Exam study tips to make sure you are ready

Your exam is around the corner and you don’t feel ready, so you get in cramming mode. Following the common exam study tips to “burn the midnight oil” and to find a tutor to summarise all the information you need to pass an exam is a big mistake.

You do not want to read an entire textbook in one night. You’re just going to feel sick and not remember anything in the morning. Plus, asking someone to teach you the lessons hurriedly in a short period is a waste of time. Teachers are not magicians.

If you want to be ready for exams, you have to actively work for it. Here are some exam study tips for you to use that will guarantee you know your schoolwork before the big day.

5 Exam study tips

1. Pull out key points

It is impossible to read, understand, memorise and apply the ton load of notes that you have in your book in a short space of time. To make sure you touch on every topic, you must collect all your notes to be covered in the exam and pull out the headings.

Use bullet points under each heading to summarise the information into key points made. Do the same for mathematics, write the headings and list the steps for working out a question in your own words. These exam study tips expect you to put out some effort so start making notes.

2. Make posters

In the privacy of your room, you can create visuals for yourself with this exam study tip. Use your summarised notes in the first tip and write them big on blank paper. Each heading and key points should make up one or two posters.

Use coloured markers, pencils, crayons, and glitter if you like that, to make your posters stand out. Add drawings or images from the internet to illustrate your points and bring your posters to life. Stick them around the room in plain sight for you to see daily. During your exam, these posters should be imprinted in your mind.

3. Write it repeatedly

Writing information repeatedly is an extremely effective exam study tip for you to use. If time is against you, get out your pencil and folder pages now. Go through your notebook and choose a topic you want to learn.

Start rewriting your teacher’s notes on paper. When you are finished, flip the page and rewrite the same information. Then, throw that paper aside, grab another sheet of paper, and write it again.

Do this until you have written it so much times that you are ready to test yourself without looking at your notes. When you are able to write down all the points made in the notes, especially in your own words, you have successfully learned something.

4. Record notes

Think of a song on the radio that you know by heart. You know it because you have heard it played too many times. Put yourself in the shoes of the songwriter and singer, and turn your notes into a work of art.

You don’t necessarily need melody or musical instruments to do it. Just choose your topics to study, open the recording app on your phone, drink some water, take a deep breath, press record and start reading your notes like you’re telling the news on the radio.

You will be surprised to see how quickly you will cover an entire chapter when recording. When you hear yourself read aloud, you tend to do it impressively. Use this exam study tip now before it’s too late.

5. Listen and recite

Listening and reciting require you to be focussed. Make sure you are well rested before doing this exam study tip. Gather all your recordings on your phone and playlists on YouTube. Find a quiet room in which to start making noise. Play your recording for about ten seconds and press stop.

Repeat aloud what you have heard. Rewind, play it over and say it again. When you are satisfied with the way you have said it, then let the audio move forward a bit. Keep doing this strategy until you have covered the entire audio or video. The trick with this exam study tip is to recite the entire audio while it is playing or when it is off just like a song that is stuck in your head.

Adding your favourite instrumental music to the background of your recordings makes it even snappier for listening. Try these exam study tips and you will be ready for anything.

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See also:

Time management tips to use during exams

Learning is hard: 5 steps to knowing your work

Narrative Writing: Elements that tell a story

Memory development and sensory resources

Learning styles – visual, auditory, read-write, kinesthetic