Revising for the CeMAP can be a daunting experience, and no matter how well you have prepared, there are some common things that can go wrong when you’re sitting the exam.
However, if you are aware of the pitfalls, you can make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes that other people do:
Timing
Prioritising during the exams can be difficult, but it is important to try and keep moving through the questions, even if you are finding them tricky. As a general rule, you have about a minute for each multiple-choice question in CeMAP 1 and 2, and 20 minutes per case study in CeMAP 3.
Every 20 minutes, it is worth checking that you have completed the correct number of questions or case studies for that time period. That way, you can be sure that you are giving yourself enough time.
Calculations
Many people can be daunted by the maths involved in sitting the CeMAP papers, but in reality, any calculations you have to make will not be anything more difficult than addition and subtraction, with simple percentages and divisions thrown in.
If you are doing a calculation that is more complicated than this, read the question again and make sure you have fully understood it, as you may be trying to make things more difficult than they actually are.
Choosing answers
As with any multiple-choice paper, it’s a good idea to read the question without looking at the available answers. This way, your thinking is less likely to be swayed by what you read as the possible responses.
If you can think of the answer, find it from the list and put it down. If not, don’t panic. Eliminate any answers that you know to be wrong first. That way, even if you end up having to guess, you have dramatically increased your chances of getting the correct answer.
Panic
Answering a question a minute for two hours can seem like an exhausting task, with some possibly panicking at the prospect. You might even find that you struggle with the first couple, leaving you behind schedule.
Just take some deep breaths, move on to the next question if you need to, and start again. Try and break the exam down into small chunks, taking it five questions at a time. The easiest questions aren’t necessarily towards the start, so you might find you hit a run later on that gets your confidence and timing back on track. If you have prepared and stay as relaxed as possible, you give yourself the best chance of getting what you want from your CeMAP exams.
