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 them to guide you.

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 have questions, now is the time to ask 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.

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 for the test the next morning. As you master topics, set them aside for a daily refresher only. Focus more 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 of the exam

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.