Study Tips — Study Better

Prepare an Exam Revision Checklist

Exams

A checklist of topics to cover before an exam turns revision from a vague intention into a sequence of specific tasks.

Why this may help

Without a checklist, revision tends to be driven by what feels most comfortable rather than what most needs attention. A completed checklist provides visible confirmation that all key topics have been covered.

How to use it

Before beginning exam revision, write out all topics from the syllabus or course outline. Use this as a revision checklist, marking each topic as "covered" only after actively practising recall.

Step-by-step

1Obtain the subject syllabus or topic list.
2Write every topic as a checklist item.
3Begin revising systematically from the highest priority.
4Mark topics complete only after testing recall, not just re-reading.
5Review the checklist regularly to track coverage.

Try this

Create a topic checklist for one of your upcoming subjects. Mark each item "not started," "in progress," or "covered and tested."

Common mistake

Marking topics as covered after re-reading them without testing whether recall is actually possible.

Easier version

Start with the highest-priority topics only and build the checklist gradually.

When it works best

At the start of any exam preparation period, ideally at least two to three weeks before the exam.

Reflection

Looking at your checklist partway through revision: are the topics with the fewest marks in your practice tests the same ones still unchecked?

Start Exam Preparation Before the Final Day

Exams

A study plan that begins the night before an exam can only compress and create anxiety. One that begins earlier allows for genuine learning.

Why this may help

Adequate exam preparation requires time to identify weak areas, revise material multiple times, and practise recall under different conditions. This cannot be done in a single overnight session.

How to use it

Work backward from the exam date. Identify the last date for learning new material, the dates for active revision, and the date for final light review. Build a simple plan around these points.

Step-by-step

1Note the exam date.
2Work backward to identify a preparation start date.
3Divide preparation into stages: topic coverage, active revision, and final review.
4Assign specific topics to specific sessions.
5Begin on the planned start date, not later.

Try this

For your next upcoming exam, identify how many days are available and write a broad plan covering the preparation stages.

Common mistake

Telling yourself the exam is "still far away" until it is no longer far away.

Easier version

Even a plan that starts just one week before an exam is better than starting the day before.

When it works best

As soon as an exam date is known — regardless of how far ahead it appears.

Reflection

For exams you have prepared well for in the past, how far in advance did preparation begin? Is there a pattern?

Organize Exam Materials in Advance

Exams

Arriving at an exam without a required item — the correct pen, the admission card, the permitted calculator — adds unnecessary stress to an already demanding situation.

Why this may help

Practical preparation for the exam event itself is a separate task from content preparation. Attending to it in advance means the morning of the exam can be calm rather than chaotic.

How to use it

The evening before an exam, prepare everything needed: stationery, identification, permitted materials, and details of the exam venue and time.

Step-by-step

1Check what items are permitted or required for the exam.
2Gather all necessary stationery the evening before.
3Locate and prepare identification documents if needed.
4Check the exam venue location and arrival time.
5Set an alarm with sufficient time.

Try this

For your next exam, create a short checklist of items to prepare the evening before. Check every item off.

Common mistake

Assuming all preparation is the same as content preparation. Practical logistics are a separate task.

Easier version

Use the same checklist for every exam — modify it only when requirements change.

When it works best

The evening before any formal exam or assessment.

Reflection

In any past exam, has a practical or logistical issue added stress on the day? What would have prevented it?

Read Exam Instructions Carefully

Exams

Misreading an instruction at the start of an exam can cost marks that have nothing to do with understanding the subject.

Why this may help

Exam instructions specify how many questions to answer, from which sections, in what format. A student who misses these details may answer the wrong number of questions or in the wrong way.

How to use it

At the start of any exam, read the full instructions before beginning. This means the complete front page or instructions section, not just a quick glance.

Step-by-step

1When the exam begins, do not immediately start answering.
2Read all instructions from the beginning.
3Note: how many questions to answer, from which sections, and any special requirements.
4Check if marks vary between questions.
5Begin answering only after instructions are fully understood.

Try this

In your next practice paper or test, practise reading all instructions before writing anything.

Common mistake

Beginning the first question immediately upon receiving the paper, before reading how many questions to answer.

Easier version

Highlight or underline key instruction words before beginning: "answer three of the following," "all questions are compulsory."

When it works best

At the beginning of every formal exam or timed practice paper.

Reflection

Have you ever lost marks because of misreading an instruction? What would careful instruction-reading have changed?

Allocate Time Across Exam Sections

Exams

Spending half an exam on the first section and rushing through the rest is a common pattern that can be avoided with a simple time plan.

Why this may help

Without a time allocation, attention gravitates to whichever question feels most interesting or tractable, often leaving insufficient time for other sections that may carry equal or greater marks.

How to use it

After reading instructions, calculate how much time to allow per section or question based on the available marks. Write these times on the paper before beginning.

Step-by-step

1Note the total exam time.
2Identify how many sections or questions there are.
3Divide the time proportionally based on marks where possible.
4Note when to move on to the next section.
5Keep to the time allocation even if a section is incomplete.

Try this

In your next practice paper, write a time plan for the sections before you begin answering.

Common mistake

Spending excessive time on low-mark questions at the expense of high-mark ones.

Easier version

Calculate only two time splits: when to move from the first half to the second half.

When it works best

At the start of any timed exam with multiple sections or questions.

Reflection

In past exams, have you ever run out of time on sections you knew the answers to? A time plan is designed to prevent exactly that.

Avoid Spending Too Long on One Difficult Question

Exams

An unanswered question elsewhere in the exam cannot benefit from the time spent on one difficult question beyond what the marks justify.

Why this may help

A student who spends fifteen minutes on a two-mark question and then rushes a ten-mark question has made a strategic error that has nothing to do with subject knowledge.

How to use it

If a question is proving very difficult after a reasonable attempt, mark it clearly and move on. Return to it if time allows at the end.

Step-by-step

1If a question is unclear or difficult after one to two minutes, make a brief attempt.
2Mark the question clearly to return to.
3Move on to the next question.
4Complete all other questions first.
5Return to marked questions in remaining time.

Try this

In your next practice test, practise moving past a difficult question after a brief attempt rather than persisting at the cost of other questions.

Common mistake

Feeling that leaving a question incomplete is giving up. Moving on is a strategic choice, not an admission of defeat.

Easier version

Write something for every question, even if incomplete. A partial answer may receive partial marks.

When it works best

In any timed exam with multiple questions, particularly where questions vary in mark allocation.

Reflection

In past exams, did you ever leave a question you knew blank because you ran out of time? What caused that?

Create a Calm Pre-Exam Routine

Exams

The hour before an exam can either settle or unsettle the mind. A consistent pre-exam routine tends to produce better conditions than a rushed or anxious approach.

Why this may help

Excessive last-minute cramming, comparing notes with other students, or discussing difficult topics shortly before an exam can all increase anxiety without improving performance. A calm, familiar routine is generally more useful.

How to use it

Establish a simple routine for the period just before exams: a light review of key points rather than new content, arrival in good time, and avoiding stress-inducing comparisons.

Step-by-step

1Arrive at the exam venue with time to spare.
2Avoid discussing specific answers or difficult content with other students immediately before.
3Review a brief summary of key points — do not attempt to learn new material.
4Eat something light if the exam is in the morning.
5Enter the exam calmly.

Try this

For your next exam, decide in advance what your pre-exam hour will look like. Write it down.

Common mistake

Spending the time immediately before an exam in intense group discussion or reading new material, which adds anxiety without adding time to absorb it.

Easier version

Identify just one action to avoid before an exam: the comparison conversation, the rushed cramming, or the skip of a proper meal.

When it works best

In the hour before every formal exam.

Reflection

Before exams that went relatively well, how did the preceding hour look? How did it look before ones that went less well?

Review Answers When Time Allows in an Exam

Exams

The minutes remaining at the end of an exam are not a reward — they are an opportunity to catch errors that were missed on first attempt.

Why this may help

Students sometimes change correct answers to incorrect ones during review, so mindless changing is not the goal. The goal is checking for specific types of error: misread questions, calculation slips, and missing parts of multi-part questions.

How to use it

If time remains at the end of an exam, read each question again. Check that the answer addresses exactly what was asked. Look for any calculations to verify quickly.

Step-by-step

1If time is available after completing all questions, begin a review.
2Re-read each question carefully.
3Check that the answer addresses the actual question asked.
4Look for computational errors or missing steps.
5Change only where there is a clear, specific reason.

Try this

In your next practice test with time remaining, spend the last two minutes re-reading each question to check the answer is for the question asked.

Common mistake

Randomly changing answers based on instinct rather than identifying a specific error.

Easier version

Focus review only on questions where something felt uncertain during first attempt.

When it works best

At the end of any exam where time remains after completing all questions.

Reflection

In past exams, have you spotted errors during review that you would have missed otherwise? What type of errors were they?