When we talk about exams, we often explore strategies for effective revision, such as active learning or making a revision plan. It’s true that strong revision techniques are the best way to do well in exams, but there are also strategies that can improve our performance once we’re actually in the exam itself.
In this blog, we’ll explore seven top tips that will help you do your best in your upcoming exams.
- Read the Instructions: Before diving into the questions, take a moment to carefully read all instructions provided by the examiners. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you need to do in each section. For instance, do you need to answer all questions in a section, or just choose one or two? Are your markers looking for lengthy answers, or just a full bullet points? Getting clear on these points before you start writing will save time later on.
- Skim the Questions: Begin by quickly scanning through the entire exam paper. Identify questions that you find relatively easy and can answer quickly. Getting an overview of the whole exam helps you mentally prepare and boosts your confidence by reminding you how much you know!
- Create a Time Budget: Break down the exam into manageable segments, considering how much time you have for each section. Prioritize your tasks based on the point value of each question. A common mistake is to spend too much time on a single question, meaning you run out of time to answer the others. For example, if a two-hour exam has four questions, all worth 25%, then you should spend approximately 30 minutes on each of them. It may help to write a little timeline for yourself, then keep an eye on a clock throughout the exam to make sure you stick to your schedule.
- Start with What You Know: Once you’ve scanned the exam, start with the questions you are most familiar with or find easiest. This strategic approach work for two reasons: first, it helps build confidence as you work on a familiar topic; second, it makes sure you don’t spend all your time working on difficult problems while you run out of time to put down the information you already know.
- Stay Calm: Exams can be a stressful experience, but staying focussed will help you do your best work. Try taking a few deep breaths to calm your nerves, or close your eyes and meditate for a minute. If you can’t think of what to write, pull out some spare paper or open a new document and try writing down whatever comes to mind, in any order. An ideas dump at the beginning of an exam can help you get important facts out of your head, then you can structure them into full answers later.
- Flag and Return: Don’t let yourself get stuck on difficult questions. When you find something you can’t answer right away, flag it and move forward. Returning to challenging questions after completing the rest of the exam ensures that you make the most efficient use of your time. As you answer other questions, the your mind will be working on the original problem in the background. When you come back to it at the end, you may even find the answer has already come to you!
- Review Your Work: If you have time, save a few minutes at the end to review your answers. Pay attention to areas where you might have made errors or could provide more detail. A thorough review not only helps catch mistakes but also allows you to refine or add material that can make your answers even better.
Doing well in exams is mostly about good revision, so make sure you check out our other resources on revision techniques! Once you’ve got those down, though, the strategies here will make sure you do your best in your exams and truly demonstrate everything you’ve learned.
