Take-Home Essay Exams

So you have a take-home exam, and it is worth a significant chunk of your grade. How do you prepare?

Let me start with this advice from a student at DePauw University in the USA:

The most important part of the take-home exam is the preparation that comes beforehand.  Make sure to keep up with class reading, take organized notes, and ask any questions you may have. Having a good base of information to use during the exam sets you up to really focus on each question one by one instead of combing through the textbooks on your desk.

I used to make the mistake of relying too heavily on the “open-book” policy that often comes with take-home exams, until I realized that the answers are not always in the reading. You have to understand the material and fully ingest what it’s saying.  Use books and notes only as an [aid] to check details, facts, and figures. 

Also, remember that your brain can [will!] get tired. . . Use being at home to your advantage: take a break every now and then. Taking a break allows you to come back to questions with a fresh set of eyes, correct mistakes, and, if need be, add new points. 

Prepare for the exam

Study:

Study as if this were a normal exam. Open book does not mean ‘no preparation.’

Revise your notes and recommended readings in StuVac. Reserve your best strength for thinking and writing on the day. Prepare for the essays ahead of time.

Time

Students in Years 3 and 4 in 2022 shared this:

1. I’d say that you really need to know when you work best (at what time of day), and then plan to work at that time. Know when you’ll sleep within the 24-hour period, too (and make a plan that includes sleep).

2. Don’t burn out. Plan to get 8 hours sleep. Treat the exam like a day’s work (max) ie 9 hours (TOPS!). I actually did my doctrine exam in less than this but some spent nearly all night – and I don’t think they were well-served. . . by that.

3. Ensure you have blocked out more than the time needed to do the exam. . . Also best not to leave it to the last minute . . . so you can recover well.

4. I would say: Trust God and try not to be a perfectionist. Before him, it matters that you care for your family and spend time with him in prayer… NOT every (waking) hour while the exam is open working on it. And ideally not losing sleep over it either. . . a good mindset and sober understanding of my own capacity approaching the whole experience helped.

5. If you have family (kids), ask your spouse or another friend to look after them.

Likewise, if you plan on doing the exam in a communal study space (Moore West’s study hall for example), make sure the community. . . are informed. . . so they don’t disturb you or ruin the integrity of the exam.

Also:

• Take breaks frequently. Brief walks outdoors are great to help you think and relax.

• Stay hydrated (plenty of water; use coffee and energy drinks very sparingly).

• Plan what you need: Computer, charger, paper and pen, books and notes.

• Organise your resources so they are accessible, and bookmarked or summarised with page numbers.

• Working long hours without breaks or sleep will hurt your grade.

The exam period

• Post a ‘Do not disturb’ sign

• Turn off phones and put them out of sight.

• Turn off all social media and email.

• Get headphones if music or white noise helps.

And then. . .

. . . the most basic but important advice is to make sure you do actually read all the info both before ‘opening’ the exam on the LSS (there are always instructions included there) and then especially on the first page or two of the download. This gives necessary instructions to follow re: saving your work correctly and uploading in time etc. (Another third-year)

I recall a student who wrote only two of the required three answers. The results were not pretty. Read the instructions!

Plan your answers

You have prepared. Now pick the questions you can do best, read them carefully, and write a full outline.

One of your peers explained it like this:

I approach [take-home exams] exactly like I would any other essay. Allocate time for 

• understanding the question, 

• working out my answer, 

• planning my essay structure (with headings/sub headings)

• research (going straight for the chapters/quotes I already know exist)

• write.

I spend at least an hour on understanding the question/working out my answer. Some people might rush because they “only have 24hrs”…

Day 1: I aim to have my structure/research and intro paragraph written, before having a good sleep.

Day 2: I write a paragraph for each of my sub-headings. Essay done.

Staying up late trying to write never seemed productive to me.

Write your answers

Think and write in your best hours. For most of us, that is either morning or early afternoon. For very few of us is it evenings! (That delusion often comes from bad habits.)

Write your easiest answers first to maximise your marks and to boost your confidence.

Stick to the recommended word length. Writing beyond the word length usually betrays a lack of preparation, clarity, and conciseness. This is an exam, not a thesis.

A DePauw professor recommends a slightly different order:

After you’ve drafted your essays (or solved your problems), get a good night’s sleep.  Revisit your work the next morning; edit for clarity; and add details that support your argument.  

• Use Grammarly. Check every red, blue, or green underline in your final answer.

Submit your exam on time

Double-check the instructions, file name, format, and layout. Submit and walk away.

My sources:

Thanks to the third- and fourth-years who shared their advice in 2022. They were experienced veterans and full of wisdom.

The best online help was from UNSW:

Preparing for Open-Book Exams | UNSW Current Students

Tips for sitting the exam | UNSW Current Students

Others:

Advice from faculty and students at DePauw University (Indiana), and a couple of YouTube videos here (OK, but he stresses grades a bit too hard) and here (good but not polished).