[faerie]

I have just taken my first of two history mocks and ran out of time completely. I left one question with the intention of going back to it but didnt even have time to start the last question
It was the same last year i knew my stuff but when the mocks came round i just seemed to run out of time.
Does anyone have any advice on how to make sure I get everything done in time? Or is it just a matter of writting faster

[Mr Field]

The first thing to realise that this is your mock. This means you have the opportunity to improve things for the real thing.

Instead of it being a matter of writing faster, it is more a matter of making sure you try and organise your time as carefully as possible.

Think about how long you have for the paper, and then how the paper is divided into the different questions. Plan out how long you should spend for each question.

Also think about planning your answers - for the longer essay questions spend five minutes planning what you want to say. It takes great courage to spend a few moments planning your answer whilst the rest of the exam room starts writing. However, if you do this you will be able to keep on top of the planning. Try and create a small spider diagram or list what you want to say with bullet points. Put this on your exam paper! It will actually create a good impression even if it cannot be marked. If you do find yourself running out of time (and only as a last resort) you can always put your final points as bullet points.

The final thing is practice. You can set yourself essays with time limits - practice completing the longer-mark questions. Try to make all your points and add an effective conclusion within a time limit.

The greatest thing to realise is that you are now aware of the difficulty that you face. You can now spend the new few months working on it. There are so many students who don't face up to potential issues that they face - the fact you are doing this is very positive.

[Mr. Wichard]

Many of the 'real' papers will give advice as to how much time should be spent on each question/section of the paper. This advice is often overlooked and can usually be found on the cover of the paper below the instructions.

If you make a note of this information and keep your watch on the desk in front of you it will help you track time more easily. The advice given by Mr. Field about planning what you want to say will also make you use the time more effectively.