Before

• Plan ahead.
• Make sure you have revised.
• If you have special needs, does the OU know? You may be able to sit your exam at home or be allowed additional time depending on your needs.
• Ensure that you have the correct date and time listed in your diary.
• Make sure that the venue is listed alongside the date.
• Look it up in the A-Z or on http://www.multimap.com/ if you do not know where it is.
• Ask your tutor for exam guidance. They may already have a session planned or they may not. These can be very useful and deal with the choices of questions, time, etc.
  Warning: One tutor attempted to second guess the forthcoming questions based on previous years exams and his experience. He took us through the different subject areas and the different style of exam questions and what previous questions that had appeared, finally arriving at his best guesses - none of which were correct!
• Practise freehand writing for 3 hours at a time.
• The week before, on the same day, try a dry run to the exam centre if you can. This gives the travel time and distance or the bus numbers, etc. The same day attempts to give similar travelling conditions and preparation.
• Look out for changes due on the day of your exam. Are there any diversions due, etc. Listen to local travel information.
• Speak to your tutorial group and confirm the details and arrange to meet up or arrange mutual travel (i.e. Car sharing).
• Prepare the things that you will need for your exam:
  Pens, pencils, erasers, watch, map & directions to the centre, calculator (new battery's?). Check that they all work.
• Some courses allow you to take in course materials - check before hand.
• Identification - the OUSA Membership Card is now accepted by the OU.
• The OU sometimes arrange an exam techniques session. This can be very useful.
• Some Society's organise Revision Weekends which usually cover exam techniques.
• The Open University has produced an Open Advice video programme entitled ‘Surviving the Exam’. For details contact your tutor or Regional Centre. The programme is usually shown on television several times in the weeks preceding the exams. Some Open University Regional Centres have copies of the programme available for loan.
  

On the day

• Allow plenty of time - best to be there early rather than still struggling through traffic/snow/hurricane with 5 minutes to go.
• Avoid, if you can, taking drinks (flasks of tea/coffee, pop, water and alcohol), sweets and sandwiches in to your exam. If you must suck on a sweet choose some which do not rustle when opening them. Think of the other students and please do not distract them.
• Greet members of your tutorial group and chat.
  

Pre-exam

• You are normally required to wait outside the exam room until a certain time. Please be patient. Try meditating, having a coffee or reading while waiting or even chat to fellow students.
• Find your allocated desk/table. Normally these are set out by course and then alphabetically by surname.
• Take out all those things you will need for the exam and you prepared before (Pens, etc.). Your bag or case will need to be positioned away from your desk.
• Turn off your mobile phone.
• Place your ID prominently on the desk.
• Position those things that you will need during the exam. There usually isn't much space on your desk and you may have to be creative in using what space is available. If all else fails, use the floor but not that bit that the invigilator will step on..
• Check that your watch and the clock in the room tally.
• Listen carefully to what the invigilator(s) say.
• Remember to put your Name and Student ID on the Answer Book.
• If you have any particular needs then you should mention this to the invigilators.
  

During the exam

• As one tutor at a Residential School said, and this is the best advice ever, RTFQ. This stands for Read The Question. Failing to read and interpret the questions properly will lose you marks. It is no use answering an un-asked question or one that you made up so ensure that you understand what it is asking for.
• Read through the question paper carefully. Allow 5 minutes or so for this.
• Mark the questions that you can do and those that you do not want to do. Make your choice carefully.

If you fail to get there...

If you cannot get to the examination centre due to circumstances beyond your control, you need to contact the OU Regional Office as soon as possible and within seven days. The examination arrangements booklet explains what to do if illness or other serious circumstances prevents a student from attending the exam. The situations will be wide and varied and can differ from course to course as well as different criteria for new and continuing students in certain circumstances.