Last minute stress over exams? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. That’s why, to help you feel more prepared and ready to ace your assessments we have 6 last minute top tips you NEED to know to succeed in any upcoming exams.
Plus, if you want more revision advice check out our blog or head over to our Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok or Twitter for more top tips.
1. Focus on the exams that come first.
When you have a large timetable with lots of different exams and assessments it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you have a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday exam for example spend Sunday focusing on the Monday one.
Our short term advice: Focus on the exam you’re going to sit first. Of course in a longer term plan you’ll have looked at all the content for each exam coming up. So focusing on this first one should be more of a recap, rather than a last minute cram.
2. Keep using your revision cards
Turning your notes into bitesize flash cards is a great way to learn. Plus, they’re easy to take out and have a quick look over; whether you’re on the train somewhere, have a spare 5 minutes or take a quick look just after your lunch break to refresh your memory. This is a quick and easy way to revise. So if you haven’t done so already, add flash cards to your revision structure.
3. Plan around past questions
- One of the best ways to revise is going over past paper questions.
- This will help you to understand the structure of the paper, so you’re not surprised when you open it!
- Furthermore, a lot of exams have similar sorts of questions. If you plan past questions there might be a chance that something similar comes up in your exam.
- Also, practicing planning in timed conditions is again a great habit to get in to. That means when you sit your exam you’ll feel more comfortable with time pressures.
4. Ask people to test you
- Ask someone in your house to ask you questions about your topic or subject.
- You could give them your notes or revision cards to test you on.
- This will strengthen your memory through a process of Retrieval Practice.
- You are reaching into your memory to retrieve the information you need. This is a process of ‘recalling’ and it strengthens your neural pathways.
- Retrieval Practice is a big part of SchoolOnline’s approach to Sticky Learning!
5. Stay hydrated and eat well
No one wants a rumbling stomach in an exam! Make sure you remember to eat and continue to drink water. This sounds like a simple one but if you feel hungry or thirsty this can seriously affect your performance. Check out our brain foods blog for some snackspiration here. It is so important to continue to look after yourself during exam season, so don’t neglect this!
6. Get some zzz’s
Remember to get enough sleep. Being tired will lead to poor results as you simply won’t be able to think straight.
- This is particularly important the night before the exam.
- If you have followed your revision timetable, you don’t need to stay up all night cramming.
- It’s time to relax, sleep and be ready to show off your hard work the following day
We hope you’ve found these 6 last minute top tips useful and good luck in your exams!
Remember to take a breath and relax when you start your assessment. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed or worried make sure you talk to someone like a parent or teacher and explain how you are feeling. YoungMinds also have some really useful resources to help calm yourself during exam season here. Remember to be kind to yourself and that a problem shared is a problem halved.
