Article: 10 tips for Exam Preparation | Douglas Joseph

Few days are left for the final exams. Pre- exam days are stressful time for students especially those who face Class 10 and 12 board exams. By using systematic and scientific ways of exam preparation, students can overcome exam fear, focus on studies and come out with flying colours.
Here I try to give you 10 effective ways of preparing for your final exams using the available time.
• First of all, prepare a special time table for the exam. Allot more time for difficult subjects. For example, if you have one month left for final exam, prepare a time table, distributing your study time among various subjects.
• Choose to study at a time when you are naturally alert and focused. For example, if you are a ‘morning person’, don’t try to study late at night.
• Don’t try to swallow everything in the last moment. Prepare well in advance according to the study plan that you have made.
• Practice previous years question papers is an effective way of exam preparation. Collect past papers and try to answer it. Past paper practice helps you to familiarize with question patterns and time management.
• Form peer study groups and organize combined study sessions. Remember, the best way to learn something thoroughly is to teach someone. Brilliant students can help weak students and this will benefit both.

• While you study, write the main points in a flash card or in a sticky note. Such bullet point study notes can help you to revise quickly before the exam. It would also help you to remember important points during the exam.
• Parents should effectively intervene to minimise or completely avoid use of social media during pre-exam days. Rapidly swapping attention between studying and social networking or gaming will burden your brain.
• Don’t study for long hours at a stretch. Your ability to retain information diminishes after about 25-30 minutes, so break it up into multiple, smaller sessions. Take a break for 10 minutes to refresh yourself.
• Any concept or idea can be easily remembered, if we visualize it. Draw or imagine a picture of what’s being studied. Also connect the concept with real life situations.
• Many students complain about lack of concentration while reading. Use the SQ3R Method—survey, question, read, recite, review to actively retain information. Just reading it is not enough. First of all, have a bird’s eye view of the topic ie. Over all review of the portion. Then form some questions about the topic and read the portions to find out answer for the questions.

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