Suggestions for exam - 30 May 2008

Some points about the upcoming exam:

1.  General. I have tried to ask direct, straightforward questions. I typically ask 5-7 questions in an exam. The usual total suggested overall response is 3000 words.

2.  Study materials. You should look to your study materials for the core of your answers (you can look further afield, of course, but I have tried to get to ask questions addressed by your study materials).

3.  Word limits. There are suggested word limits for each individual question.

4.  Approach. Think of each question as a separate discrete task, and respond accordingly.

5.  Response. As per the unit specifications, the response to the exam questions “must be presented and referenced in accordance with the assignment requirements throughout the semester”.

The exception to that general rule for my exam is that there is no need to do an overall abstract, introduction or conclusion. There is also no need to do an abstract, introduction or conclusion for each individual question. This applies only to my exams, different lecturers have different requirements. In the context of a law exam involving 5-7 different questions, I think an abstract, introduction and conclusion add little to the response.

Having said the above, I’d expect each individual answer to having a start, middle and end. This is the normal “flow” for communication.