Masterclass Report

The September Exam Masterclass ran this weekend at Birkbeck College in London – it was a great event and the attendees gave great feedback. Why did they find it useful? What they told me was that the class gave them the opportunity to look at taking exams with some perspective. Normally, busy people tend to get their heads down and just plough on with the task at hand. The problem with this approach is that it sometimes means repeating strategies which have failed in the past because they are familiar. We all tend to repeat familiar routines, and when methods produce success then it’s great to re-use them.

The problem arises when people don’t have the perspective to re-evaluate tactics which aren’t succeeding. People in a cycle of failure may think that if they only work harder or longer that they will succeed. But if you’re facing in the wrong direction running faster or for longer won’t get you to your destination!

A workshop like the Exams Masterclass allows attendees to look again at what their attitudes are, how they’re organising themselves, and learn how other people succeed. We all have distinctive learning styles, and there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to passing exams, but there are quite a lot of clearly ineffective strategies which you need to avoid.

The course participants left the day with a set of new ideas about how to succeed, and with a renewed hope and energy to succeed. I’d say that’s a good day!