This is going to be one of the first pieces of information you might look for when choosing modules, other than the syllabus of course. The information should be available for you online.

This is a subjective question and relates to personal opinion. For some people it might be stressful, for others they will find it less stressful. It usually depends on how well you have grasped the material and how well you have managed your time.

If your lectures are your sole source of information for examination preparation, then you might be in for some trouble. You will be given a reading list for your modules so your lecturers will expect you to use it and understand what is required. If you simply rely on what was covered in the lectures, then you will probably get marks no higher than the low-mid 50s.

Going to university is about demonstrating your critical thinking as well as your subject knowledge, so it is partially about knowledge but knowledge alone will not give you higher marks: it is your thinking around what you have been told and providing good evidence (see Chapter 4 on critical thinking) that will get you better marks.

This is generally not true. Well-written multiple choice questions can be as difficult as short essay questions, testing not just your understanding of certain words but also your ability to apply, rank, evaluate and manipulate information.

The chapter will make clear that you can use others’ work, but that you must also indicate where you have done so. If you have already read the chapter, then you will be very aware of the consequences of using others’ work without indicating where you have done so.

That is good. If you are not clear on this, then read the chapter content again: there are definitions of both ‘Bibliographies’ and ‘Reference Lists’.

The answer to this is the same as that for item 6.

There is no minimum or maximum expectation, but what you must do is clearly give good quality evidence for the arguments you make.

The standards usually do change – and the quality of work you could do to pass in the first year would not usually be sufficient to get you good marks in your other years of study at university.

The answer to this is very similar to that for item 10 – i.e. the standards do get harder.

This is really a matter of subjective opinion. Some people find essays or presentations far more stressful, but the uncertainty about the questions/topics you will face in an examination does make them more stressful for many students.

If you go into an examination having prepared for this idea, then you will find yourself struggling in subjects where theory has been presented in class. There are some mathematical subjects where theory is less important than practicalities, but most social science subjects will require an understanding of theory.

Memory (covered in Chapter 8 on examination assessment) is important, but having a good memory does not mean you will do well. It is the critical thinking around what you remember that will give you the extra marks.

That is good. Some people think they can cheat – borrowing other’s work, using material online and presenting it as their own, and so on – but most get caught. Cheating is fraudulent.

This might make sense at first glance, but is not correct. Plagiarism can occur in dissertations or presentations as much as in essays.

You can do this, but as Chapter 6 makes clear, you need to show that they are others’ words.

There is no right or wrong answer to this, but you should really find out for yourself. If the answer to item 1 is true, then you should know this before you start your modules.

Effort does not always lead directly to high marks: it is possible to write a well-written and very analytical piece of work that is irrelevant to the question that has been asked. However, most of the time, little effort will produce little result and lower marks.

Effort does not always lead directly to high marks: it is possible to write a well-written and very analytical piece of work that is irrelevant to the question that has been asked. However, most of the time, little effort will produce little result and lower marks.