How to Do Well in Your Exams

Exam time is here. If you want to do well in your exams, there are a lot of different things you can do to set yourself up for success. This article will walk you through the best way to study for your exams, but also things you can do besides studying that you may not have thought of that can make a huge difference come test day. Check out the tips below to get started!

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Studying Tips

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    Pay attention in class. Understand what is being taught in class. A lot of students refuse to pay attention in class because they think that when they get home, they can just flip through the pages in their textbook and that's all. However, the question is, if you can study on your own and don't need any assistance of a teacher, then why bother to even attend class? It's just a waste.[1]
    • Listen to the teacher upfront.
    • Take down notes on what the teacher emphasizes.
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    Study smart, not hard. To achieve this, you must first have the knowledge of certain things; in other words, the first step is the very basic step to continue your pathway to studying smart. The following steps are the guidelines to studying smart.
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    Take good notes. Be attentive in class, and jot down whatever is important in your notebook. Writing a notebook of your own is one of the best ways to study, because you understand it best. Do not worry about how others can understand the material; only worry about understanding it yourself.[2]
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    Spend at least half an hour to study a sub topic daily. Use this time to fully comprehend and understand the material. The biggest mistake students make is to only try to understand when exams are approaching. This is the failure that almost all students make.[3]
    • The time you use to revise before the exam should not be the moment you try to understand and comprehend certain knowledge. Your revision moment should rightfully be the moment of merely recalling what you have known. That being said, revision should not last longer than 4 hours. It all depends, however, because sometimes we might have more topics to go through.
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    Try to relate the knowledge you have, and spread each fact into branches of ideas or concepts. This helps to improve your critical thinking skills.[4]
    • Remember to always relate ideas and concepts, rather than focusing entirely on memorization. Memorization doesn't help when a certain question is twisted. To relate concepts and ideas, you need to find your own way of relating them together.
    • For instance, if you are studying osmosis, try to relate the concept in daily lives; use the pickling process, for example. You could then relate to hemolysis, cremation, hypertonic or hypotonic.
    • This method works best for all subjects, particularly Additional Mathematics.
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    Make sure you sum up everything you have learned after studying. Simply glance through any highlighted point you previously made. Then, try to relate everything you have just learned. Just picture the few main points in your brain.
    • For example, if you are studying the reactivity of elements in the periodic table, picture the main ideas. What happens when going down Group 1 and what happens when going down Group 17 and 18? How does it happen? Why it happens? Why is it the reactivity increases or decreases?
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    Take breaks. Use at least 2 minutes for each break, for every 20 to 30 minutes of studying. During this break, you can have something to drink, or even simply glance through your window and see what's going on outside. However, remember to get back to work once you have rested!
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    Try to close your book and read to yourself what you have just learned. This helps you to rethink ways to recall back what you have just read. It is proven that reading doesn't impact much in storing things into your memory. Try to teach yourself whatever you know, as if you were the teacher; it is one of the best ways to learn.
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    Practice. We all know the adage, practice makes perfect, so apply it now. Practice with the knowledge that you have, so that you know how to use and apply the knowledge. This plays the most important role in improving on additional mathematics and other science-related topics.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Before the Exam

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    Study earlier. Set up a revision timetable up to days, weeks or even months before the exam.[5] The amount of revision time needed will depend on how big the exam or test is. You should revise the main topics for at least 20 minutes a day the week before the exam. Don't study at the last minute![6]
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    Eat and sleep well. If you are too tired then you will forget everything you studied and if you don't eat well your brain will not operate smoothly.[7] [8]
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    Do not cram right before a test.[9] Instead, say the formulas in your mind or the properties and its names instead of just reading the textbook all over again.
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    Don't get stressed out about the exam.
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    Take a few breaks after studying. Don't try to be Superwoman or Superman and try to cram everything in your head.Take a break after about 1 or 2 hours.
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    Do not listen to others that tell you that you can't do it. Remember this quote from Nikki Bella: "I am fearless and therefore I do what I do".
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

On the Day of the Exam

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    Get plenty of rest the night before. Try to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep.
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    Have a healthy breakfast.
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    Don't be worried. Take deep breaths and don't get distracted with other stuff.[10]
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    Answer all the questions even though you don't know some.
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    If doing multiple choice, cross out the useless and weird answers. Focus on the possible and reasonable answers.[11]
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    After the exam, avoid talking about it.
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    Keep calm, and hope (or pray) that your results will be great.
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    Look at the questions and understand the ones that you have made a mistake on once you receive the paper.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How can I do my best at exams?
    Nathan Fox, JD
    Nathan Fox, JD
    Academic Tutor
    Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
    Nathan Fox, JD
    Nathan Fox, JD
    Academic Tutor
    Expert Answer
    Make sure you start studying well in advance of your exam so the material is fresh in your head.
  • Question
    What are good study habits to get ready for the High School Placement Test?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Get lots of rest. Try to study every night for at least 1 hour. Make flashcards or study guides to help you.
  • Question
    What kind of food can I eat during exams?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It depends on the teacher/professor. If you are not allowed to have food or drinks in the exam room, don't bring any. If you are allowed, the best choice for a drink is either water or coffee (if caffeine helps you concentrate). The best choice for a food is something that does not crunch or something not too crumbly, and also something with some nutritional value, such as a protein bar or banana.
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Warnings

  • Don't be disappointed if your results are not good. Try harder in future exams, learning from the mistakes of this one. Review all the wrong answers in the exam so you won’t get it wrong again.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Don't let social media distract you.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Do not get into any fights or arguments with anyone. It will take a heavy toll on you and that might affect your studies.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Avoid playing video games,.watching TV, or using any gadgets. This will affect your concentration in exams.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽


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References

  1. ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/studying.html
  2. ↑ https://www.murdoch.edu.au/news/articles/the-art-of-note-taking-what-s-really-most-effective
  3. ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
  4. ↑ https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2013/09/learning-secrets
  5. ↑ Nathan Fox, JD. LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon. Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.
  6. ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/studying.html
  7. ↑ Nathan Fox, JD. LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon. Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.
  8. ↑ https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/ld.php?content_id=32011137
  9. ↑ Nathan Fox, JD. LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon. Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.
  1. ↑ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2015/nov/10-ways-motivate-yourself-study
  2. ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/

About This Article

Nathan Fox, JD
Co-authored by:
Nathan Fox, JD
Academic Tutor
This article was co-authored by Nathan Fox, JD. Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This article has been viewed 64,867 times.
13 votes - 83%
Co-authors: 9
Updated: February 6, 2023
Views: 64,867
Categories: Tests and Exams
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