Take-home & other open-book exams
Learn about what to expect from open-book style exams and see our advice for preparation
Open-book style exams test your ability to find, understand and apply information.
For take-home and open-book exams, you will have access to study resources, such as:
- notes you've made
- textbooks, readings and reference materials
- equipment such as software, calculators etc.
Educators set open-book style exams to test how you find knowledge and apply it to solving problems. Take-home and open-book exams are usually delivered in courses where you need to make use of complex content to produce in-depth answers of your own.
See also
Common misconceptions about open-book style exams
The following assumptions about take-home and open-book exams often lead to insufficient preparation.
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Open-book style exams are not easier than other exams.
Good responses require more than simply copying information from resources. Having access to your textbook, for example, can help you recall information or a formula, but that alone won't score you high marks.
Open-book style exams are designed to test your ability to find and apply information appropriately.
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This is the worst assumption you can make about open-book style exams.
You should study as seriously as you would for any other exam. While having access to your notes and other resources means you don't have to memorise everything, you still need to apply the information effectively, especially when under timed conditions.
Ensure you’re fully familiar with the study content. If you don't study, you'll waste time finding relevant information or relearning content during exam time.
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Copying chunks of text directly from any study material is plagiarism.
Open-book style exams expect you to do more than just reproduce information from your available resources. You must show your ability to find, understand and apply information relevant to the exam questions. You’ll may need to reference your sources as well, especially for take-home exams.
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Only gather the resources you really need.
Avoid getting carried away and overloading your workspace with study materials for open-book style exams. Having every single resource at hand won't optimise your performance, as you won't have time for extensive reading. In fact, too many materials can end up overwhelming you. Select materials carefully and organise them in a way that will help you quickly reference.
Exam formats and question types may vary across study disciplines.
These usually fit into two main types of open-book style exams:
1. Timed exams
- Everyone sits the exam at a set date and time, whether it's in-person or online.
- Some courses let you sit timed exams whenever you want to within a given period. However, the amount of time you can spend to attempt the exam is still restricted.
- Timed open-book exams often limit how many materials you can bring. However, sometimes you are permitted unrestricted access to your resources.
- To prepare correctly, make sure to carefully check any instructions provided.
2. Take-home exams
- Everyone gets a set of questions to 'take home' and answer over a given period.
- This format is a common in courses that assess complex problem-solving.
- Take-home exams tend to allow unrestricted access to study resources by nature.
- You should still check your course guide or talk to your lecturer to make sure there aren’t any particular restrictions.
❗ Important note
No matter the exam format, your responses must be your own work. You must attempt questions by yourself without others' help.
Unless specifically instructed otherwise, you must not use generative AI for open-book style exams.
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Study as for any other exam
You'll waste less exam time finding information by being confident and familiar with course content.
Carefully select your resources
Too many notes and texts are overwhelming. Avoid cluttering your workspace by being selective with what you bring.
Prepare with past papers
If past exam papers or sample questions are available, use them to practise with your resources.
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Read the guidelines thoroughly
Check how much exam time you have, what subject areas will be covered, and what study materials you are allowed to use.
Don’t expect specific questions
Pre-written model answers rarely match exam questions exactly. It's more effective to prepare examples for each topic.
Eat, hydrate and get enough rest
Make sure to take care of yourself. Getting sick, feeling tired or losing concentration will detriment your exam performance.
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Avoid copying from resources
Markers are looking for how you can apply knowledge and present your own arguments.
Stop yourself from over-answering
Having lots of materials available can tempt you to include unnecessary information. Be concise and focus on exactly what the question is asking.
Be mindful of the time
Clear the questions you’re confident with first. Avoid spending too much time thinking or searching for answers.
How to prepare your notes and resources effectively for open-book style exams
Write notes that help you recall course content
- Review the course for its structure
- Identify key topics and information for the exam
- Write clear headings to organise information
- Use dot points to write brief and legible notes
- Summarise complex information with words that trigger memory
- Understand how concepts connect to each other. A mind map can help.
Prepare your resources to find information quickly
- Use indexes to find relevant sections in textbooks
- Bookmark useful pages with sticky notes
- Write short summaries (e.g. in margins of texts) that you can quickly reference
- List key information (e.g. formulae, key definitions etc.) you'll likely during the exam
- Note down relevant page numbers for each resource and its key topics.
Need help with your exam arrangements?
Reach out to the UNSW Bengaluru Examinations Team at exams.bengaluru@unsw.edu.au. Please include your zID and course code in your email to help us assist you faster.