Some Tips for Success in the Open Book Exam

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Open Book Exams/Scenario-Based Assessments

An open-book exam, also known as a scenario-based assessment (SBA), is not as easy as you might think!

The SBA contains two parts:

a scenario – a narrative which outlines a
workplace environment and situation (examples here); and
a series of tasks or questions which partly
or wholly rely on the scenario.

The examiner marking your work doesn’t want recalled facts but is looking for you to show a deeper understanding of the content.

Health and safety people don’t just work in
offices. Workplace settings already considered
in previous SBAs have included a:

do-it-yourself (DIY)/hardware store;
chemical plant;
call centre;
food factory;
supermarket;
removals company;
car tyre fitting garage; and
warehouse.

You may not be familiar with some of these
workplace settings, but that should not stop
you from being able to answer the questions
fully. The tasks/questions will be based
on the subject matter that you will study during
this course.

Understanding Scenarios

You must develop the skill of using your knowledge to come to conclusions by inferring things from the scenario.

You must use what you know about health and safety to interpret the scenario and draw conclusions. In most cases, you will also need to justify your conclusions using evidence from the scenario. This is what separates understanding from just reading.

If all you had to do in an assessment was search for keywords in the text, this would not be a test of health and safety knowledge, but of your ability to read. Instead, you must show your understanding by applying your knowledge to the facts.

Look at this small snippet from a past scenario:

This supermarket was listed in the top 10 for sales last year and the store manager wants to do even better this year. They have told shift managers that they do not care how it is done, but the supermarket must be in the top 5 this year for everyone to receive their bonus.

What conclusion do you draw from the text? Have a think about it before revealing the answer.

Show the answer

Collectively, these sentences indicate negative aspects of health and safety culture; there is an emphasis on financial incentives at the expense of health and safety. It does not literally say this in the scenario extract, but it is a logical inference from what is written.

If you can develop this skill, you can answer exam questions such as:

Comment on the negative indicators of health and safety culture in the workplace.

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

The use of the word ‘comment’ invites a detailed analysis. The associated scenario will give you clues that at least some aspects of the culture are negative. You will already have a theoretical framework of culture indicators from your studies, and these will lead you to evidence about the culture through logical inference.

For instance, one of many theoretical points to consider would be: ‘emphasis on financial incentives at the expense of health and safety.’

Using relevant evidence from the scenario such as: ‘the store manager has told shift managers that they do not care how it is done’ might lead you to logically infer: ‘emphasis on financial incentives at the expense of health and safety’ as an indicator of the negative culture.

In this example a mark would be awarded for: ‘emphasis on financial incentives at the expense of health and safety‘ and another mark awarded for: ‘the store manager has told shift managers that they do not care how it is done’.

That’s double the marks for answering in the correct way! That’s the difference between 40% FAIL and 80% DISTINCTION!

Point – Evidence – Explanation (P.E.E.)

An effective technique is the P.E.E. method, which can be used for most types of questions. It is not a new concept, and it is not limited to health and safety. P.E.E. has been used in schools, colleges, and universities for decades as an efficient way for learners to answer various types of questions in all subjects. It is also widely used by question writers to create corresponding mark schemes for specific types of questions.

Point	Evidence	Explanation
The point being made is not just something that is directly taken from the scenario, but it is reached by using logical reasoning based on the evidence provided in the scenario. In other words, it’s not explicitly stated in the scenario, but rather inferred by connecting the dots and drawing conclusions from the information given.	The evidence that supports the point being made is directly taken from the scenario. It’s like using information and facts that are explicitly provided in the scenario to back up and support the point being conveyed. It’s not about making assumptions or drawing conclusions based on external knowledge, but rather relying on the evidence that is specifically presented in the given scenario to support the point being made.	The reason(s) why the evidence supports the point is not directly retrieved from the scenario, but rather involves logically connecting the point being made with the evidence provided. It’s like explaining the significance or relevance of the evidence in relation to the point being conveyed. It’s the “so what?” or the explanation of why the evidence matters and how it supports the point being made. It’s not just about stating facts, but about making a logical connection between the evidence and the point to help the audience understand the reasoning behind the point being made.

Some Tips for Success in the Exam

In this video, I’ll go through some tips to help ensure you stand the best chance of success.

00:00 Intro
00:16 Don’t Underestimate the Challenge
03:20 Plan Your Work, Then Work Your Plan
06:43 Take Breaks
11:20 Adapt Your Approach
15:41 Use The Full Word Count

Assignment: Upload Your Study Schedule

We want to ensure that you are well-prepared and have a clear plan in place to make the most out of your learning experience.

We understand that time management can be a common challenge for learners. To help you overcome this, please use the box below to upload your study schedule. It could be a Word document, a screenshot from your device, or any other format that showcases your plan.

If you need assistance in creating a schedule, please refer to our helpful guide on how to develop an effective study plan. Another option is to leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to do the heavy lifting for you. Input all your current time commitments and relevant parameters such as wake and sleep times into a program such as ChatGPT and ask it to produce a study schedule for you.

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