A Texan insult that is a key exam technique

I was in Austin Texas two weeks ago for the SXSW Edu Festival, learning new innovative ways to teach and entertain all of our students.  There was a lot of learning to be done to be fair.  I learnt that I cannot walk in cowboy boots, that I am not made for the Texan heat, and that Texas margaritas are far too strong for me to handle! While none of these will directly help you sit your exam, there was one thing that could.

I was introduced to the phrase ‘Bless your heart,’ by a Texan friend.  At first glance, this seems like a nice statement to make, but in that, you could be mistaken.  It could be genuine sympathy that they are offering, but the phrase has multiple meanings and could be an insult which is condescending or even worse contemptuous.  Essentially saying ‘Bless your heart you are an idiot.”  The context here is everything, it is not always obvious and you may even need to check with someone else to see if they agree with how you took this!

Luckily no one actually uttered this phrase for me, so I did not have to wonder – but as it’s exam time and I’ve been marking a million assignments for my students, it got me thinking about your question essays.  Context, especially in a case scenario question is everything, and sometimes, like the bless your heart phrase, the case or certain theory can have multiple meanings/arguments or solutions.  This is why you need to outline the different options, and both define and explain your point of view.  Do not believe that it is obvious to the examiner, explain everything.  Remember the examiner cannot check with you to explain your meaning, so you need to be clear!

I hope you find this little tip useful, if you want even more exam technique help, why not get in touch and find out how Business Academy Online can help you achieve your CIPS goals.

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Level 3 Diamond Timetable

Exam Series Module No. of sessions Dates
November 2023
M1
3
2nd Oct, 16th Oct, 30th Oct
March 2024
M2 & M3
6
15th Jan, 29th Jan, 5th Feb, 19th Feb, 26th Feb, 4th Mar
May 2024
M4
3
15th Apr, 22nd Apr, 29th Apr
July 2024
M5
3
3rd June, 10th June, 24th June

Level 6 Diamond Timetable

Exam Series Module No. of sessions Dates
November 2023
M1
3
5th Oct, 19th Oct, 9th November
March 2024
M2 & M5
5
25th Jan, 1st Feb, 8th Feb, 22nd Feb, 29th Feb
May 2024
M4 & M7
4
18th April, 25th April, 2nd May, 9th May
July 2024
M3 & M8
5
30th May, 13th June,20th June, 27th June, 4th July

Level 5 Diamond Timetable

Exam Series Module No. of sessions Dates
November 2023
M1 & M2
4
4th Oct, 11th Oct, 18th Oct, 25th Oct, 1st Nov, 8th Nov
March 2024
M5, M15 & M9
4
31st Jan, 7th Feb, 21st Feb, 28th Feb, 6th March
May 2024
M3 & M8
4
10th April, 17th April, 24th April, 1st May
July 2024
M4
3
5th June, 12th June, 26th June

Level 4 Diamond Timetable

Exam Series Module No. of sessions Dates
November 2023
M1 & M2
5
3rd Oct, 10th Oct, 17th Oct, 24th Oct, 7th Nov
March 2024
M3, M5, M7
6
23rd Jan, 30th Jan, 6th Feb, 20th Feb, 27th Feb, 5th March
May 2024
M4 & M6
4
9th April, 16th April, 23rd April, 30th April
July 2024
M8
3
4th June, 18th June, 2nd July