EXAM Time Time out! Try to relax for at least 5 minutes before you write your exam. Pull yourself together and get focused. Before the exam begins, make sure you have everything that you will need –pens, sharpened pencils, erasers, etc. Before you write the exam, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Know you’ll do you best. Read the entire exam paper first. Pick out all of the questions that are easiest and do those first. This is a great confidence-builder and will help you recall the tougher issues later. Read each question twice before answering – underline significant words (compare, contrast, list, evaluate, etc…).

Follow directions Read through the entire exam. Answer the easy questions first if you think you’re going to be pressed for time. Then focus on the harder questions. If different questions are worth more than others, don’t waste all of your time on questions that aren’t worth a lot. Schedule your time and stick to it. If you are spending too long on a question, move to the next one. Go back at the end of the exam and fill in the missing blanks. Don’t panic if you see the questions you didn’t study. Leave those questions to the end of the exam. Remember: most course materials relate to each other in one way or another. Use you overall knowledge to get the answer later. Read questions carefully. What is it asking? Make sure you answer that and not what you think should have been asked by the teacher. Speak up Ask questions during your exam if you’re allowed to. You’ll get clarity and possibly a feel for what your teacher’s looking for in your answers. If you’re really not sure, there is no harm in guessing. You might know the material better than you think. Mark you answers and review them at the end of the exam. Done your exam early? Scan the entire exam twice before handing it in to ensure you haven’t missed a question, read over your answers twice. BREATHE!

For more school information visit: www.westmount.ci.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

This brochure was designed by: Jonathan Tebeka (2006/07)

Exam Tips How to Prepare for and Survive Exams

Let’s Review

SURVIVAL

OUR NOTES

Techniques

KNOW YOUR STUFF Try to understand your material rather than memorize it. This is especially handy when you are asked “explain in your own words, relate this, or compare”

Get a good night’s sleep…well before midnight! Don’t study too hard on the day of the exam…relax!

GET ORGANIZED! Gather up all your class notes. Did you miss any topic? Ask your friends and teachers for missed handouts, etc. START STUDYING EARLY BECAUSE… You might find it hard to cram an entire semester’s worth of info into 2 or 3 nights. Study in chunks. HIT A HIDEOUT There’s a time and place for study groups, but also have a secret hangout where you can do some solo studying and escape folks who want to borrow your notes. FIGURE OUT FORMATS Ask your teacher what types of questions (short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and multiple choice) to expect. CATCH SOME ZZZZZ’S Its pretty tempting to pull an all-nighter before an exam, but being sleep-deprived may prevent you from remembering answers. WHATEVER WORKS…Try colourcoordinating you notes. This will help you visualize your notes and recall them much faster. (Study-guides are helpful) PRIORITIZE order of study notes. Which are the most important topics or those which you are least familiar with? Study these first.

Don’t listen to other people studying or quizzing each other, you’ll just get nervous if you don’t know what they are saying. You’ve done all the studying you can. So relax…you know your stuff…don’t cause yourself any undue stress.

ASK YOUR TEACHER for copies of old exams, if possible. Reviewing old exams helps you find the teacher’s focus of the course and the most relevant topics. DO NOT CRAM! Cramming will often cause panic. You will NOT remember much of the information in the long term. USE YOUR UNIT TESTS. Tests are a great way of studying for exams! You may notice that some of the questions may reappear on the exam. AFTER initial review ask a parent or friend, to test your on the things you studied. GO TO BED immediately after studying so you subconscious mind can keep what you’ve studied without distractions. CLASS REVIEW In the last few days before the exam, listen carefully for the teacher’s tips on what is important. Never assume something won’t be included unless told so specifically.

EXAM Essentials Textbooks will be collected during the exam Go to the washroom before the exam starts. Bring several pens/pencils in case one runs dry or a pencil breaks Bring An eraser/whiteout that won’t smudge you answers Bring Kleenex for sniffles Leave everything else at home or in your locker. Some courses may require coloured pencils, compass, and or calculator

WAKE UP NICE AND EARLY and eat a healthy breakfast with lots of protein. FUEL UP FOR SUCCESS On exam day wake up nice and early and kick-start your brain with a healthy breakfast. Arrive early enough for each exam to get comfortable.