6 Tips to Ace University Online Examinations

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the education system worldwide. With strict lockdowns and cautionary advisories against public gatherings, 2020-mid 2022 saw an increase in students on online examinations and seeking online exam help UK. 

Of course, it’s not surprising considering the fact that most educational institutes had to jump to the online mode of education from the traditional setting, making it hard for students to adjust to the new changes.

Online exams were considered a necessity during peak COVID times. However, with relaxed restrictions worldwide, you’d expect things to return to how they were. But the January 2021 Birkbeck student survey reveals that almost 92% of the respondents would prefer online examinations or a mixture of online and in-person examinations in the future.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t bode well for many students.

Why Do Students Fear Online University Exams?

The adoption of online exams by several universities in the UK has been met with mixed reactions. While some students prefer the convenience that the online mode presents, others consider it an unnecessary move that will inconvenience millions of students across the country.

According to most students I’ve interviewed throughout the years, the leading reasons students hate online exams include the following:

1. Increased stress

If the stress of exams wasn’t enough, the online mode makes you deal with the pressure of timed exams. Students with anxiety crumble under the pressure as the timer continues to count down every second. Such stress can affect students’ performance on exams. 

2. Lack of integrity

Research suggests that almost one in six students in the UK adopt unfair means in examinations. Despite using AI technology to catch students cheating in exams, most instances remain undetected.

3. Bandwidth problems

Most students don’t have a 5G network or the required bandwidth to support online examinations. As a result, this causes a digital divide, inconveniencing those who can’t afford to upgrade their internet.

4. Technical glitches

Lastly, technical glitches are unavoidable in online exams and can lead to unnecessary stress. In many instances, the exam window might not open, the questions might not be displayed properly, or the timer won’t work.

The possibility of facing such issues can be extremely anxiety-inducing. But with several universities adopting a complete or particle online exam mode, you can’t keep avoiding the inevitable for long. 

6 Helpful Tips to Score Well on Online University Exams

Upon failing to achieve the desired results in an online exam, many students approach assignment help uk services to lend them a helping hand. However, in most cases, the problem is not with your preparation but your comfort with the exam mode. 

Giving an exam in the traditional mode and appearing for an online exam are two completely different experiences. If you prepare for your online exam the same way you’d prep for an in-person test, you’re bound to face some challenges that can ruin your chances of securing an A+. 

On that note, here are six vital tips you must follow to ensure your online exams proceed without hiccups.

1. Sign up for online practice exams

Online exams are new territory for many students. Being accustomed to in-person examinations for years, it’s natural to feel intimidated at the prospect of an online mode of testing. So, the best way to get rid of your pre-exam jitters is to recreate the online mode as much as possible and solve practice tests. 

As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” Once you spend considerable time-solving practice exams online, you won’t feel overwhelmed at the thought of the main exam. Furthermore, participating in online practice sessions can boost your confidence and prepare you to tackle emergency situations that might occur during the exam.

2. Notify your family and friends 

If you’re supposed to appear for the examination from your house, ensure that your friends and family know the exam timings. Most online tests require examinees to appear from an empty room where the chances of disturbance are the bare minimum. Otherwise, if a third party is present in the room during the examination, there’s a high chance your paper will be canceled. 

Moreover, disturbing noises, conversations, and the honking of cars outside your room can hamper your ability to ace your exam. So, if you believe that your room isn’t the best location for appearing for an exam, it’s best to search for appropriate places beforehand where you won’t be disturbed.

3. Ensure your device runs properly

There’s nothing worse than your device showing you a blank screen with a few minutes left before the exam begins. Whether your desktop or laptop has a history of working well, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So, a day before the exam, run software checks to ensure your device provides optimum performance. 

Many online examinations require you to download particular anti-cheating software. If you encounter any problems following the download, try restarting the device. And if that doesn’t work, you could use someone else’s equipment. But make sure you’re familiar with the functions so you won’t run into problems during the exam.

4. Familiarise yourself with the test format

Online exams don’t seem intimidating when you’re familiar with the test format. The chances of encountering something unexpected lessen, and you can plan your course of action. Technological advancements have made accessing previous years’ question papers for almost all major examinations easier. 

Therefore, once you solve a few test papers, you can figure out the sections you have problems with the most and adopt countermeasures to ensure you ace them in the main exam.

5. Always keep an eye on the timer

Most online university exams are timed. Therefore, you must solve particular sections of the paper within the allocated time. While this can be pretty anxiety-inducing, it’s also a great method to ensure you don’t spend too much on a specific section while ignoring the rest. 

Additionally, even though looking at the timer every few seconds can distract you from the paper, you must keep track of the time elapsed. Otherwise, you might run out of time without even solving half the paper.

6. Do not panic in case of technical glitches

No matter how thorough you are with your software checks, there’s always the possibility that you might encounter a technical glitch during the examination. It’s impossible to predict such issues beforehand. Even if your system seemed perfect a few hours before the exam, it might encounter some problems during the exam due to high traffic.

During such moments, you mustn’t panic and inform your professors or the exam conducting body ASAP. Otherwise, if you let yourself become unsettled due to such glitches, you won’t be able to concentrate on the exam.

To sum it up,

Appearing for university examinations online can be intimidating for many students who are unfamiliar with the online mode of examination. But with several universities adopting this method permanently, you can’t escape such tests. So, instead of letting your fear get the best of you, review the tips highlighted in this blog and improve your chances of scoring well in your online exam.

Author bio:

Anne Gill is one of the best assignment experts providing online exam help in the UK at MyAssignmenthelp.co.uk. She has completed her Ph.D. in Philosophy and has 4+ years of experience providing preparatory classes for students appearing for university exams.

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