1 HARD WORK

John emphasises the importance of being fully prepared for anything the exam throws at you. “The course often integrates different topics into one question, for example dairy and tillage. It is vital that students revise all areas of the course and not leave out any topics,” says John.

2 MOST SUITABLE QUESTIONS

It is vital that students get the very most out of the paper. In order to do this, John explains that students must read each question carefully – at least three times – and answer what suits them the best and what they’re most comfortable with first. This will allow the student to settle into the paper and give them more confidence. John also emphasises that students should never leave blanks. “Write something down, you may get marks for it!” he says.

3 Timing

The exam is two and a half hours long. John says this is plenty of time to answer the six questions. “If students choose question one they should spend about 30 to 35 minutes on it, then spend about 20 minutes on each of the other five questions. This will allow students to spend five to 10 minutes reading the paper at the beginning and 10 minutes checking their answers at the end,” he recommends.

4 Marking scheme

John says students should understand the marking scheme. The more detailed questions will look for a minimum of four points. However, if possible, students should try to put down six to eight points. “The examiners will accept bullet points,” says John. There are many benefits to using these. Students can convey much more valuable information and key points, rather than trying to explain everything in an essay format, which can be long-winded and time-consuming,” says John.

5 Guaranteed topics

There are a total of nine questions on the paper and students are required to answer any six. Three of these nine questions are the same every year. These are question two, on soil science; question four, on experiments; and question seven, based on genetics. “A student can have half of the paper very well prepared before they even sit the exam,” says John.