certain factors influence others.