Sometimes, you realize that there is an exam you have not studied for or prepared for. Have you been struggling to pass exams and desperately need to score high and you have time?
All you need are various tips to use and practice before and during the exam to increase your chance of scoring good marks. This article presents 12 tips that will make you successful in exams.
How to Pass and exam you have not prepared well
Discover effective strategies for passing exams with minimal last-minute studying or on short notice. Apply these tips to optimize your last-minute preparation and improve your chances of passing your test.
3. Practice with similar tests
When you have an exam in a particular course, use previously done exams for practice. It is through these exams that you will know the kind of questions to expect and how they should be answered.
If you find them hard to understand practice them in groups to get help from other students. It is only through practice that you will gain the confidence to walk into the exam room and avoid any sort of panic. This can be done in your last-minute studying for a test.
4. Set targets
Set the target to pass the exam while you are preparing for it. The target will give you more motivation to perfect your preparations and practice.
Any target should be realistic to avoid discouragement and disappointment if not achieved. For example, if the pass mark is 70% and you have been scoring 50s and 60s, 80% is a realistic target while 90% is too exaggerated.
The grade you score whether it surpasses the target on not is solely dependent on the effectiveness of your revision and ability to retain information.
5. Beat your Exam Anxiety
On the day before the exam, you can be anxious to the extent of feeling like running away from the exam. To avoid such scenarios always make sure that you are relaxed because no one likes exams but they are inevitable.
After a frantic last-minute studying, avoid being anxious. To avoid anxiety, refrain from caffeine on the morning of the exam and have everything you will need for the exam set.
During the exam concentrate on your work and don’t be scared by other students who are writing nonstop while you are not.
Always try your best in every exam to feel confident about your performance. This is vital when exams are consecutive because no exam will discourage or distract your confidence for the next
6. Check the Grading Rubric
The grading rubrics are a must-read in every exam. They stipulate what you need to do to answer questions and the score that each has fully.
Not looking at the rubric and going straight to the questions is a recipe for failure. Through the rubric, you know what your instructors want in terms of delivery of the content, knowledge of the topic, cohesion, and coherence.
To get grades as high as possible and pass exams without studying, always make sure that you read the rubric properly and fulfill what it entails.
7. Follow the Rules
Following the rules of the exam is a must-do if you want to pass exam without studying.
You may be needed to answer specific questions differently from the others something that you will not notice without reading the examination rules.
Exam room rules must also be properly followed to avoid cheating allegations that can lead to failure.
Items that are prohibited in the exam room such as notes and mobile phones should be avoided to prevent further sanctions that can affect your grade.
8. Manage the Exam Time
Most exams usually have strict timing to ensure that students do not write too much information. To pass any exam you need to watch the clock and manage time efficiently.
The first minutes should be used to go through the paper to prepare your mind for what you will do. Each question should then be allocated time.
The easier questions should take lesser time to tackle compared to the complex questions. If you encounter a hard question, do not waste time on it, instead, do the other questions and come back to it.
Spending time on a hard question can waste a lot of time leaving you with very few minutes to handle the questions that you know. Always spare time to go through the completed work and correct mistakes where necessary.
9. Read every question
When there are multiple questions in an exam and you are required to select a few that you will answer, read every question and understand it before you choose.
Sometimes a question can be easy but meeting what is required on the rubric can be hard while harder questions can be easy to meet the demands on the rubric.
In such cases, the harder question becomes the more suitable to answer. Questions that you feel will give you a higher mark after following instructions given on the rubric should be given priority.
10. Get enough sleep and make the most of your morning
The night before an exam, make sure that you get enough sleep. Good sleep is vital in determining your exam success because your brain needs to be rested.
Enough sleep not only increases the ability to recall what you have learned but also ensures that you are in a better mood and health. At most 8 hours of sleep are enough to keep you fresh the next day
In the morning before the exam wake up early and eat your breakfast because hunger will slow down your brain during the exam. always be cautious of the weather and dress to suit it.
For example, if you wear light clothes and it starts raining or gets cold during the exam you are likely to lose your concentration.
11. Arrive at the exam room early
Arriving at the exam room early will help you feel relaxed ahead of the exam. Always make sure that you have all the required stationery to avoid wasting time.
By arriving early, you get to pick a comfortable sitting spot too. While waiting outside for the exam room to be opened, ensure that you are not discussing what you have studied with friends.
What you know better is not what they do and therefore you risk panicking when you realize that they know more in areas that you know less. Always sit aside quietly, take a deep breath and avoid looking at notes.
12. Be positive
Even if you have not been doing well in the subject that you are sitting the exam for, be positive. Being optimistic is key to pass an exam without studying because it motivates you to do well.
This positivity boosts your confidence to tackle the questions and gives you a better chance of performing well.
When exam nerves start kicking in and negative thoughts are clouding your mind, counter them with positive thoughts. Always back yourself to do well because you have already had enough preparation.
Last-minute Tips to Study for an Exam in One Day
When fear starts to creep in a day before the exam because you have not studied enough do the following:
1. Maximize the time left
To cover as much work as you can within a day you should study for long hours with just very few minutes for breaks. Divide the time well in a way that everything you need to cover is included
2. Review the summaries and not the full notes
There is no way that you will handle all the notes on a topic within a day.
Find the summary that has the main ideas and focus on completing it.
You will not know everything in detail but it is better than spending a lot of time on one topic.
3. Avoid stress
Do not panic if you want to utilize the day well. Make sure that you don’t hang out with people who brag about how well they are prepared because you will be discouraged.
Look for a silent spot where you can effectively study by yourself. Check more tips for preparing for an exam and learn more ways to remain calm.
4. Focus on your weaknesses
If you only have a day to prepare for an exam use that time to focus on your areas of weakness. The topics you know should be given lesser priority compared to those that you know little about.
If you are not sure about your weaknesses, take a previous exam and see the areas where you score less so that you can concentrate on them
5. Sleep enough
A good plan to pass an exam on short notice is to rest well before the exam. After a day of relentless last-minute studying, you will need to have a good sleep to make sure that your mind is fresh on the day of the exam.
Sacrificing sleep hours to study more is not advisable because a tired mind during the exam will likely lead you to failure.