Getting a good set of exam results can be the most satisfying and confidence-boosting thing you’ll do this term. But if your grades aren’t what you hoped for, it can be easy to fall into unhelpful thinking patterns like panicking about the future or taking things personally.
To avoid this, it’s worth avoiding social media on results day. It’s also tempting to compare yourself unfavourably with your peers who got better grades but this can be counterproductive. Instead, you might find it helpful to talk about your exam results with a friend who can offer support or provide a fresh perspective.
It’s also important to take some time out from exam results and try to focus on the positives in your life. Think about what you’ve already achieved this year – whether that’s overcoming challenging coursework, juggling a part-time job or excelling in non-academic areas. Keeping focused on the bigger picture will help you get back to feeling happy again.
Exams are scored using a number of methods, but one of the most important is item discrimination. This tells us how well a question effectively separates students who know the topic from those who don’t. For example, questions with a high item discrimination value (i.e., a low percentage of incorrect responses) should be reviewed and revised, as they may be misleading to some students.