Exam preparation. Good exam prep can be the difference between acing and failing an exam.
The average student spends between 10-13 hours per week studying for school tests.
Is this enough time for students to ace their exams? Are there certain tricks that students should be aware of to improve their time management?
Read on to find out 10 tips that may help you prepare for an exam.
1. Make Flashcards
One of the best ways to help study for a test is to create flashcards for all of the information that you need to know. It can be anything from having to learn definitions for words, answers to true and false, bullet points for essays, math formulae, and more.
Why is this a good method for exam prep? Because it forces you to use two tools to help process the information.
The first thing you have to do is write all of the information on the flashcards.Then, you will read each side of the flashcard to help improve your memory of the information.
It is essentially forcing you to take an extra step to help process the information. After that, you can use one side of the card to understand the question you are being asked. Then, try to remember the answer and flip the card to see if you are right.
2. Focus on Problem Areas
The next thing you need to do is figure out what areas you have problems in. For example, do you forget certain information with grammar or history? Do you forget a formula in math and science?
Whatever the case, it is your job to figure out how well you know all of the information you are being provided. Try to get an idea in your head of the information you think you know very well and other parts you think you need to improve on.
This allows you to focus more time on the information you do not feel confident with or will take a little more practise. Once you correct this, you can start to eliminate weaker areas before an exam.
3. Organise Your Study Time
Another thing that you can do to help yourself with exam prep is to organise your study plan. It allows you to write a goal out loud about how long you want to spend studying for your upcoming exam.
For example, if you felt you needed to study for at least an hour a day for this exam, you could pick an hour in the day you wanted to study. But, you must stick with it and hold yourself accountable to your schedule.
Being organised helps you use your time more wisely in general. Exam preparation is just one area in which you will see positive results by doing it.
4. Spread Your Time Out
Relating to organising your study time, you want to ensure that you do so in a way that does not have to do everything at once. The reason for this is that it can lead to burnout, and it can be too much information for some people to process at once.
Some people are vulnerable to procrastination and study all the information they need to know a day or two before the exam. While some people can do this, it is unrealistic because you are making your brain work overtime.
You are going to feel fried and exhausted. For some people, that could be too much to overcome and you can end up remembering less information than if you tackled a little bit at a time.
5. Take Practise Tests
For some of the bigger exams out there, some resources allow you to take practise tests to help prepare you for the real thing.
Take the NAPLAN, for example. You can choose to find and take a practise test for it online.
It can give you an idea of how the test is formatted, what questions may be on there, and how well you do under a real-time limit to answer these questions.Then, you can see how you did and where you might need to improve.
Taking this test does two things for you. First, it allows you to get an idea of where you are at with how well you studied, and it allows you to add a way of studying for this exam into the mix.
6. Ask Questions
Before you take an exam, you will likely see your teacher or a tutor go over all of the information that you need to know. If you are struggling to understand anything that is on the exam, ask your teacher or tutor if they can add some input as to what you are talking about.
Doing this can help you in a few ways. First, it can let teachers know that you are taking this seriously and putting effort into it. The other thing is that teachers can suggest a way to process this information in a way you did not think of before.
The point here is, do not be afraid to ask for help if you feel like you need it.
7. Create Incentives
Studying may not be your favourite thing to do, but you know it is something you must do. However, you can still find ways to make it fun for yourself.
One of the best ways to do this is to create incentives around studying. It can be as simple as allowing yourself to do fun activities after all your studying time is complete for the day.
For example, let's say that you like to play video games. You can set a schedule where you study for an hour or two after dinner for your exam. Then, once you have that information down, you can reward yourself by spending the rest of the night playing video games.
8. Remember to Review
When you are taking a test and realise you only have a certain amount of time foreach section, remember to plan time to review your work. It is especially the case if you have an essay section.
Reviewing your work allows you to review the material one more time before having a final submission. It also allows you to catch any mistakes you might have made while writing down your answers.
You might be surprised by what you find when you review your work. It can save you from submitting answers that you know are wrong and improve your grade or score.
9. Spend Some Time Away
While organising your study time, you must remember to plan some time away from your material. Do not be afraid to go out and do something fun once in awhile.
It can help take your mind off the exam and allow you to clear your head. Then, you can come back in with a fresh mind for the next assignment.
If you are spending a lot of time on schoolwork, this link revealed the importance of sports in student's life
Find that time in your schedule to avoid burnout.
10. Get Good Sleep
Finally, as the exam approaches, you will want a good night's sleep before taking this.That can improve your mindset and allow you to come in with a fresh perspective.
Getting the appropriate sleep the night before also helps you operate at your best.
Why is it important to get good sleep? Because Australians that fail to get proper sleep to end up being 80% less productive.
Make sure you get good sleep the night before your exam to be as ready as you can.
Improve Your Exam Preparation
These are just 10 tips that you can use when it comes to exam preparation. If you use all of these properly, you will see positive results when it comes time for the exam. Remember to sleep well, relax, ask the right questions, organise your study time, and more.
Another thing that you can do is take an online practise test. Luckily, we can help you there.
See what online tests we offer here.
