We’re used to hearing about time management. But have you heard about exam management?!
We’ve gathered a few recommendations to make coping with the (sometimes stressful) lead-up to the exam – and the exam itself – easier:
Before the exam:
Study and take the exam in the same place
Did you know? The brain links the content you learn with the place where you learn it! It’s easier to retrieve information we’ve learned in the place where we learned it. In other words, if you prepare for the exam in a similar classroom or in the area of the exam classroom, it will be easier for you to retrieve the material from memory during the exam itself.
Simulation – as close to the real thing as possible
An excellent and important way to prepare for an exam is to run a simulation that mimics the real exam. For example – if the exam is in the morning, do a simulation at a time similar to the real exam. Complete one exam from start to finish, under similar conditions (the amount of time allocated to you in the exam, a location as similar as possible), without interruptions. This will make you feel more confident in the real exam.
On exam day:
- Don’t study new material – just as you don’t touch an unbaked cake while it’s still in the oven, be careful with what’s in your head right before the exam. New material can throw you off and harm the information you’ve already learned, and it most likely won’t make it into your long-term memory.
- Listen to yourselves – do whatever is good for you before entering the exam. If talking about the exam stresses you out, delay entering the classroom, sit somewhere pleasant and do something that’s good for you.
- Settle in comfortably – make sure you have everything you need next to you: exam aids, a calculator, an electronic dictionary, writing tools, a drink, a snack and maybe tissues. Arrange your space so everything is accessible and comfortable.
- Let go – a moment before the exam: close your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly, scan your body and release tense muscles.
During the exam:
- Choose a strategy – read the whole exam first or answer in order? Start with hard questions or easy ones? Start with high-scoring or low-scoring questions? The answer: it depends on your level of stress and confidence with the material, the nature of the exam, and more. What matters is going over the exam first, and choosing how to approach it. With good preparation beforehand, by exam time you’ll already have the strategy that suits you best.
- Retrieval cues – if you’ve planned memory cues (acronyms, a rhyming song, diagrams), write them all down on a draft page at the start of the exam.
- Pay attention to the questions – read each question slowly and carefully, mark the information it gives you, and write in your own words what is being asked of you.
- Watch the time – keep track of the clock, but not obsessively, or you’ll waste precious time. Allocate time to each question wisely: if you get stuck on a question, move on and come back to it later, and if a question flows easily, answer without hesitation. Try to leave time at the end to check your answers.
- Write notes – next to the question or on a separate page, note which topic the question relates to, what you know about it, and how the topic connects to the question. Even if you have no idea about a question, it’s better to write something small you remember – it could earn you even half a point instead of zero.
- The elimination method – in a multiple-choice question, first mark the two least likely, incorrect answers (there always are some). Of the two remaining answers, mark the more precise one. Don’t know? Guess intuitively.
- Eat smart – during an exam the brain uses a lot of energy and needs food to function. Bring a snack, but limit the sugar, since it boosts energy but also drops it quickly. To maintain concentration, go for nuts, whole-grain bread or fruit like apples and blueberries.
- Ask for help – both the teaching assistant and the lecturer come into the classroom to help you. Use that for questions – even if the answer isn’t perfect, it’s always better to ask.
- Think positive – studies have found that thinking about positive things, like finishing or succeeding in the exam, or even favorite songs or loved ones, calms exam stress, which frees up more room for concentration. In addition, statements like “I did my best” and “I believe in myself” instill confidence and calm. Remind yourselves of them throughout the exam. Remind yourselves of them throughout the exam.
Good luck!!