Imagine that you are
about to take your driving test. You've practised all the manoeuvres,
driven along both quiet country roads and busy city streets and spent
more than your fair share of free time memorising all of the
different parts of the car. However, on the day itself, you do not
pass the test. Why could this be? Well, one of the reasons could be
that you haven't practised a trial driving test. You've become so
used to driving along, chatting to the instructor and knowing that
it's okay to make mistakes, that you are not fully prepared for what
the test will actually be like.
In the same sense,
not taking mocks when preparing for your CIMA exam could cost you
exam success. Why are these so important? It's actually for a number
of reasons. Read on to find out more!
1). Getting a feel
for what the CIMA exam will be like.
Taking an exam can
be one of the most pressurised times in our lives and it can make us
react unpredictably. For some students, the clock ticking in the CIMA
exam is enough to mean that they end up making mistakes and getting
wound up in anxiety. Other students thrive on pressure – it kick
starts their concentration and drives them to work harder in the CIMA
exam. The question is – which student will you be? If you take an
exam without doing any mocks under timed conditions, you might not
know until it's too late!
2). Pinpointing
topics that you need to focus on.
Taking mocks as
early as you can will put the CIMA topics you need to revise more
into the spotlight. For this reason, mocks can be a great way to
structure your revision and your topic focus for the upcoming weeks
or months. Once you have highlighted these areas, it's time to master
all of the information. However, don't forget your strengths, too!
It's important to revise all of the materials, so perhaps dedicate an
extra hour or two to the subjects you are struggling with the most.
By the time the CIMA exam comes around, you should know every inch of
the syllabus.
3). Sharpening your
revision tactics.
Often, the methods
of revision that we use before an exam can be surprisingly unhelpful
if used on their own. Common methods, such as highlighting lots of
passages in colourful ways or re-reading key passages are a great way
to start off your revision, but they do not allow you to think deeply
or critically about the subject. They are also easy to do on
autopilot and can lead to key information not being taken in and
truly understood. Mock exams give you the opportunity to use revision
methods that are going to get you that pass rate and help you to
learn the information. Some useful ideas include: teaching someone
else about what you have learnt, switching between topics and to keep
questioning what you are learning – for example, how was a certain
conclusion reached?
4). They will keep
you motivated.
Exams can sometimes
feel a long way away, which in turn can lead to procrastination.
Research has shown that up to three quarters of students consider
themselves procrastinators! Mocks are a good way to boost your
motivation, as they bridge the gap between the time now and your exam
– which could come around sooner than you think!
If these tips have
convinced you about mocks, why not have a look at the ones we offer!
Designed to be as close to the real exam as possible, these mocks are
available to use in a 'timed conditions' mode. This allows you to
work under the pressure of an exam, but with the knowledge that they
are here to point you in the right direction. However, if you would
like to start off with no time restrictions, we have a mode for that
too!
(Please note, the SCS pre-seen will be released on the 7th of July and our SCS Mocks will be released in the weeks following the pre-seen
release date).
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