Before the exam
During the exam
After the exam
Some people thrive on exams, others aren’t so fortunate. A disciplined approach will make your task easier, and - hopefully - improve your results
Before the exam
Your success starts before you even sit down for the exam.
Look at previous tests, and analyse how well you did, and where there could be room for improvement
Always arrive early for an exam. Arriving late will just add to your stress levels
Arrive with a good attitude: be positive, smile, and be confident
If you suffer from exam anxiety, read our article on how to manage exam stress.
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During the exam
Read the directions carefully, and slowly. You don’t want to make a careless mistake
Read through the whole exam before answering, to give an overall picture of your task
Answer easy questions first; that way you won’t get stuck on a tricky question and run out of time
Look for the key words in the question: there are usually one or two that will give you a clue
Don’t leave when you’re finished; review all your answers and double-check you’ve answered all questions correctly
Double-check your spelling, punctuation and grammar.
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After the exam
Be positive: think about those tasks you know you did well on
Avoid a ‘post mortem’. Discussing with other students how well you and they did, or didn’t do, will only drag you down
After the exam, don’t go back to study or work right away: give yourself some time off to relax doing something you enjoy.
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