Preparing for a Test: Important Things You Need to Remember
Exams can be daunting. Besides the pressures to reach a target comes the challenge of revising for multiple units to avoid any surprises. Unfortunately, many students experience anxiety and confusion when they near exams, therefore, securing a substandard score.
If you are looking for tips on how to do well on a test, this article has you covered. Having analyzed the struggles of various students, we analyzed various solutions to avert the issues and thus compiled these test preparation tips.
Our article will thus highlight the things to do before a test and some ideas for exam preparation to help you overcome the common challenges for students.
Tips for preparing for a test
- Take previous papers
Students frequently struggle with their papers because of the way the questions are posed within the paper. As you revise, it’s ideal to go to earlier papers to figure out the various methods you might test a given idea.
Tests, in addition to familiarizing you with how exams are set, enhance the possibility of coming across a paper you worked on in review within the exam, so helping to cement your confidence as you take a test.
Avoid, however, concentrating all of your revision efforts on the test as previous papers may have left out a certain concept, putting your grade in danger if a paper focuses on the subject you chose to overlook.
- Start early
Ideally, start your revision efforts early with regular revision of the chapters you have covered. For instance, if you study a chapter in the first week of the semester, schedule revision sessions at least once a week to address this unit.
By starting your revision early, you can easily manage the myriad of topics from multiple units and increase your mastery of each unit by conducting regular research on these topics and reinforcing the concepts you struggle with.
- Use appropriate study methods
For improved comprehension and recall, we suggest using mind maps and flashcards for your revision. These tools allow you to condense various concepts to their essential components and to highlight the relationship between ideas, therefore, making for easier recall.
- Get academic help
Skipping challenging concepts as you revise can greatly compromise your preparation for tests. Sometimes, an idea from an earlier topic may be built upon in another unit, resulting in much confusion. Therefore, make a habit of seeking clarification whenever you encounter a challenging concept during revision.
The help may come from group study, online tutors, study apps, and other academic platforms. Unlike struggling with your class notes, these resources widen your approaches toward an idea, helping you simplify the concept into easily digestible bits.
How to prepare for a test mentally
Having a good grasp of the concepts in a given subject is only one part of your exam preparation puzzle. Watering your confidence to brace the paper with little doubt, however, makes the difference between a subpar score and an outstanding grade.
We, therefore, suggest these tips for the best test prep:
- Always remind yourself of the previous success in your test to overcome the anxiety of things going wrong.
- Envision yourself succeeding in your paper to avoid the uncertainty that comes with the fear of failure. Ideally, ensure that you exhaust the coursework to overcome any uncertainties about success in your paper.
- Meditate and search inward for any fears related to the exam. Next, find ways to quell these fears, allowing yourself a clear mental frame for better attention spans, comprehension, and recall of studied facts.
What to do an hour before a test
Before you sit for your paper:
- Practice controlled breathing to overcome any anxiety that could throw you off you’re A-game in test taking.
- Avoid cramming any new ideas and only revisit the formulae and concepts you have studied previously.
- Settle within the examination hall to avoid any pressures that come with arriving at the exam site late.