My exam day checklist:

1. Get at least seven or eight hours of sleep the night before so that your brain is well-rested. Preferably, set two alarms so you don’t have to stress about oversleeping.

2. Have everything packed the night before, including spare pens and calculators, This has two benefits: you can leave on time and without stressing you forgot something.

3. Have a filling breakfast to fuel you for the day. A slow energy-release food like porridge is perfect.

4. Arrive to the exam centre at least 15 minutes early. If you arrive 30 minutes late, you will not be allowed to sit the exam.

5. Bring a bottle of water/soda and preferably a banana or bar of chocolate into the exam to keep you energised.

6. Go to the toilet before you sit down for your exam. You don’t want to lose time halfway through the exam for a toilet break.

7. Read through all the questions, plan out how much time you will dedicate to each question and prioritise the highest marked questions.

8. Do not write your answer immediately. Spend 2-3 minutes mind mapping or planning your answer. And use this as your guide so you finish each question on time. Mind mapping also shows the examiner your thought process, so if you do run out of time they have a skeleton answer to award marks on.

9. Answer every question in the time you have allotted to it. Statistically, it is difficult to FAIL an exam if you answer all questions in the time allowed.

10. Stay until the very end even if you’re finished early. Take your time and read over your answers.