Learn English Online

8 Best tips on how to prepare for exams effectively

prepare for exams

Affiliate Disclaimer

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.

A lot of students don’t know how to prepare for exams in an effective way. In fact, different students have different studying methods. So, what are some good ways to study for exams?

In this article, you will find some golden tips on how to prepare for exams efficiently. That is, in this post, you will surely get to know how to study effectively for exams at home.

Golden tips on how to prepare for exams effectively

Below are some exam preparation tips and strategy. These tips can help you study for exams in high school as well as 

Organize your study space to prepare for exams effectively

Maintaining an organized study space is highly important to your success especially while preparing for your exams. You can use the 5 S method ( a Japanese method) to organize your study space. This method is said to be used in the organization of any workspace. The 5 S method is as follows:

  1. Sort: remove unnecessary subjects, books or objects like your mobile phone, TV, etc.
  2. Set in order: keep the necessary items in their correct place.
  3. Shine: keep the study space clean and tidy.
  4. Standardize: make sure that improvements are maintained.
  5. Sustain: sustain new methods

I believe students preparing for exams can adopt or adapt the 5 S to organize their study space.

Do not use social media

Try as much as possible to resist the urge to use your mobile phone. It is an addiction that takes up most of your time. Your use of the phone may tempt you to use social networking websites that can waste your golden time on trivial matters.

Never compare your preparation with your classmates’ preparation. There is a common question among students during the exam preparation period. It is “Have you finished preparing for the exam?”

You had better not ask your classmates this question. Why?

Suppose your schoolmate has finished preparing and is ready to sit for the exam and you are not done yet. This will instigate anxiety and stress, and, maybe, negative thoughts, such as obtaining poor grades or failing the test.

On the other hand, imagine your friend is lagging behind, this may slow down the pace of your preparation. In any case, the mood of the preparation period will be negatively affected.

Avoid using social media to prepare for exams effectively.

Avoid procrastination

Try to use the exam preparation period effectively. Procrastination can lead to the accumulation of lessons, which will make you anxious and fearful as the exam becomes closer.

Do not replace the textbook you used throughout the year with a new one

prepare for exams

During the exam preparation period, use the same textbook that you used throughout the year and try to complete a  large number of exercises for practice.

Do not study for a whole day and then stop for a day or two. You should have a schedule that organizes the exam preparation period. You had better study the difficult subjects or the ones which require more effort in the morning.

Practice on previous exams

Create conditions that are similar to the actual exam’s conditions, then take a sheet of paper, a pen, and a watch. Try to do all the exercises, respecting the timing of the test.

Also, do not use your smartphone or resort to the lessons. Act as if you were in the examination room. This will help you get familiar with the types of questions and will enable you to make sure you can spend the right amount of time on each exercise. 

In order to prepare for exams well, practice on some previous exams

Take regular breaks

Taking a break to relax while studying is of paramount impor4tance as it gives your brain a chance to rest. This helps you avoid fatigue and stay more focused. A study conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that breaks during study sessions are really crucial. They allow you to refresh your mind and maintain your attention.

Get enough sleep

Sleep well during the exam preparation period, especially the night before the exam.  Adequate sleep will allow you to avoid fatigue that may affect your level of concentration, whether during study or while taking the exam.

Drink enough water 

It is strongly recommended that you should drink water while preparing for exams and even while taking an exam. Water helps boost energy.  That is, drinking enough water may activate your metabolism. A boost in metabolism has been associated with a positive impact on energy level. 

Studies show that not drinking enough water can adversely influence your alertness, focus and immediate memory skills. In addition, drinking water helps improve your mood. 

Simple tips for exam preparation

Here are some simple exam study tips

  • Start your preparation early.
  • Set attainable study goals.
  • Don’t cram.
  • Ask for help if you get stuck.
  • Study with classmates the subjects you find difficult.
  • Sleep well before the day of the exam.

The aforementioned tips on how to prepare for exams will definitely help you pass all your tests.

You might like to read about the essential skills college students should have and improve.

2 responses to “8 Best tips on how to prepare for exams effectively”

  1. Eddie Loms Avatar
    Eddie Loms

    Very helpful

  2. englishdotcom Avatar
    englishdotcom

    Thank you Ishmael. Really pleased it helped you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest posts