Oxford University students need lessons in how to revise and sit for finals, as well as more time off between exams to recover from the experience, say student union leaders.

The gruelling high-pressure environment that builds up around finalists in the dreaming spires as they sit up to 11 three-hour exams prevents many from performing to the best of their abilities, a report claims.

Methods of assessment place a premium on "short, flashy argument" in essays, which cannot hope to reflect the range of work covered on a course or a student's achievements, they say.

Some finalists asked to sit six exams in three days find it impossible to perform as well in the last as in the first. Others are disadvantaged by the system because they have less physical stamina than their peers, according to members of Oxford University student union's education committee.

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Now the union's general council has passed a motion calling for action on recommendations in a report on ways to ease the pressure.

The document, which was originally drafted last year, says finalists should take no more than one exam a day and have as large gaps as possible between different exams.

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The union also wants classes in exam and revision skills for finalists, tutors to make time available each week to discuss student worries, a new university sub-committee to look at ways to change the finals system and libraries to open at weekends to make revision easier.

Jeremy Hargreaves, the union education officer, said: "The point about performance dropping off as more exams are taken has been hotly contested by the university authorities. But we feel that more could be done to ease the pressure finalists have to suffer."

But the university says some subjects already set a maximum of one paper a day and all have a maximum of four exams in two consecutive sessions.