As part of our experienced tutoring team, I’ve helped numerous students prepare for end-of-year school exams. Although hard work is key to academic achievement, effective exam strategies are just as important when seeking top exam marks.
Here are my top exam strategies that will help you to achieve high marks in your exams:
Before your exam
- Know Your Syllabus
Before you start revising, check your school’s syllabus, and make sure that you are revising according to it. Asking your teacher for a list of topics they have taught this year or using the list in your textbooks will help you to revise all the topics that could come up on your exam.
- Familiarise Yourself with Preferred Methods
You should also make a list of your school’s or teacher’s preferred methods. These could include their preferred spellings of certain words (e.g- colour vs. color), their preferred methods for solving problems (e.g- use of long or short division in maths) and their preferred presentation of answers (e.g- a preference for essays to be written on separate sheets of paper or on alternative lines). By familiarising yourself with these preferences, you will endear yourself to your examiner and avoid losing marks for poor exam presentation.
- Review the Structure and Tone of Different Text-types
Students often find it difficult to revise for exams that require essays or creative writing, such as literacy or English exams. A good way to prepare for these types of exams is to memorise the structure and tone for different text types. For example, the signatures at the end of a letter and the structure of an argumentative essay. You should also review lists of connectives, conjunctions and useful phrases that are generally used.
During your exam
- Skimming
If your exam requires you to read a passage and write a response, you should first skim the passage and read through all the questions. Once you have done this, you should read the passage slowly and in detail, making notes by any key information or phrases.
Skimming is also very important in listening exams as it will help you identify keywords related to the questions beforehand and listen intently for the answers or signalling words.
- Time management
I often encounter students who are not able to finish the exam paper in time. Always wear a watch to the exam so you know the time. Set a time limit for each part or question to ensure you can finish the whole paper. Don’t be afraid to skip questions that are taking you too long. You can always work on them later.
- Proofreading
Most of the time, students can point out their mistakes before I mark their work. This proves that they’re able to spot their SPAG mistakes without help. Hence, the importance of proofreading in exams.
It is very common for students to make careless mistakes during exams as they are nervous and rushing through questions. If you proofread your answers before handing in your exam paper, you will get better marks.
Older students should also:
- Take Notes
Taking notes during revision not only helps with memorising, but also consolidating complex concepts. However, you should not be copying from the textbook directly. Try to summarise the concepts in your own words. Through this process, you can figure out which areas need more revision. This is especially helpful in subjects such as History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geography.
- Teach Someone
Research shows that teaching others can help you learn. Try working with a friend and taking it in turns teaching difficult topics on your syllabus. Asking each other questions and solving problems together will also help you to learn from others and revise topics thoroughly.
- Form a Study Group
My students have also benefited from forming a study group to help each other out and revise at the same time. Working in a group can help motivate and focus your mind on revision and help you to answer any questions you have about a subject.
If you adopt the above strategies, you will surely pass your school exams with flying colours.
Need help preparing for end-of-year exams? Our expert tutors are on-hand to help you achieve top marks in your exams. Contact Seven Springs Education today for personalised online exam tuition.