As a current student who has plenty of experiences completing exams from the IB diploma to several university degrees, it’s safe to say I have some experience with exams. Exams can be pretty intimidating, but if you’re well prepared, it’s generally a much smoother experience.
Here are 10 steps for ensuring you can enter your exams confidently, and perform your best on the day:
1. Start to prepare for exams early
It’s really easy to delay starting your revision, particularly when you’re nervous or feel like you have a huge amount of content to cover. However, leaving things to the last minute will ultimately put more pressure on you, and might mean you have to leave gaps in your study. Cramming can work, but there are much more effective ways to get your study done that won’t contribute to your stress and make the process more difficult!
2. Create a study schedule or plan
There are 2 great ways to create a study schedule – feel free to try both and see what works best for you! Remember to have some variety in your schedule, it is easy to get burnt out if you spend a whole day writing notes on one topic.
- At the beginning of your revision period, you can map out what you need to get done and how many days you have. Then see how you can fit all these tasks into your available time, and create a rough schedule.
- Alternatively, you can create a study plan at the start of each day based on what areas need work at that specific time.
Having a plan also helps you hold yourself accountable and set manageable goals. Note that it is important to be flexible with your schedule, and not feel defeated if you don’t get everything on your schedule done each day.
If you need some help creating a study schedule, check out our definitive guide.
3. Refer to the course outline or subject guide to find out what you’ll be assessed on
Your exam preparation won’t be that effective if you’re spending hours revising content that is not assessable. Referring to the course outline or any similar materials provided by your teachers is incredibly helpful. This can provide a way of structuring your notes, and allows you to work through the course methodically to find out where your knowledge is sound, and what areas need work.
Below are some links to useful course guides:
4. Tailor your approach to each subject
Different subjects definitely demand a different approach. For example, for a Maths exam, doing practice problems might be a priority, whereas for a language exam, memorising vocabulary could be the best way to kick things off. Your notes will also need to be very different depending on the subject. For English, these will contain quotes from texts you’ve studied and relevant literary techniques. For Biology, you will have definitions and summaries of different processes. Definitely pay attention to what your teachers for each class recommend to guide your strategy!
.png)
5. Finish your notes at least a week out from the exam
Writing notes is a key part of your study, particularly for subjects where you need to know a lot of content. However, it is important to finish these early on, and then move on to practising structuring your exam responses.
6. Find strategies that work for you when trying to memorise content
Many of your subjects will require you to remember a lot of information. Everyone has different strategies that work best for them, and there are a number of fantastic resources out there that can help. Here are a few ideas:
- Websites such as Revision Village allow you to practice problems for a range of subjects and are specifically based on the IB curriculum. Apex Tuition Australia has a partnership with Revision Village which allows students to access these materials in their tutoring sessions
- Other websites contain summaries of course content. For IB biology, BioNinja and BioKnowledgy are excellent, and there are a number of blogs out there produced by high performing students that contain notes and useful tips.
- Creating flashcards and practicing with these may be a useful way to help you remember content. If you like revising with other people, this can also be a great collaborative opportunity!
- Writing an overview of your notes by hand can be a great method of helping you retain information, and can also test whether you’re able to synthesise what you know into concise summaries.
- Quizlet is another handy way of helping to memorise vocabulary and definitions, and is great for Language exams.
6. Do practice exams
Doing past papers or practice exams is one of the best ways to prepare yourself. You can start by doing some at your own pace, but make sure you do a few in exam conditions by the end of the revision period. Timing can be challenging in exams, and doing practice exams under time pressure helps you ascertain how well you really know your content.
Here is where you can find practice exams online:
.jpg)
7. Take regular study breaks
It’s important to have breaks throughout the study day. Many people use techniques such as the ‘Pomodoro’ method, where they break study into 25 minute chunks followed by a short break. Having adequate rest will help you maintain your focus and ensure you are at your most effective when you are studying.
8. Maintain a work-life balance
It can be easy to put all your energy into study to the exclusion of other activities, particularly when so much emphasis is placed on results. Nevertheless, it’s important to continue socialising and maintaining relationships with family and friends. Doing some exercise and getting enough sleep are also crucial components of a balanced lifestyle, that will ultimately help you succeed. The importance of sleep in particular cannot be understated - in fact, a study of US college students found that their sleep in the month and week prior to final assessments accounted for a 25 per cent variance in their academic outcomes!
9. Reach out if you need help
Sometimes the pressure of exams is too much, and you will need some help to get through. If you are struggling with the content and feel like you won’t be prepared in time, talk to your teachers, or consider trying tutoring. Apex Tuition Australia provides many students with a select number of sessions in the lead up to exams, which can have enormous benefits. It’s also ok to reach out to a mental health professional or trusted advisor if the stress is affecting you to an unhealthy degree. Read more about exam preparation and wellbeing here.
10. Finally: don’t create additional stress for yourself on the day
It can help to plan out the day of your exam. Make sure you have everything you need packed in advance (pens, scrap paper, calculator etc). Leave early to avoid missing the start of the exam in case of any delays. Also, try to avoid peers who might contribute to your stress prior to the exam. Finally, if you have an afternoon exam, don’t tire yourself out by studying intensely for hours in the morning. It can be just as helpful to calmly review your notes and do something relaxing.
