Preparing the Final Exam. As the semester is coming close to an end, now is a good time for instructors to start thinking about the final exams. A common complaint is that the finals do not always test the kinds of knowledge that was asked for in the homework or quizzes or presented in exams. Whether this perception is accurate or not, it’s still an excellent starting point in preparing your exam. Here are some helpful strategies offered by the teaching center at Berkeley University.