How to Prepare for a Resit

You’ve done the hard work, put time and effort and sat for your exam only to receive that dreadful email or notification telling you that you haven’t passed. It’s as much saddening as it is a reflective opportunity. What do you do next? Here are a few things to get you started, motivated and succeed in your resit.

Evaluate Your Options

This may be the first time you are sitting for an examination in Law or even your last. Whichever instance it may be, it is always a good idea to ‘take stock’ of what options you have before you. Some Universities may give you the option of selecting another module for your resit whereas as other may need you to proceed with the same. This decision depends on two factors — (a) were you comfortable with the subject you took and (b) did you prepare for it. If the answer to both these questions is ‘YES’, then you should retake it, with better preparation of course (Read on to assess how).

Get an Objective Opinion

More often than not, we study alone or with other students. In either instance, it is rare that we get an objective view, let alone constructive criticisms on our understanding of the subject or how we write answers. The most common cause of student failures during Law exams is not the lack of knowledge but rather the inability to articulate and present it during an exam! Find a trusted source, that has experience in examination technique and show them how you write or present them with a practice answer you’ve attempted prior to your exams.

The most common cause of student failures during Law exams is not the lack of knowledge but rather the inability to articulate and present it during an exam!

Fill the Gaps in your Understanding

Law is a vast and at times complicated subject area and it is easy to feel lost. The common misconception among students is to ‘memorize’ the entire subject verbatim, without taking the time to understand what the content actually means. The result is a lackluster performance during the exam and in some cases, failure. Get an overview of each topic in the subject and see if you are able to grasp the fundamental concepts.

Create a Fast Track Plan

You have decided to resit the exam and are willing to put the time and effort. Now, you need to allocate that time and effort, somewhere on your schedule. It’s important to understand that you have already spent a considerable amount of time studying the subject, prior to sitting for your first attempt. Therefore, your resit schedule needs to reflect the change in your circumstances. Focus on preparing for the exam itself as opposed to ‘relearning the subject’.

With the correct guidance and motivation, your resit can become a rewarding endeavor. It will not only provide you an opportunity to better prepare for the subject once again, but also inculcate in your exam preparation routine, valuable techniques to use for your next examination.

For more on how you can prepare for your resit, drop me an email: shaveen@outlook.com