For many students exam time is quite stressful. Some people can deal with the pressure better than others. Generally, the less pressure you put on yourself the better you will do on exams. The best way to reduce pressure is to be prepared. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your exams:
Exam Preparation
Before the Exam
1. Select
It is impossible to remember everything so the first task is to select what is important to remember. This will require you to look over your lecture notes, textbook, labs, etc. A good place to begin is with the course syllabus because it usually lists the important topics. If the professor does not tell you what is covered on the exam, ask them. Exams are not usually a secret. In some cases you may be able to get exams that were used in previous years. If you do use old exams to study do not rely on them too much. Many times new material is added, and the same questions are seldom asked twice.
2. Organize
Organize the material you have selected. Cluster the information into categories, reduce your notes to key words, and make lists of important facts. Some people prefer to make diagrams or charts of the information. If you have trouble organizing and understanding the material see your professor for help. Before you see your professor make sure you are prepared so they can see that you have made an effort.
3. Review
Start your review early. Test-taking depends on recall of information. There is a difference between short-term and long-term memory. Our short-term memory holds information for a brief period of time. If information is not transferred to long-term memory it will be lost. In order to retrieve information you need to organize and understand it before you memorize it.
Reciting information helps you to remember it. If you have reviewed after each lecture and after each chapter the final review should occur a few days before the exam. If you have a condensed set of notes the review will go faster. It helps to give yourself practice tests to ensure that you can recall the information. For some helpful memory strategies click here. As a last resort try these cramming tips.
What not to do before an exam:
- Do not skip the last few classes before the exam because the professor may give clues about the exam
- Do not procrastinate
- Do not stay up all night
- Do not eat too much junk food. Too much coffee may actually lead to confusion
- Do not use drugs or alcohol because they make it harder to think straight
- Do not try to study 24 hours a day because you will get burnt out
- Do not mix up where and when the exam is held
During the Exam
1. Arrive on time
If you arrive late you may panic and lose some valuable time. Arriving on time gives you some time to relax before the exam.
2. Scan over the whole test
If you know what is ahead of you, you can pace yourself. Pace yourself according to the value of the question. For example, if a question is worth 10% it should take approximately 10% of your time. Do not waste time on questions that are not worth a lot.
3. Read the directions
Read the directions at least twice so you can understand what you are being asked to do. You do not want to lose points just because you misread the question. To find out if you can follow instructions, click here.
4. Write down what you may forget
It is okay to write down formulas, lists, or anything else you may forget. As a safety measure make sure you write these on the exam itself so you aren't accused of cheating.
5. Answer the easiest questions first
Answering the questions you know gives you confidence and time to relax. If this requires you to skip around the exam make sure that you number the questions clearly so you don't lose any points.
Types of exams
There are many different kinds of exams. Here are some suggestions that may help you with different types of exams:
1.Objective Exams
Objective exams may be multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions. For more information on multiple choice exams, click here. True/False questions should be read very carefully. Watch out for absolute qualifiers such as always and never because the may indicate that a statement is false. When doing matching questions cross off the ones you know first.
2. Open book and take home exams
These exams test your ability to apply information. They are often the most difficult types of exams. Before an open book exam, organize as much as possible ahead of time. Highlight important information, create a table of contents so you can find the information quickly, and summarize important facts.
3. Problem-solving exams
Write down formulas and procedures you may forget as soon as you get the exam. Show all of your work because you may get points for correct procedures even if you get the answers wrong.
4. Essay Exams
- Read the question carefully. Make sure that you know exactly what the question is asking. Click here for some common essay exam directions. If you write an essay on the wrong question you will not get points.
- Make an outline before you begin to write. This ensures that you do not leave out important facts and it helps you organize your answer. If you happen to run out of time you may get some points for your outline.
- Pace yourself so that you have time to spend on all the questions. It is better to do some work on all of them than to do really good on only one.
- Write as neatly as possible. You may have excellent ideas, but you can't get points for them if the professor can't read them.
- Get to the point. Don't fill your essay with sentences that aren't important. Try not to be too wordy, and don't ramble on. You don't have time to waste and neither does the professor.
- Put your answer at the beginning. Begin with a strong opening sentence that both repeats the question and provides the answer. There is no reason to keep the marker in suspense. You don't want to risk running out of time without making your point. An introduction is not really necessary in an essay exam.