Checking Your Answers Before You Submit
A short routine for catching avoidable errors in the last minutes of an exam.
Careless errors are among the easiest to fix. A short routine in the final minutes can recover marks.
Check you have answered everything
Scan every page. Look for skipped questions, missing parts of multi-part questions, and instructions such as "answer both parts".
Check names and numbers on the paper
Make sure your name or candidate number is on every sheet that needs it.
Check calculations
- Re-read the question, then check that you answered what it asked.
- Redo key calculations a different way, such as working backwards or estimating.
- Check units and rounding instructions.
- Ask whether the answer is plausible. A person's age of 340 years or a probability of 1.4 signals a mistake.
Check written answers
- Does each paragraph answer the question?
- Have you used the key terms correctly?
- Have you read for missing words, spelling of technical terms and unclear sentences?
Check multiple-choice answers
Check that each marked bubble matches the answer you intended, especially if you moved between the question paper and an answer sheet.
Do not panic-change
Change an answer only when you can state why the new answer is better.
Quick recap
Answer everything, check identity details, recheck calculations, read written answers, and verify the answer sheet.