Oral exams require intense performance for a short period of time, and that requires special preparation. The exam is also an opportunity to learn much more about your subject matter and improve your communication skills.
Get an overview of your exam period |
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Familiarise yourself with all your exams, any specific deadlines for them, and the type of exam. Perhaps you have to prepare a presentation. Perhaps you have to defend a written assignment. Perhaps you've written a synopsis. Perhaps you have to draw lots for a topic and you’ll only have a short preparation time. Perhaps the exam will take place online, for example via Zoom. Refer to your academic regulations to get an overview of what is expected of you. Also, plan your exam period based on your preferences. Perhaps using a study group works well for you. Maybe you prefer studying alone. |
Prepare ypur presentation |
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A good presentation is well-prepared and well-structured. Make sure you know what you want to say and in what order you want to say it. You will often not be able to say everything you want in the time allotted. Preparing the presentation carefully will help you make the most of the time you are given. |
Study the material to understand it, not to memorise it |
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| Think in terms of meaning rather than memorisation when studying for an exam. The exam is also a way of learning. You don't learn the material by repeating it but by understanding it. In order to communicate the material orally and give in-depth answers to questions during the exam, you will need to understand and be able to explain the syllabus. Think about which study technique works best for you. |
Practise your presentation several times |
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| Practising your presentation will help you familiarise yourself with its content and structure. It will also make you feel more comfortable when giving the presentation during the exam. You should also practise the presentation to make sure that it stays within the time limit you have been given. Think about how tone of voice, pace and gestures can strengthen your message without disrupting or drowning it out. Film yourself giving the presentation to see what changes you need to make. You can also practise by giving the presentation to your study group. |
Practise your presentation with your study group |
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| It can be advantageous to practise your introductory presentation with the study group. By holding a mock exam, you can practise the presentations and get a sense of what it feels like to get nervous. For example, you can follow the five steps of practising presentations in groups. |
If you need to prepare and revise academic material for the exam, it can be a good idea to use a memory game. The game can help you train your ability to discuss the academic material and help you identify any gaps in your knowledge of the material.
How to do the exercise:
1. Write down cues | Write down a list of keywords from the academic material, such as central concepts or theorists you want to review. Include both broad topics and more specific content. For inspiration, use your notes, PowerPoint slides from lectures, and the semester plan. | |
| 2. Make cue cards | Cut the keywords into individual cards and place them face down on a table. | |
| 3. Take a card and start talking | Each group member takes turns drawing a card from the table and talks about the topic on the card as much as they can. | |
| 4. Supplement | Afterward, the other group members can ask questions, add information, and comment. | |
| 5. Repeat | Then, it’s the next group member’s turn to draw a card and talk. Continue the exercise until all cards have been used. | |
You can get a lot out of working with another student or a study group during the exam period:
It can be a good idea to practise your introductory presentation with the study group. You can set up a mock exam and ask each other questions.
1. Practice oral presentations | In turns, let one member of the group present a prepared presentation. If you’re going to draw one of several known topics at the exam, you can draw lots between the topics or let the other group members decide which presentation they want to hear. |
2. Time the presentations | It’s a good idea to use a stopwatch and time the presentation, so that the person presenting gets to practice keeping within the time limit of a real exam situation. |
3. Give your presentation | A group member gives their prepared presentation and practices communicating the material clearly. Focus on pace, body language and tone to give a good and confident presentation. |
4. Discussion | When the time is up, the remaining members of the group can ask questions about the academic content of the presentation, and the person who gave the presentation will have a chance to respond. In this way, you can practise the conversation that typically arises between student and examiner/co-examiner in an exam situation, and you’ll also gain a better understanding of the material by discussing it. |
5. Feedback | Finally, you can evaluate the presentation and the discussion. Make sure to give the presenter useful feedback on both academic content and oral communication. |
It's perfectly normal to feel nervous before an oral exam. Remember, exam performance isn't everything
and that the oral exam is an opportunity to learn much more about your material and improve your communication skills.
Talk to others |
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When you turn up for an in-person exam, you’ll usually have time to chat with other fellow students. It can help calm your nerves and a quick conversation can be a good vocal warm-up. When it’s an online exam, make a plan ahead of time to call a fellow student, friend or family member just before the exam. Talking about the exam can give some peace of mind. |
Warm up before the exam |
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Stretching will help you relax and calm your breathing. Some people need to shut their eyes and ground themselves. This can help achieve peace of mind and confidence. Warming up your voice so that it’s ready to perform is also important – especially a hoarse morning voice needs a bit of a jump start before you walk into the examination room. |
The examiner and co-examiner are there to help |
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| Remember that they ask questions to help you meet the objectives of the exam and ensure that you do as well as you possibly can. Therefore, think about how you communicate with the examiner and co-examiner. If you don’t understand a question, it’s completely permissible to ask them to rephrase it. |
Accept your nervousness |
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| You should be prepared to feel nervous and accept it if it happens. Don’t try to fight it. Click here to read more about dealing with nerves. |
Share your experience |
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| It can be a good idea to share positive or negative exam experiences with others, as the exam is often the culmination of an intense work process that you may feel the need to wrap up. If it was an in-person exam, it’s natural to go over the examination with your fellow students who are also present. If it was an online exam, you’ll have to make more of an effort to talk to someone about it afterwards, for example call a friend or family member. |
Evaluate! |
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| The exam is over, you survived, and you might prefer to forget everything about it. However, next semester’s exam period is just around the corner. So spend about 10 -15 minutes reviewing your strategy for preparing for exams: What worked well and what do you want to change next time? You will become better at studying for exams if you use your experiences going forward. |
An online oral exam will usually be very similar to an in-person oral exam. The advice mentioned above is therefore also applicable to online exams. However, there are a few things that are particular to online exams that you should be aware of.
Online exams |
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It’s important that you familiarise yourself with the format of the exam. An online oral exam via Zoom will differ slightly from an oral exam where you and the examiners are all in a room together. For example, you will not be able to greet the examiners with a handshake, interrupting them to say something can feel a bit strange and speaking for a long period of time might feel odd when the examiners have their microphones turned off. Click here to read more about online meeting culture. You will most likely find yourself in an online waiting room before being admitted into the actual online exam room. Check up on any guidelines well ahead of time, or ask your teacher if you have any questions.
Try it out with your study group It’s a good idea talk about the online exam format with your study group. You could test it out together and alternate taking the roles of the examiner, external examiner and examinee. In other words, you can do a bit of role play to get a sense of what a 20-minute online exam feels like, how the conversation flows when questions are asked and answered, and what it feels like to be on camera. |
Technical security |
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Make sure that you are familiar with Zoom, the platform used for online examinations. This will give you a good basis for ensuring that your online exam proceeds smoothly, and having some experience with the platform will also help alleviate any concerns that you may have. Think about what you will need to do during your exam; will you need to share your screen, draw/write something on a blackboard or similar? As a general rule, it is a good idea to make sure that you know how to:
Practice with your study group It can be a good idea to try out the different Zoom functions with your study group, exam group or some other fellow students. You can test your audio and camera settings and try out functions such as sharing slides, using a whiteboard/blackboard and sharing a file in the chat. It will also give you a chance to practice your presentation and get some feedback on the content. Be aware of the different roles in Zoom, e.g. host, co-host or participant. During the exam, you will generally have the role of participant. The host of the Zoom meeting can change peoples’ role under ‘Participants’, thereby allowing everyone to try on the different roles. |
Check for any special requirements and guidelines |
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Some subjects have rules stating that an examinee must be in a room with a single entrance and that the examinee must give a 360-degree view of the room at the start of the exam to ensure that no people or non-approved aids are present, for example tablets/mobile phones or other means of communication. Check up on any guidelines well ahead of time, or ask your teacher if you have any questions. For example, some degree programmes require you to present your student ID card OR other ID. So it’s a good idea to have those within reach. |
Create a good atmosphere |
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Think about the best way to prepare the room you are going to be in during the exam. An online exam will often take place in familiar surroundings such as your own living room or bedroom. These are places we normally use to relax, not to ‘be on’ as we are during an exam. Therefore, try to find a good spot at home where you can sit comfortably and quietly, and where no one will interrupt you. Make sure you do not have your back against a strong light source (e.g. a window) as this lighting can make it difficult for the examiner and co-examiner to see you, which in turn hampers their ability to decode your body language and facial expressions. |
Have the right paraphernalia ready |
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Make sure that the permitted aids and materials are close at hand so you don’t have to go off screen to grab them. It can be disruptive if you need to get up or move out of frame during the exam. Consider whether you might need pen and paper, and remember to use a headset for the best audio. Click here to read more about online meeting culture. You should also make sure you have comfort materials. For example, you can place a clock close by so you can keep an eye on the time during the exam. A pitcher of water will usually be available on the table during an exam. Make sure you also have water on hand at home in case you get nervous or you feel your mouth go dry. |
