How to Do Well in Tests and Exams

Studying Beforehand

Revise properly. This means setting up a revision timetable up to days, weeks or even months before the exam or test. 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.

Listen to what the teacher is saying. He or she might make it very clear what to expect in the test.

Study in sections. Take the material you are provided with, including any revision notes and flashcards, and divide the material into sections. A good way to revise is to make a knowledge organizer with the topics that you need on it. If you have learning outcomes, then try to make sure that you know all of them. Study by understanding key points.

Take a practice test. Reader Poll: We asked 148 wikiHow readers, and 68% of them agreed that the best way to prepare for a test is to take online practice tests. [Take Poll]

Look at where you went wrong in the practice tests. Focus most on revising those sections.

Take a practice test again (with some different questions if possible). Continue until you return really good results.

Continue to take multiple practice tests. Do this regularly, until your actual exam or test.

Deactivate your social media while revising. While preparing for your test, consider turning off your phone and staying off of social media. You can even temporarily deactivate your social media accounts if you struggle to stop checking them. Checking your phone too often will only serve to distract you.

Eat and sleep well. Just like preparing for a big game, you need to sleep and eat well to fully prepare for an upcoming test. 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.

Do not cram right before a test. Instead, say the formulas in your mind or the properties and its names instead of just reading the textbook all over again. Rereading the textbook right before won't do much good, but a bit of last minute refreshing on what you memorize can be helpful.

Taking the Exam or Test

Stay calm. Try to relax and take a couple of deep breaths, if necessary. This can help you keep your stress level under control if you struggle with test taking anxiety.

Think about your answers. Make sure it is the right answer. If you are not sure of an answer, skip it and come back to it. Chances are it might be addressed in a different question, so keep your eyes open for more clues on the same topic as you complete the rest of the test.

Don't listen to what others say after the exam or test. If you think what you have written is right, do not stress if others wrote something else. Get on with your next sets of revisions, knowing that you did your best. Only your actual test results will confirm how well you have done.

Make sure to review your test results patiently. This will help you to see what you got right, and where you were incorrect, to help you to improve. Do this when in a calm state so silly mistakes can be fixed. Also, try and always be motivated as it will help you do better.