Lesson/Revision Idea: The Two Minute Drill

Travis DixonRevision and Exam Preparation, Teaching Ideas, Uncategorized

Getting students to plan exam responses under time pressure can help them practice thinking quickly. It also lets you catch mistakes before it's too late.

How it works…

  1. Put two minutes on a timer (I use a trusty kitchen timer)
  2. Project a possible exam question, maybe one for a topic that you’ve been working on or revising
  3. Students have two minutes to outline a plan of how they’d answer that question
    1. A4 pieces of paper cut in half are good to use
  4. Collect all answers after two minutes
  5. Reset the clock and project another question, repeat the process
  6. While students are working on the second question, you can flick through the first plans and identify any common errors (e.g. wrong studies, no studies, incorrect arguments, etc.).
  7. After the second drill, give the class collective feedback on their first attempt.

You can repeat this process as many times as you like.

Students can try this at home and then get feedback on their plans.

You can find some helpful exam writing activities in our exam essay pack (here).

Planning Tips for Students

  • All IB Psych questions ask about how things are releated, so analyze the question by identifying the relationship that it’s asking you to explain.
  • Make sure your plan includes an outline of the central argument and the relevant evidence.
  • Just down some details of key terms and the study to jog your memory.
  • Use mind maps if the explanation is complex.
  • Use note form – don’t waste time writing in complete sentences.