When prospective students hear “open book exam”, they think: “Easy! You can just Google everything!” If you are coming to NWU, let me save you from that shock.

Open book exams at university are actually harder than closed book exams. Here is why, and how to ace them no matter your degree.

Why Everyone Gets It Wrong

Lecturers know you have your textbook, notes, and eFundi open. So, they won’t ask you questions like, “Define photosynthesis” or “What is Section 24 of the Constitution?”

They will ask you to use that definition. Whether you are in Law, Education, Engineering, Accounting, Nursing or IT — open book means they are testing understanding, not memory. If you didn’t study, having the book won’t save you. You won’t have time to read a whole chapter during the exam.

How to Prepare (For ALL Programmes)

1. Don’t Study Less, Study Differently

You still need to know your work. But instead of memorising word-for-word, focus on understanding concepts and where to find them quickly.

• For Accounting, know where your IFRS standards are.

• For Law, tab your legislation and know your case law.

• For Nursing, understand the nursing process, don’t just copy it.

• For Engineering/IT, know your formulas and when to apply them.

2. Organise Your Material Like a Pro

Your notes are your weapon. If they are messy, you will lose.

• Create a one-page summary or cheat sheet for each chapter/unit (even if you are allowed more)

• Use sticky tabs, colour codes, and a table of contents

• Number your pages and have a list of key definitions, formulas, and diagrams

• Save all your eFundi slides in ONE folder — not scattered in Downloads

In an open-book exam, the student who finds information in 30 seconds beats the student who searches for 10 minutes.

3. Practice Under Exam Conditions

This is the mistake most students make. They never practice.

Take a past paper, set a timer, and answer it with your books open. You will quickly learn:

• You don’t have enough time to look up everything

• You need to know at least 70% off the top of your head

• Copy-pasting from notes gives you zero marks — lecturers want application in your own words

4. Understand How You Are Marked

At NWU, open book exams have very strict marking guidelines against plagiarism. You cannot copy your textbook. You must reference, explain, and apply. The best answer sounds like this: “According to Smith (2022), ... This means in the case of a classroom with learners who have ADHD, the educator would...” — not a paragraph copied from page 112.

5. Prep Your Space and Tech

Most open book exams are online via eFundi. Test your Wi-Fi and have data as backup

• Have water, a clock, and a quiet room

• Close WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube — the temptation to “quickly search” will waste your time

• Read the instructions THREE times — some allow printed notes only, some allow eFundi only

Final Advice

Think of an open book exam like being a doctor, lawyer, teacher or engineer in real life. In the real world, you will have books, internet and colleagues. But your client won’t wait 2 hours while you Google basic information. They pay you because you know how to find the right information and use it fast.

That’s exactly what open book exams teach you. So don’t walk in overconfident. Walk in organised, prepared, and ready to think.

You’ve got this.