Comprehension
Whether you are answering an MCQ or an open-ended question, comprehension skills are crucial if you want to provide relevant and accurate answers! To score well, it is important to be able to break down long questions and scenarios, identify concepts that are being tested and to be clear on what type of answer you are required to provide. Are you being asked to give a reason for a certain phenomenon? Are you being asked to explain a process? Steps? Are you being asked to identify a list of factors? These are all vastly different types of questions and misunderstanding them will lead to you giving an answer that misses the point. When it comes to MCQ, comprehension skills can help you eliminate options that seem similar so that you don't end up treating your exam like a guessing game! To develop your comprehension skills, work on your language skills and vocabulary in general. Practice breaking down long questions, scenarios and passages and test your ability to extract their essence. Being able to summarize is a good indicator of your level of omprehension.
Clear and concise writing
When answering open-ended questions, your ability to be brief and precise at the same time will determine whether you secure every mark. Firstly, a brief answer shows that you understand what you are being asked. Unfortunately, it is quite common for students to simply identify the topic being tested and regurgitate as much information as possible resulting in a long-winded answer that sometimes doesn't even end up fulfilling the requirements of the question. Concise writing is proof that you actually know what you are talking about! Another factor that contributes to clear and concise writing is your use of keywords. With practice, you will become familiar with keywords that can be used to describe complex concepts and ideas in a brief and precise way. Clear writing also involves arranging these keywords in an an appropriate and sensible order. This is another skill that can be strengthened by developing your langauge skills in general and using active voice where you can.
Observation
When you learn a concept in class or read about it in a book, being able to observe that concept at work in the world around you is the key to deeper understanding. Observation skills are the basis of science in general! All theories are born from observation and even if you don't intend to become a theoretician, being more observant and perceptive immediately elevates one's appreciation of science! Noticing the way science works in our environment and making conncections between them is the most effective way to make sure these concepts are deeply ingrained in us instead of simply memorizing them word for word which can greatly hinder your application skills. To become more observant, develop your ability to be present in the moment and use all of your senses!
Pattern Recognition
Pattern recognition skills can be seen as the higher order version of basic observation skills. This is what gives you the ability to make accurate scientific predictions! Pattern recognition intelligence is common in highly successful people and people who excelled at art, chess and music as a child. Does this mean pattern recognition is a skill you have to be born with? No! Our brains are highly malleable and just like any other skill, pattern recognition can be developed with regular and consistent practice. As human beings we all have a basic ability to see patterns but sharpening this ability can you excel at science as it helps you spot the same mechanisms at work even in vastly different situations and environments. It elevates your problem solving skills since you will be able to match solutions that have been crafted in the past to newer problems with similar roots. When developing your pattern recognition skills, step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself and you will develop a keen eye in no time!
Organisation
Good organisational skills are a key trait of people with highly scientific minds! The ability to define and categorise things is the first step to further investigation and analysis. What comes to mind when you think of organisational skills? The ability to keep your room clean? The ability to plan and execute a project in a timely way? Organisation at its core involves the ability to divide something broad into smaller parts, label those parts and categorise them so they can be dealt with easier. Sound familiar? This is classification! You might have heard of classification in biology as the establishment of a hierarchical system of categories on the basis of presumed natural relationships among organisms. However, this type of organisation can be applied to all sciences and helps you see what you are dealing with clearly before delving into it. Organisation skills can help you ensure your foundations are strong by showing you plainly where your doubts lie as this requires you to have clear definitions for everything you know! Are you using your organisation skills when studying for science? You can find out by testing your ability to present information in different ways, like flowcharts, mindmaps and diagrams instead of simply writing out large chunks of words.