What should I do on test day?
 Show
How To Prepare The Night Before Your Next TestThe night before a big test can be stressful for students. Many students wonder how they should be preparing for tomorrow’s test. First things first—preparing for a test the night before doesn’t mean waiting until then to start studying. It’s important to make sure you start studying early! Cramming the night before will only leave you stressed and frustrated. Knowing how to properly prepare for your test can reduce test anxiety and help you get a better grade. Keep reading to find out what to do the night before a test or exam (and what mistakes to avoid) so you can do your best.
Use the night before the test for simple revision. You shouldn’t be tackling anything brand new the night before your test. Instead, review the study notes you have created during your study sessions over the past few days. Work your way through your study notes, covering topics one by one. Once you have revised a topic, take a minute to make sure you remember and understand the material. If the answer is no, go back and revise the areas that need an extra refresher. Late night cram sessions aren’t a very effective way to study. It may seem like you’re making the most of your time by studying until the last minute, but by not giving your brain a chance to rest you’ll have a harder time remembering the information you studied. Giving your mind the brain power it needs is important if you want to do well on your test. That means eating a good meal the night before while you’re doing your final revision of the material. Take time to sit down for a family dinner while you take a break from studying to refuel your brain. Gather all the materials you’ll need for your test the next day. Make sure you have extra pens, pencils, erasers, and any tools you need (like a ruler or calculator). Pack everything into your backpack the night before so you can avoid last minute searching and panic the next morning. Take some time before bed to put away your study notes and relax. Read a book, write in a journal, or talk to your family. This will help you wind down before bed, making it easier to get a good night’s sleep so your brain can process the information you spent the evening reviewing. After spending time reviewing for your test, get some exercise by going outside for a short walk. Getting a little bit of exercise will help reduce any stress you are feeling and recharge your brain. Set your alarm so you don’t oversleep the morning of your test. Give yourself some extra time in the morning to eat a good breakfast and get ready for the day without feeling rushed. One of the most important things the night before a test is to get a full night’s sleep so your brain can remember what you’ve studied. Make sure you go to bed at a set time so you can wake up on test day feeling refreshed and well-rested. Still struggling with study skills? Learn how our study skills tutoring program can help! Taking exams in college can be stressful and difficult. Oftentimes, the stakes are high because exams can constitute a large portion of your final grade in the class. Exams often cover large amounts of material and can be very rigorous. However, no matter the length or difficulty of an exam, there are strategies you can use to decrease stress and improve your performance. This handout shares strategies to use the day of your exam to maximize your success. For strategies to use to prepare for your exam in advance, check out the Learning Center’s other resources hyperlinked that the bottom of this handout. Before arriving at the testDo some quick exercises to help with your attention and overall cognition. This could be something like jumping jacks, a short run, or jump roping. Do yoga or meditation to calm your mind and body. Listen to soothing music or something to help you relax. Eat enough to give you necessary fuel, but not too much to make you sluggish. Give yourself a pep talk. Tell yourself you’re well prepared and “You got this!” Give yourself plenty of time to arrive so you can get mentally and physically settled and not get flustered from rushing. Think through these questions and scenarios that could occur during the test:
Before starting the testCarefully read the directions. Survey the test. How many questions are there? What type of questions? How are the points distributed? Sit up straight in a comfortable posture before and during the test. Research shows that practicing good posture before an event increases your self-esteem and confidence and can lead to better performance. Speak positive and encouraging words to yourself, like “I know this stuff,” or “I am prepared.” Make a plan of attack so you can earn as many points as possible in the given time. Decide the order in which you’ll approach each question and how you’ll allocate time. Write your plan on the test or on a scrap of paper. Make a plan to complete test sections in order of their overall value so you will earn the most possible points if you run out of time to finish the test. For example, assume you have a 50-minute test consisting of the following sections:
Keeping the distribution of points in mind, what if you allocated your time among the three sections in the following order?
Another strategy is to complete the test in order of questions you know the best. Both these strategies help you earn the most possible points in the case that you can’t finish the entire test. While taking the testKeep track of time so you can follow your plan of attack. Wear a watch and use check it regularly to stay on pace. Answer the questions you know and can do most easily first. This will give you a confidence boost and help you to not use too much time on difficult questions. Read questions actively. Underline key words and eliminate any distractors. Restate the essence of the question in your own words. Use process of elimination to rule out answers you know are incorrect. Use information in other question items on the exam to help you with questions you don’t know. There may be clues or information that can help you figure out or make educated guesses on difficult items. Don’t stay stuck on one question for too long. Mark it and keep moving, then come back to it at the end. Read all the answer options for multiple-choice questions before selecting an answer. Review your answers and work after you have finished but before you turn in your exam. Make sure you have answered all the questions. Connect with other resourcesIn addition to these strategies to use the day of your exam, check out our other resources for tips about how to prepare for an exam in advance:
Works consultedCuddy, Amy (2015). Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges. New York: Little, Brown, & Co. Dembo, M. and Seli, H. (2013). Motivation and learning strategies for college success: A focus on self-regulated learning (4th ed.). New York: Routledge. Holschuh, J. and Nist, S. (2000). Active learning: Strategies for college success. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon. Dodeen, H. (2008). Assessing test-taking strategies of university students: Developing a scale and estimating its psychometric indices. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 33, 409-419. You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill If you enjoy using our handouts, we appreciate contributions of acknowledgement. Make a Gift What should you not do on test day?Read on for the fifteen things not to do the day of the test.. of 08. Study For the First Time. ... . of 08. Roll Out Of Bed 30 Minutes Before the Test. ... . of 08. Wear Uncomfortable Clothes. ... . of 08. Wear Clothes That Are Too Comfortable. ... . of 08. Skip Breakfast. ... . of 08. Eat Garbage for Breakfast. ... . of 08. ... . of 08.. What should I do 1 hour before exam?Relax. It is essential to keep yourself stress-free and calm before an exam, as stress only serves to impair memory and paralyze you during the exam. ... . Eat Fibre Rich Foods. Watching what you eat is extremely important, especially right before an examination. ... . Exercise. ... . Confirm you have everything. ... . Be on time.. Is it good to study on test day?You don't want to spend all day studying as it'll wear you out the day of your test. Plus, you're unlikely to remember every piece of information you cram in such a short amount of time! The most important point to remember is this: don't use this day (or night) as an intense study session.
What is a test tip to remember on test day?Avoid staying up late the night before an exam, even if you're at home and doing something relaxing like watching a movie. The day of the exam, eat a healthy meal, avoid excessive caffeine, and stay hydrated. Use the restroom before arriving for the exam, and bring a bottle of water, if permitted.
|
