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Even if you’ve ticked all the revision boxes, and studied religiously for months, few people manage to walk through the doors of an exam hall without a feeling the twinge of pre-exam jitters.
But stress not, these nerves can actually be a good thing, allowing you to fire up, focus and get down to the business. The key is getting them in perspective and putting them to good use.
Here’s a quick guide on handling pre-exam nerves and using that energy to nail your next test…
Coping with a little anxiety starts the night before an exam when you should commit yourself to getting a good rest. This is not the time to pull an all-nighter, sink a couple of litres of coffee, and brush up on a year’s worth of revision.
It’s an occasion to relax, get cozy and enjoy a good sleep. Fatigue is renowned for raising stress levels and making you lose perspective. So take a nice warm bath or shower, indulge in some relaxing music, and settle in for eight hours solid shut-eye.
Just as an army marches on its stomach so too does a student looking to unlock the power of the mind. As little as you may feel like it, have at least a light healthy breakfast comprising energy foods like fruit and grain.
The atmosphere outside an exam hall can be intense, with adrenalin causing students to frenetically discuss what they expect may be within a test. Avoid this drama. It does you no good to speculate, listen to other’s study habits, or cram in some quick facts with a mob of hyped-up pupils.
Instead, use the final minutes before the doors open to focus, give yourself some positive self-talk, listen to your breathing, and centre yourself.
As you assume your position within the hall, use the time to take in your surrounds, get yourself comfortable and arrange any stationery to your liking. Then channel your energy by imagining opening the test paper and envisaging how you will tackle it.
They give you reading time for a reason, so use it. This involves mentally noting areas which you will find easy, and others that may prove more difficult. Also employ the reading period to mentally allocate exactly how much time you are to spend on each section, ensuring you allow sufficient time to cross check your answers.
If you identify an area that’s likely to stump you, don’t let panic engulf you – keep reading and flag the comfort areas that you will concentrate on first.
It’s an excellent strategy to kick off any exam by getting the sections that you find easy out of the way. Answer these, whilst ensuring you read the questions in full, and do not rush your response. This will give you the confidence to tackle more complex tasks with time up your sleeve.
Once you’ve nailed the easy areas, come back to the questions that challenge you, taking the time to work through your answers. If a section is taking too long, move on.
Ensure the final time component of any exam is spent cross-checking your answers, tidying up punctuation or tending to any poor grammar. Remember to double-check your name and student number are written on the front of your paper!
For over 25 years Chalkwall has been assisting students sail through exams with confidence and clear exam strategies. You can learn more about our tutoring services here, or contact us for further advice.
