What order are you going to do in your exam?

[Linked]

The exams tomorrow and I've come up with a strategy that isn't so good.
I was thinking about doing some multiple choice in my head during reading time, then when writing time starts:

1. Easy "write/draw name/structure" questions first
2. Calculations
3. Quick questions based on theory
4. Questions I don't like but are worth a lot of marks
5. Filling in multiple choice
6. Scrambling and guessing ("eenie meenie minie mo..") in the last few minutes
7. Last minute checking
7. Bang my head on the table when it's done!

Any suggestions with how you plan on doing it? 

[Vincezor]

During reading time I'll read the short answer first, pick out what I find is easy, make a mental note on what I don't QUITE understand, and then I'll look over multiple choice briefly and look for the theory-based questions in MCQ. I'll identify the calculation questions for MC and take note. If there is time left after that I'm doing to have a look over some of the "harder" short answer questions I looked at the first time around and see if I can figure it out. By then reading time is over and I'll start doing all the short answer questions I can answer.

Hopefully I should finish with atleast 15 minutes to check over everything, if not then I'll be sad

[stonecold]

My tip for tomorrow would be for you all to please please please!!! carefully check axes of graphs for units and the symbols used for graphs and compare with the legend/key because these are some of the biggest tricks in any paper.

[acinod]

I usually scan through the multiple choice. Then I fully read the short answer. Finally I go back to the multiple choice and start doing the first few. When writing time begins, I do the paper in chronological order. I hear that its better to do the short answer first because sometimes it can help you with questions in the multiple choice but I prefer doing it chronlogically so I make sure I don't forget to do a question. (made this mistake last year by skipping questions and forgot to go back D:)

[Water]

Like acinod, chronological order. However, I realized when doing KBT, if I can't figure out a hard question, just ditch it and come back to it afterwards. More often than not, you'll come to a realization to knowing how to do it.

[jane1234]

Read SA first.

Then I'm doing the paper in order.

Guys, I wouldn't waste valuble time searching for specific types of questions and then needing to keep flipping back to search for ones you haven't done. Ultimately you want to do the whole paper so I'd do it pretty much in order (though you can swap section A and B) and just skip the ones you are spending too long on and then come back to them.

[maeve]

In Reading I find a SA question I know I can nail, then as soon as it starts - go straight to that - and complete it, then go back and do it chronologically - although if im taking way too much time on a MC i generally circle C - then put a start next to it to come back.

Why the random SA Q?
I find if I can work out how to do something - and do it well - I tend to calm the hell down and get on with the task at hand.  8-)

[Greatness]

Read SA first, then read MC. With the remaining time try and do as many MC in my head.
As soon as writing time starts colour in some boxes, then do SA chronilogically unless there is a questoin that i thnk will take some time or that i cant do. Then go back to MC. Hopefully i can finish with 10-15mins spare :/

[4231]

I always read SA first to get a look at what im up against and then look for easy MC i can do in my head, then once time has started i circle the MC ive done in my head and then usually do the mathsy q's first in SA then go chronologically from there. i usually find i have stacks of time to spare, so then i read over SA checking my states and units then recheck definitions and then maths and finally recheck MC.

[mickeymouse]

I tend to read the short answers first and work out how to do them during reading time, I don't bother looking over multiple choice in chem since most of them are quite straight forward (I'm hoping...), then I'll recheck at the end if I get enough time!

[VivaTequila]

This is how I do it, and it's just a matter of personal preference.

Reading time: Read THOROUGHLY through Short Answer.

With the titration questions, figure out exactly what is happening - a redox? an acid/base? is it a back titration? which is in excess? what exactly, reacts, with what in which order? what multiplies by what to get what number of mole? etc.

With the AAS/UV Vis absorbed concentrations, figure out instantly if there's a dilution that will screw you

With the organic pathways, try and suss them out (unless it's mass spec and you need a calculator to do it effectively)

Finally, theory based questions, just glance at and get the concept that it's talking about. This includes 'increased result, decreased result' - these are easy anyway, even on the KBT papers if you have a clear head.

Then, go back over the multi choice with whatever reading time is remaining, pinpoint the hard questions which use combined knowledge of mole ratios and chemical theory and leave them whilst scanning for easy definitions questions. Read every question, but don't hover over them.

THEN, in writing time:

1. Answer ALL short answer chronologically (should be 30mins to go by my usual times)
2. Correct all short answer, make sure answers aren't out by a factor of 10 (a common problem I face in almost every exam)
3. Add things to definitions which you look at the second time to make sure you understand the question
4. With the last 20 minutes, pick off all the easy MC (try to avoid skipping them so that you don't accidentally miss them later).
5. With whatever time you've got left, try and suss out the hard MC which you might have a chance at answering and try to logically evaluate how well you might be able to tackle them.

Finally, USE COLOUR AND ANNOTATE. I bring in three highlighters of different colours and it makes titration questions so EASY if you highlight each separate part in it's own colour - each chemical has its own colour and you can easily figure out mole ratios without multiplying the wrong things together.

NB: It is crucial to check over your SA questions as soon as you finish them because it's easy to lose track of time on the MC, and if you only have 5 minutes left you are only going to scan your answers instead of really checking through them. Remember, these are where your marks are, people!

NB: the above only applies if you do SA first.

[tony3272]

I've always found it more effective to just glimpse at SA for first 5-6 minutes just so you know what each question is about and then spend the rest of the time MC. If i do it like this i can usually get around 15 MC questions done within the first few minutes of writing time and then go straight to Short Answer.

[VivaTequila]

I think it's all about personal preference, by now you should have figured out what works for you.

[BoredSatan]

since we cant "mark" the paper during reading time, can we like put a hair on it or something?
Credits to Jayteehee for that question

[burbs]

since we cant "mark" the paper during reading time, can we like put a hair on it or something?
Credits to Jayteehee for that question

what the hell you're going to pull out 20 pieces of hair and place them on your sheet? that's kinda filthy.