Exams have always been the undertaker of academic joy. I will like you to carefully read this article. The fear of exams is the beginning of academic work. After going to school with so many unpalatable stories of academic failures, I decided to study memory improvement alongside proven exams success tips.
So today I’m sharing these tips with you. Whether you are in junior high school, Senior school or a Higher institution student, these tips work for all. Examination success does not begin in the exams hall. So many of the factors leading to exams success or failure are external factors.
I will try as much as possible to structure this post so that it cuts across every area of academic endeavors. So what are these killer exams tips to pass any exams?
1. Study your notes daily.
This works from the primary to the tertiary level. Internal exams questions always come from notes. There are two primary reasons for studying in school. Studying to know and studying to pass exams. The method employed in studying to know is different in the method employed in studying to pass. Studying your notes is mainly for passing exams because your notes in your field are like an ant in a farmland. Most likely in higher institutions, lecturers will always frame questions in their courses base on their notes.
2. Understand your note like the back of your palm and memorize every major and minor point.
Understanding is one thing, remembering is another thing. Make sure to memorize everything you need to. Keep on reading until you understand. If what you are reading does not make sense to you, find somebody who understands it and gets an explanation. Never sleep for what you don’t understand.
3. Buy or borrow past questions and make good use of it
Past questions have always played a pivotal role in every exams success; from the common entrance (final year grade school exams) to junior high school exams (junior WAEC) WAEC (final year high school exams) through the semester exams in the tertiary institutions.
Most exams are repetitions of past questions especially mathematics. Repetitions aside, most examiners do follow a particular pattern to set their questions. This is why past questions at any level of examination are indispensable to exams success. If you cannot afford one, get it from your friends and photocopy. However, if you are a Waec candidate, you get the (West Africa Examination Council) WAEC Syllabus for all subjects too. It helps to study ahead of time.
In the nearest future, this blog will be selling past questions of all academic level from the common entrance to army pass questions.
4. Use mnemonics, acrostics, and acronyms to study.
The ancient Romans were known to memorize long speeches. They use a technique called mnemonics. Mnemonic, acrostics, and acronyms are techniques I found very helpful to me. If you have a test or exams that have been announced late this techniques will help you remember fact that you’ve not grasp very well
A good example of an acronym is MVEM J SUN P, an acronym for the nine planets.
A good example of an acrostic is Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain-an acrostic for the colors of the rainbow-red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
The above is also a perfect example of a mnemonic
Read also: 10 Reasons why students fail in examinations
5. Memorize but don’t cram.
Cramming what you don’t understand is a dangerous game. It can prove fatal in your exams. Memorizing and cramming is not the same thing. After reading and understanding, make a conscious effort to commit what you read into memory. Close the book you read, pick a piece of plain sheet and try to see how much you can recollect from what you read. Don’t stop until you can recollect the majority of what you read.
6. Get organized.
Never carry anything you need for an exam with your hand. I hope you understand me. Why don’t you get a bag and put everything you need. The probability of missing out a material you need when carrying items with your hand is high. You might even misplace your material in the exams hall. Most of the things that make people fail exams are external and being disorganized is one of them. And never get late to an examination hall. It is a RULE. You will be highly disorganized.
7. Familiarize yourself with the exams arena.
If you are writing an internal exam, why don’t you do the reading in the exams venue before the exams day? If you are writing an external exam, you can find a location with a similar appearance like your exams center. The reason I am including this is that most people are terrified subconsciously by a strange environment. Fear is an emotional imbalance that causes a breakdown in the communication flow of your nervous system. Familiarizing yourself with your exam environment will help reduce tension and aid greatly in your mental coordination.
8. When reading for exams, do not over stress yourself.
Your brain cannot function maximally under a stressed condition. The brain needs to be relaxed to retain any information. If you are studying a lengthy material, give yourself an interval of breaks says 10 minutes. After the ten minutes, do not rush to cover the material, take time to recall what you read before taking a break. If possible try to write everything down without looking at your notes.
9. Eat well.
Honestly, there are some foods you should never take to an exams hall. Heavy carbohydrate foods that make you feel very heavy should be avoided. Very light food like tea should also not be taken. Take something that is light but highly nutritious. Before the week of the examination, get all the necessary food items you need ready by your side. This will ensure that you don’t wake up one day and realize that you don’t have what to take to the examination hall. You end up leaving with an empty stomach and I can tell you that your success in that particular exam will be under scrutiny.
10. Finally, sleep well.
Do all your reading before the exams start. Give yourself a very good rest. Remember like I said earlier your recall ability cannot function maximally under stress.
To close, go home with this: There is no magic about passing exams, passing exams is not all about reading all night, if you can do what I’ve outlined above, I can guarantee you at least a 60% success.
Good luck in all your exams.
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