Over my years coordinating exam preparation tuition, I have helped hundreds of young people prepare for their test and exams. Through this work, I’ve seen that getting high marks is not just about how diligent a student is, but also how effective their preparation and study tactics are.
Here are the things that top students do to excel in tests and exams:
1. Constantly review materials
Studies have found that without review, more than half the content taught in a lesson is forgotten by the next day. From my observation, those students who jot down notes in class and review them after each lesson tend to remember things more solidly and ask more constructive questions about things they’re taught.
2. Get reference materials
Past papers and previous school materials are two excellent sources of reference to predict what your test or exam might look like. From these you can infer the style, format, mark allocation and types of questions that will appear on the paper. This knowledge will help you work out the more important topics to focus on.
3. Discover and eliminate weaknesses
Allow plenty of time before your test/exam to figure out your weak areas within the syllabus. I always remind my students of the importance of homing in on their weak areas, even though they’d prefer to ignore these. Try to drill your weaker topics until you know them like the back of your hand. You will realise your accuracy has improved through trial and error, as each time you make a mistake you learn how to avoid making the same mistake next time.
4. Design a study timetable
Everyone has their own pace. Some people need to stay completely focused and study intensively for hours, while some thrive with their study schedule interspersed with snack breaks and short games. Put away things that cause distractions (such as tablets and phones) when it’s study time but bring them out for a few minutes if your brain is in need of a break.
If you adopt these strategies, there is no doubt you’ll pass your tests and exams with flying colours!
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