There’s nothing quite as stressful in life as an exam is. The stress of an exam is amplified significantly if the exam’s outcome will have a bearing on how your life turns out (i.e., your finals at university or an exam to see if you are qualified for a life-changing job).
Prepare For An Important Exam
Preparation is the most important thing. If you don’t revise, prepare, and study, then there’s no chance of you passing your exam. The amount of preparation required depends upon your current knowledge of the topic that you are taking an exam.
Here are nine tips for preparing for an important exam:
Mock Exams
A very effective way of preparing for an upcoming exam is to take mock exams, which you can do online. Mock exams are practice exams usually arranged by one’s place of study (i.e., university or college).
It is possible to take unofficial mock exams online. Taking these online tests can help you to boost your confidence and overcome any mistakes that you might make when taking the real exam. Mock exams can also help you to understand test patterns and develop useful strategies. Whatever subject you are taking an exam in, you can find a practice test in it.
Everything’s available online, from CSSE and CEM mock exams to language exams. For some online test providers, you may have to attend a physical location. This is far superior to taking tests online because the actual exam environment is simulated– this can help you to mentally prepare for your upcoming exam.
Study Time
If you want to pass your exam, then you need to make sure that you set time aside for studying. The biggest mistake made by students is not devoting enough time to studying. Even if you know a lot about the subject that you are taking an exam in, not revising can result in you failing your exam.
Revising helps you to refresh and check your existing knowledge. It also helps you to pick up on important things that you might have previously missed. You must ensure that you do not overdo revising and studying, however.
Some students burn themselves out by studying too much. Try to devote two hours a day to revision.
Old Exams
If you have previously taken an exam in the same subject that your upcoming exam is focused on, then you could benefit from looking through your previous papers. This is especially useful if you are retaking an exam that you have previously failed.
While the actual exam won’t be the same, you can learn a lot by going through your old paper and studying where you went wrong, and what you should have done to pass. Studying old exams is also an effective way of learning about and picking up on test patterns.
You may also be able to find archives of old exams on your learning institution’s website.
Study Groups
If you are taking a course in college or university, then why not join a study group? It’s highly likely that your class with have an already existing study group available for you to join. If there is not one already available, then you could try to organize one yourself.
If you are going to attend study groups then make sure that you are motivated and have the right attitude. Joining a study group and not giving your full effort can result in you annoying and distracting other students.
Study groups are great because you can exchange and share information about your upcoming exam, and use each other’s knowledge to pass.
Regular Breaks
As mentioned earlier, it’s very common for students to burn themselves out when they revise too much. You need to make sure that you take regular breaks when you are studying and space your revision time out so that you have enough time to relax and focus on other things.
If you spend all of your time worrying about your exam, you will stress yourself out. If you get too stressed out, then you might not be able to concentrate on your exam. This could lead to you failing, having to defer, or needing to retake your exam.
Day Planning
Make sure that you plan out your revision sessions meticulously. If you are going to be attending study groups, then factor them into your daily revision sessions.
You should revise for a specific amount of time each day. If you don’t plan out a routine, then you might struggle to motivate yourself to revise – or you might revise too much.
Hydration
You need to make sure that you stay hydrated when you are preparing for your exam. Lots of people, when revising and preparing, drink lots of coffee, eat junk food, and fail to drink water.
The more water you drink, the better that your brain will operate. If you want to be in good mental and physical condition, then hydration is crucial. Failing to drink enough water can leave you feeling fatigued and can cause headaches. Trying to revise with a headache can be very difficult..
Healthy Lifestyle
In addition to staying hydrated, you also need to make sure that you lead a healthy lifestyle. If you aren’t in top shape, then you may struggle to properly prepare for your exam.
Your mental and physical health are closely tied together. The worse your physical health is, the harder it will be to function mentally. In addition to having an impact on your mental health, poor physical health can also negatively impact your cognitive function.
Learning Resources
Finally, make sure that you have all of your revision material arranged and prepared. The college or educational institution that you are taking your exam with should provide you with enough learning resources to pass your exam.
If you are taking a course, then make sure that you save and store all of the learning resources provided by them during your classes. You can request copies of these from your lecturer if you lose them.
If you have an important exam coming up, preparation is key. If you don’t adequately prepare for your exam then you won’t really be able to pass.
Make sure that you take care of yourself in the run-up to your exam, also. Keep hydrated, eat well, and exercise.
