Exam Study Strategies that REALLY Work!

EXAM PREPARATION IN THE WEEKS PRECEEDING THE EXAM

Do NOT give up hope. Culminating and exam marks are usually worth 30% of your final mark in a course. There is still time to work on improving and/ or maintaining your marks. Do NOT procrastinate. It is best to start getting prepared early. Consider the following steps when getting prepared. Start reviewing your notes NOW. Make sure that your notes are organized and complete. Make appointments with your teachers if you require extra help Be sure to complete exam reviews. Pay attention to the types of questions that will be on your exams (i.e. multiple choice, essay questions, etc.) as this should affect how you prepare for the exam Make sure that you are in class for all exam review days!

Students who have an IEP Academic Resource teachers will be contacting students who are beginning their exams in the resource room. Most students will be writing with their classroom teachers and will come to the resource room for extra time after the scheduled exam time is over. If you are entitled to a memory aid as outlined on your IEP, be sure to prepare this ahead of time and get it signed by your teacher. All study sheets/ memory aids must have the course teacher’s approval in order to be used during the exam and will be writing in the resource room. If you are using TextHelp for your exam, please remember to bring your own earphones/ headset.  

EXAM PREPARATION NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM

NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM 1. Spend one or two hours reviewing the notes for the next day’s exam. 2. Leave time to relax before going to bed but avoid activities such as watching television that may actually prevent you from falling asleep. 3. Make sure that you eat well and are properly hydrated. These are important factors that affect your level of energy and alertness. 4. Stay POSITIVE about your chances for success. Visualize yourself working on the exam, reviewing it, and submitting it to your teacher. Picture yourself doing well on the exam.

EXAM PREPARATION ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM

Arrive early and in full uniform for your exam. You will NOT be given extra time! 2. Be prepared for your exam. Make sure that you have all required materials/ formula sheets/ textbooks, etc. for your exam. You are not able to borrow materials from friends during a test/ exam. Bring the basics with you (pencil, eraser, pens, calculator, etc.). Bring extras for back-up! 3. When you get your exam, make sure that it is complete (i.e. you have all of the pages). Next, skim through the entire exam so that you know what you are expected to accomplish in the time provided. Start with the easiest questions first in order to build your confidence. 4. Read all instructions carefully. If you do not understand—ASK! 5. Pay attention to the time suggestions outlined on the exam. Monitor your time throughout the exam and try to stick to the guidelines that your teacher has provided. If you start to run out of time, be sure to answer the questions that are worth the most marks first. Do not spend too much time on questions that you do not know.

Play close attention to how much each question is worth. Be sure to write the appropriate length of response for each question. If the length has not been specified for you, then the amount of space provided on the exam is a good indication of how long your response should be. 7. If your exam includes a sight passage, read the questions first. This will help to provide a focus for your reading. You may also wish to underline or highlight answers to the questions as you are going through the reading. This should help you to be more accurate and it should help to save you some time when you are recording your answers. 8. If your exam includes a long answer question (i.e. series of paragraphs), spend 5-10 minutes brainstorming and writing a brief outline/ plan for your response. This should help you to include more of the important details and to keep your answer organized and easy to read. 9. Do NOT leave your exam early. If you happen to finish early, spend the extra time re-reading your answers in an effort to include any missing details and to improve upon your grammar/ mechanics. 10. Before you begin your exam, say a prayer. This should help to focus you and help you to remain positive. If you feel anxious, do some deep breathing exercises to help you relax.

More Tips for Coping with Exam Anxiety Sleep Well Maintaining a regular sleep schedule helps reduce stress and increase performance Eat Well – Try not to have too much caffeine or Sugar Greatly increasing either of these substances can actually impair brain functioning by throwing off your body’s metabolism Learn relaxed breathing When you get stressed, taking some slow, relaxed breaths can help you think clearly again

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