How to Do Well in Tests and Exams

Co-authored by Jai Flicker

Last Updated: December 10, 2024 Fact Checked

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Exams are around the corner and you really want to do well on them, but where do you start? Scoring well on your exams is all about preparation and time management, and this article will walk you through some of the best strategies for both. Check out the steps below for study tips and advice on how to crush it once test day rolls around.

Part 1

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Studying Beforehand

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This means setting up a revision timetable up to days, weeks or even months before the exam or test. The amount of revision time needed will depend on how big the exam or test is. You should revise the main topics for at least 20 minutes a day the week before the exam.^{[1]
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He or she might make it very clear what to expect in the test.

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Study in sections. Take the material you are provided with, including any revision notes and flashcards, and divide the material into sections.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor

Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.} A good way to revise is to make a knowledge organizer with the topics that you need on it. If you have learning outcomes, then try to make sure that you know all of them.
- Study by understanding key points.
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Take a practice test.
- Reader Poll: We asked 354 wikiHow readers, and 67% of them agreed that the best way to prepare for a test is to take online practice tests. [Take Poll]
Focus most on revising those sections.
Continue until you return really good results.^{[3]
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Do this regularly, until your actual exam or test.
While preparing for your test, consider turning off your phone and staying off of social media. You can even temporarily deactivate your social media accounts if you struggle to stop checking them.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor

Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.} Checking your phone too often will only serve to distract you.^{[5]
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Just like preparing for a big game, you need to sleep and eat well to fully prepare for an upcoming test.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor

Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.} If you are too tired then you will forget everything you studied and if you don't eat well your brain will not operate smoothly.
Instead, say the formulas in your mind or the properties and its names instead of just reading the textbook all over again. Rereading the textbook right before won't do much good, but a bit of last minute refreshing on what you memorize can be helpful.^{[7]
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Part 2

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Taking the Exam or Test

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Try to relax and take a couple of deep breaths, if necessary. This can help you keep your stress level under control if you struggle with test taking anxiety.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor

Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.}
Make sure it is the right answer. If you are not sure of an answer, skip it and come back to it. Chances are it might be addressed in a different question, so keep your eyes open for more clues on the same topic as you complete the rest of the test.
If you think what you have written is right, do not stress if others wrote something else. Get on with your next sets of revisions, knowing that you did your best. Only your actual test results will confirm how well you have done.
This will help you to see what you got right, and where you were incorrect, to help you to improve. Do this when in a calm state so silly mistakes can be fixed. Also, try and always be motivated as it will help you do better.^{[9]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I deal with test-taking anxiety?

Jai Flicker
Academic Tutor
Jai Flicker is an Academic Tutor and the CEO and Founder of Lifeworks Learning Center, a San Francisco Bay Area-based business focused on providing tutoring, parental support, test preparation, college essay writing help, and psychoeducational evaluations to help students transform their attitude toward learning. Jai has over 20 years of experience in the education management industry. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.

Jai Flicker

Academic Tutor

Expert Answer

The number one thing to understand about test anxiety is that it is a physiological response, which has to do with your fight or flight response. The most effective way to deal with that is through resetting the nervous system. Try breathing in for four counts and out for eight counts. If you breathe out twice as long as you breathe in, even for two or three cycles, it resets the nervous system and can bring you a sense of peace and calm.

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I do well in my exams, and I am focused fully on the material. However, I still always manage to make mistakes. How do I improve?

Community Answer

Double check your work. Pretend like you never answered the question, and re-examine the choices to ensure you picked the right one!

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How can I improve my studying skills?

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When you take notes, highlight them so that you will be more inclined to look at them. Also, go to a quiet place to study for the test.

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During the test, make sure to read the questions carefully. Review all of your answers, if you have time, before you submit your paper, to avoid silly mistakes.^{[10]
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Always read the question properly and answer the question accordingly.

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Do not study for 4-5 hours at a time. Take breaks in between. This will help you to retain things better, and help improve your memory.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If there is a long or big question that is easy to understand but will take a while to answer, complete that question first so that you won't have to worry about getting it done at the end.
Try not to change your answer or "second guess" yourself on an exam or test. Your second guess could be incorrect, while your first answer was right all along.
Use thinking maps and flow charts while studying. They might help you to memorize facts faster!

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