7 Killer Revision Tips to Help You in Your Exams

Examinations are here again – though I cannot see you, I can hear you groan – and I completely understand.  I have walked the same road, in exactly the same shoes, the reason I have compiled these simple steps – from examination experts I should add – to help you revise and remember on examination day (when it matters most!). Walk hand-in-hand with me to exam success with these tips:

1. Create a Revision Time table (and stick to it!)

Check through your syllabus and make sure that you are giving adequate attention to everything that could come up in the exam – it’s really important that you are strict with yourself so that you don’t end up spending too much time on a topic or subject, and having to cram the rest. Try to come back to subjects a couple of days later – this will ensure that what you learn is transferred from your short-term memory to your long term memory – and will still be there when you come to sit the exam!

2. Space Your Revision

When creating your timetable, you should be realistic. Studies show that people can only concentrate for about 45 minutes – so work in blocks like this. Schedule in regular breaks, and try to take time out for other things. Doing this will revitalise you for when you get back to your revision. You should aim to complete all your learning a couple of weeks before the exam so that you have time to do what follows next.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

Don’t just read, write down too! It does little good to just stare at your notes or just copy them out again – you need to test yourself by doing what you will have to do in the exam. If you’ve got a maths exam, set yourself some randomly chosen exercises from the text book, or solve some past questions.

If your exam involves writing an essay, you need to practice essay-writing. Merely memorising the material is not enough. Preparing for an examination is a skill, just like playing a computer game is a skill. You wouldn’t try and improve at a game by trying to memorise moves, you would practice making those moves!

4. Understand Your Style

Everyone thinks that there is a best way to study but the reality is that each person is different. Once you understand your learning style by deciding if you are a visual, auditory, reading/writing or kinaesthetic (learning by doing) learner, then remembering and recalling new information will become much easier.

Also, trying to remember something has been shown to have almost no effect on whether you remember it!  The implication for revision is clear: just looking at your notes won’t help you learn them. Instead, you need to reorganise the information in some way – whether by making notes of your notes, thinking about how what you’re reading relates to other material, or practising writing answers.

5. Use Mind Maps to Connect Ideas

If you find it difficult to remember all your notes, Mind maps may help you improve your memory. It involves making associations by connecting ideas, which in turn helps you to memorise information easier and quicker. Here is an example:

Political Apathy:

1. What is the definition of apathy – Apathy means indifference, or lack of interest. So, political apathy would be a lack of interest in politics or political affairs. (this should lead you to the next question)
2. Why would some people feel this way? Is it a result of painful experiences of the past? A lack of faith in the electoral process? Because they feel that political parties and their candidates are selfish, greedy people? Their religious beliefs? (these are points you have raised which you will then find answers to)
3. What can be done to change their thinking? And so on.

6. Don’t Study in Bed….

Or you might just sleep the whole time! So, sit at a proper desk, and ensure it’s comfortable too. If you have the means, get some snacks and drinks to go along with!

7. Rest and Sleep

Research shows that a brief rest after learning something can help you remember it a week later! Other experiments have shown that a full night’s sleep helps you learn new skills or retain information. So get a full night’s rest – reading over night before an exam wont do you much good.

To minimise anxiety; avoid panicking friends, and worrying about what others know that you don’t. Give yourself plenty of time to get to school or the test centre on time. Also don’t underestimate the power of eating a healthy breakfast the day of your exams.

With these tips at your disposal, success in the coming examinations is as good as sealed.

All the very best from Passnownow.