How to Do Well in Your Exams

Co-authored by Nathan Fox, JD

Last Updated: November 22, 2024 Fact Checked

Exam time is here. If you want to do well in your exams, there are a lot of different things you can do to set yourself up for success. This article will walk you through the best way to study for your exams, but also things you can do besides studying that you may not have thought of that can make a huge difference come test day. Check out the tips below to get started!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Studying Tips

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Pay attention in class. Understand what is being taught in class. A lot of students refuse to pay attention in class because they think that when they get home, they can just flip through the pages in their textbook and that's all. However, the question is, if you can study on your own and don't need any assistance of a teacher, then why bother to even attend class? It's just a waste.^{[1]
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- Listen to the teacher upfront.
- Take down notes on what the teacher emphasizes.
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Study smart, not hard. To achieve this, you must first have the knowledge of certain things; in other words, the first step is the very basic step to continue your pathway to studying smart. The following steps are the guidelines to studying smart.
- For example, it may be a good "study smart" strategy to start each study session with the topics that you struggle with the most, then move onto easier subjects that you feel more confident in.
- Reader Poll: We asked 426 wikiHow readers about how they organize their studying, and 47% of them said that they tackle the most difficult topics first, while they have the most energy. [Take Poll]
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Take good notes. Be attentive in class, and jot down whatever is important in your notebook. Writing a notebook of your own is one of the best ways to study, because you understand it best. Do not worry about how others can understand the material; only worry about understanding it yourself.^{[2]
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Spend at least half an hour to study a sub topic daily. Use this time to fully comprehend and understand the material. The biggest mistake students make is to only try to understand when exams are approaching. This is the failure that almost all students make.^{[3]
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- The time you use to revise before the exam should not be the moment you try to understand and comprehend certain knowledge. Your revision moment should rightfully be the moment of merely recalling what you have known. That being said, revision should not last longer than 4 hours. It all depends, however, because sometimes we might have more topics to go through.
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Try to relate the knowledge you have, and spread each fact into branches of ideas or concepts. This helps to improve your critical thinking skills.^{[4]
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- Remember to always relate ideas and concepts, rather than focusing entirely on memorization. Memorization doesn't help when a certain question is twisted. To relate concepts and ideas, you need to find your own way of relating them together.
- For instance, if you are studying osmosis, try to relate the concept in daily lives; use the pickling process, for example. You could then relate to hemolysis, cremation, hypertonic or hypotonic.
- This method works best for all subjects, particularly Additional Mathematics.
EXPERT TIP

Joseph Meyer
Math Teacher
Joseph Meyer is a High School Math Teacher based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is an educator at City Charter High School, where he has been teaching for over 7 years. Joseph is also the founder of Sandbox Math, an online learning community dedicated to helping students succeed in Algebra. His site is set apart by its focus on fostering genuine comprehension through step-by-step understanding (instead of just getting the correct final answer), enabling learners to identify and overcome misunderstandings and confidently take on any test they face. He received his MA in Physics from Case Western Reserve University and his BA in Physics from Baldwin Wallace University.

Joseph Meyer
Math Teacher

Become an active learner. Learn from your mistakes in order to confidently tackle new lessons. Before jumping into advanced topics, make sure your skills in basic concepts are up to scratch. Utilize online resources and interactive exercises that provide instant feedback to solidify your understanding.
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Make sure you sum up everything you have learned after studying. Simply glance through any highlighted point you previously made. Then, try to relate everything you have just learned. Just picture the few main points in your brain.
- For example, if you are studying the reactivity of elements in the periodic table, picture the main ideas. What happens when going down Group 1 and what happens when going down Group 17 and 18? How does it happen? Why it happens? Why is it the reactivity increases or decreases?
Use at least 2 minutes for each break, for every 20 to 30 minutes of studying. During this break, you can have something to drink, or even simply glance through your window and see what's going on outside. However, remember to get back to work once you have rested!
This helps you to rethink ways to recall back what you have just read. It is proven that reading doesn't impact much in storing things into your memory. Try to teach yourself whatever you know, as if you were the teacher; it is one of the best ways to learn.
We all know the adage, practice makes perfect, so apply it now. Practice with the knowledge that you have, so that you know how to use and apply the knowledge. This plays the most important role in improving on additional mathematics and other science-related topics.

Part 2

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Before the Exam

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Set up a revision timetable up to days, weeks or even months before the exam.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.} 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. Don't study at the last minute!^{[6]
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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.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.}
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.} Instead, say the formulas in your mind or the properties and its names instead of just reading the textbook all over again.
Don't try to be Superwoman or Superman and try to cram everything in your head.Take a break after about 1 or 2 hours.
Remember this quote from Nikki Bella: "I am fearless and therefore I do what I do".

Part 3

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On the Day of the Exam

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Try to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep.
Take deep breaths and don't get distracted with other stuff.^{[9]
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Focus on the possible and reasonable answers.^{[10]
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Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Do you want to make your studying more efficient, learn more quickly, and remember more information? Check out these expert articles.

1

Study For Exams

2

Study So You Can Remember Everything

3

Make a Study Space

4

Create Good Study Habits for Exams

5

Learn Without Forgetting

6

Retain Information when You Study for a Test

Expert Q&A

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How can I do my best at exams?

Nathan Fox, JD
Academic Tutor
Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Nathan Fox, JD

Academic Tutor

Expert Answer

Make sure you start studying well in advance of your exam so the material is fresh in your head.

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What are good study habits to get ready for the High School Placement Test?

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Get lots of rest. Try to study every night for at least 1 hour. Make flashcards or study guides to help you.

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What kind of food can I eat during exams?

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It depends on the teacher/professor. If you are not allowed to have food or drinks in the exam room, don't bring any. If you are allowed, the best choice for a drink is either water or coffee (if caffeine helps you concentrate). The best choice for a food is something that does not crunch or something not too crumbly, and also something with some nutritional value, such as a protein bar or banana.

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Tips

Take it easy and study one main chapter properly instead of hurrying yourself to study every chapter.

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Re-write some of your vital notes out in bullet points.It's easier to remember rather than reading a big paragraph.

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Being active (running, biking, etc.) before you start studying may help you concentrate and think about the problem more carefully.

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Warnings

Don't be disappointed if your results are not good. Try harder in future exams, learning from the mistakes of this one. Review all the wrong answers in the exam so you won’t get it wrong again.

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Don't let social media distract you.

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Do not get into any fights or arguments with anyone. It will take a heavy toll on you and that might affect your studies.

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Avoid playing video games,.watching TV, or using any gadgets. This will affect your concentration in exams.

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