How to Ace an Exam

Midterm week is around the corner and my students are busy studying (or not studying... yeah, most likely not studying).

Exams are actually not that hard. Teachers don't spend hours conjuring difficult exams to make life difficult for their students! We have better things to do! Exams simply reflect material covered during the course.

Here are a few tips for getting an A on your upcoming exam :-)

BEFORE THE EXAM

1. Attend class

Simple, right? Here's another simple fact: everything on the exam is covered in class. EVERYTHING. However, simply attending class is not enough!

2. Pay attention during class - take notes - ask questions - participate

It's not enough to sit in class with your eyes on your phone. You may get attendance but you're basically just a warm body occupying space. Pay attention to what the teacher says. Once again, only the things discussed in class end up on your exam.

Take notes when your teacher is lecturing or explaining a topic. Jot down any words you do not understand. Write down the things that end up on the board. Taking notes will help you remember what is being discussed - and you will be able to review your notes before the exam. This also helps the information get transferred from your short-term to your long-term memory, where it will remain for a long time (or even indefinitely).

It's also helpful to ask questions. Teachers love clearing up your doubts - it's what we get paid for :-)

3. Do your classwork and homework

Complete all of your class assignments. They are assigned for a reason: they help you learn. Do your darn homework :-)

4. Review the course material a little every week

Spend a few minutes every day reviewing course material. By a few minutes I mean at least 10. Try recalling what was discussed during the lesson. Open your textbook and read the content. You can do this while waiting for the microwave to heat up your popcorn or while on the bus to class.

NIGHT OF THE EXAM

Get some sleep. Don't party. If you have been doing your homework, classwork, paying attention during class and reviewing your classwork for a few minutes every day, I don't see any reason to spend all night studying. I'm not saying NOT to study - I'm just saying that if you followed the steps above you already know your material. Take two hours or so to go over everything one last time, focus on any material that still is not clear or that still seems tricky.

MORNING OF THE EXAM

Wake up on time, get up on time, eat breakfast, drink coffee. Take 10 minutes to look over the material one last time. Arrive to class on time! Do not be late.

DURING THE EXAM

1. Stay calm, stay focused. You got this! You'll ace it! It's normal to get stressed out during a test but this may hinder your performance. Take a deep breath and focus on the task ahead. You're a great student - all you have to do now is write down what you already know.

2. Answer the easiest questions first - leave the difficult parts for later. Answer the questions you are sure of first. This will help you build confidence, save time, and eliminate some of the stress.

3. Keep an eye on the clock. If you see that the test is almost over - hurry up!

4. Answer ALL of the questions. Never leave a blank on a multiple-choice test. This is simple mathematics: if you guess, you have a 25% chance that your answer is correct.

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Good luck on your midterms (and finals) :-)

#exam #test #tips #esl #studying #preparing