Not All Exam Questions are Equal: 6 Levels of College Questions
I recall being stumped speechless after reading the questions in my first-ever college exam.
This meme sums it up:
I thought I had been well-prepared.
I had rewatched my lectures to understand the topics, practiced tutorial questions and even redid homework worksheets.
So why did these exam questions seem so otherworldly difficult?!
It turns out not all exam questions are equal.
College is a stark difference from Junior College or High School, where you could gauge what kinds of questions might come out for the exam if you practiced enough.
In college, it’s no longer as easy to predict what could appear in exams.
So how do you tackle college homework and exam questions?
The secret lies in understanding how college exam questions are designed, and sorting them into a framework that helps you in your revision.
Levels of Questions
There are 6 levels of homework or exam questions in college.*
Level 1: In-Lecture and Pre/Post-Lecture Questions
Level 1 questions are the easiest. They appear during lectures (in the slides or at the end) and help you check your understanding or knowledge of the topic.
Level 2: Online Assignment/Test Your Understanding Questions
Level 2 questions are questions assigned to you (usually in a worksheet) after you finish watching or attending a lecture.
Level 3: Tutorial/Seminar Questions
Level 3 questions are those that you work on or discuss with the teaching assistant during Tutorials/Seminars (smaller classes that happen after lectures).
Level 4: Self-Practice Questions (Textbook Questions)
Level 4 questions are questions found at the end of textbook chapters, especially in the ‘Intermediate’ to ‘Challenging’ Problems section.
Some students recommend attempting these questions outside of lectures as extra practice because some lecturers use them in the Final exams.
Level 5: Mid-Term Questions
Level 5 questions are questions asked during Mid-Term (Mid-Semester) exams. They are usually exponentially more difficult than your lecture or tutorial questions.
Level 6: Finals Questions
Level 6 questions are questions asked during Final exams. These are the most difficult kinds of questions.
*Your college might have more/fewer than 6 levels, but I’m confident they follow a similar tiered difficulty level.
I found it helpful to split college exam questions into different levels of difficulty. This helped me plan my final revision, better manage my time and work smart.
Try this out! Build your own question framework and simplify your revision today.
All the best!
