The Student Blog

Here are the top ten tips for success in exams!

1. Have a Positive Attitude
A positive attitude goes a long way toward success. Yeah the exam may be tough and hard but if you think you can do it then you will definately do a lot better.

2. Make a Plan
You have to be starting preparing for the exam some time BEFORE the day it is. The week before the test, ask your teacher what the test is going to cover. Check if you have all the work required for the exam maybe notes for the day you were absent. Make a list of the most important topics to be covered and use that as a guide when you study. Circle items that you know will require extra time. Be sure to plan extra time to study the most challenging topics.

3. The Night Before the Exam
Some people think that they can study the night before the exam and do better on the actual exam. Well this maybe hold true in your primary and middle school but the day you step into high school or University/College, this is really going to change. The workload is so tremendous that you will never be able to cover all the concepts in one night and you will end up skipping half of the syllabus as well as staying up all night! Your brain and body need sleep to function well, so don’t stay up late! You should be done with all the material by this time or maybe left with only 1 or 2 concepts. Just do a good review of all the material required and you are set for the exam!

4. The Morning of the Exam
Wake up a little before you normally do and do a quick review so that your brain is warmed up and ready for the exam. I would also advise that you have a good breakfast and don’t eat too much as you don’t want an upset stomach right before the exam.

5. Organise Yourself
Before the exam starts you will usually have a few minutes to read all the instructions. DO NOT TAKE THIS AS A JOKE! READ EVERYTHING with your eyes open! You do not want to be using a pen instead of a pencil or using a calculator when it isn’t allowed. Make sure you have all the stationary required for the exam as you probably won’t be allowed to use someone else’s protractor in the exam and this may cost you dearly!

6. Manage Your Time
Scan through the test quickly before starting. Answering the easy questions first can be a time saver and a confidence builder. Plus, it saves more time in the end for you to focus on the hard stuff. If you find a question hard skip it as you can always come back to it later! Wasting time isn’t really something you want.

7. Don’t get Stuck!
You will probably find some questions that you find tricky and confusing. Don’t get worried or frustrated this is just normal for everybody. Reread the question to make sure you understand it, and then try to solve it the best way you know how. If you have covered the exam syllabus properly you will probably answer it right. If you’re still stuck, circle it and move on. You can come back to it later. What if you have no idea about the answer? Review your options and make the best guess you can, but only if you don’t lose points for wrong answers.

8. Multiple-Choice Questions
The process of elimination is the most effective technique when solving the multiple choice questions! It can help you choose the correct answer where you are a bit confused. Start by crossing off the answers that you are 100% sure couldn’t be right. Then spend your time focusing on the possible correct choices before selecting your answer.

9. Neatness Counts
If your 4s look like 9s, it could be a problem. Be sure that your writing is legible and that you erase your mistakes. A neat exam paper puts a good impression on the examiner and thus grants you a chance to achieve a higher grade. For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces carefully. When you are erasing do it immaculately as the computer might take smudges as answers.

10. Check when you are done!
When you complete the last item on the test, remember that you’re not done yet. First, check the clock and go back to review your answers, making sure that you didn’t make any careless mistakes (such as putting the right answer in the wrong place or skipping a question). If you have a alot of time left and you are done with all the questions try doing the calculations again as you people usually make careless mistakes in this part or otherwise check your grammatical and spelling errors. Spend the last remaining minutes going over the hardest problems before you turn in your test.

Just follow these tips and you will do great!

Good Luck!