5. Exam Tips
Before the exam...
Overcoming stress is important for effective learning, so avoid things that cause stress:
- Don’t procrastinate
- Talk
- Think positive
- Routines – food, exercise, down time
- Don’t be perfectionist
It is vital to keep your motivation high. Don’t study for too long without a break – attention and memory will go down so you will start to struggle. You will also get put off studying in the future.
Time is limited, so make sure you manage the time you have effectively:
- Try to keep to a schedule,
- Be selective – you can’t revise everything,
- Don’t leave it all to the last minute.
Understanding is more important than memorising – if you understand something it is easier to remember it (and the information that comes with it):
- Revise the gaps in your knowledge and understanding
- Swap topics regularly to keep fresh
- Prioritise to suit yourself – e.g. is it better to revise the easy topics first or the most difficult ones?
- Condense your notes
- Summarise
- Use key words to trigger your memory
- Talk to others – this will help you to understand and recall better
During the exam...
Give yourself the best chance by reducing the stress levels:
- make sure you feel prepared, well-rested, and hydrated
- come early
- budget your time - don't forget time for planning and time for checking your answers
Keep control:
- read the questions carefully (key words, limiting words)
- decide the best order for you to answer the questions
- if you get stuck, try brainstorming or give yourself a couple of minutes to relax, or leave it and come back later
- don't waffle
- attempt to answer each part of a multi-part question
For lots more information, resources and tips, see our Exams page and our Mini-module: Preparing for Online Exams.
