Exam countdown guide
NEED to ace a test? Check out this guide.
One month before
Go through your books and notes and identify major themes. List these in detail, each on a new sheet of paper. If your textbook has learning objectives, use these to guide you. Read through them to make sure you understand it all.
Three weeks before
Take each of your themes and pretend to explain them to someone. If you understand it well enough to explain it to someone else, you have the bare bones down.
If you miss something, or have questions, this is the time to visit your teacher or look outside your textbook for answers.
Two weeks before
Reorganise your notes into what you need to know. Whenever possible, use lists and diagrams. Highlight or bold important words. The more visual your notes, the easier they are to remember.
Now read over these twice a day. If you can, read them over three times but more is unnecessary if you read them properly. Don’t just skim. Pay attention.
One week before
Test yourself on your notes. Invent mnemonics for the bits you don’t remember or chant them over and over until they stick. The ultimate test is to write yourself exam questions one night and to sit your test the next morning.
As you master topics, set them aside for a daily refresher only. Focus the bulk of your study on the pages you’re still struggling with.
Three days before
Get a friend to help you by testing you on your notes. Either pick someone from your class or give someone your “test” questions and correct answers. Focus on the questions you don’t ace.
On the day
Don’t panic. You’ve got most things down by now. Keep your cool, read the questions, remember that the points for each section are a guide to the sort of answers expected and bring an extra pen in case you run out of ink.