Test & Exam Preparation Tools ​

1. Gather details about your exams:
   1. How much is it worth?
   2. How long is the exam?
   3. Use the course outline, slides, notes, teacher tips to determine which topics will most likely appear on the exam

2. Organize Your Notes:
   1. As you review your notes, decide on what material you understand well, understand a little, and understand the least, study the material you understand the least first
   2. Consider if the information is certainly, probably, possibly, unlikely, or impossibly going to appear on the test; study the certain and probable information first
      
       
3. Review Past Tests and Test Yourself:
   1. Look at tests you’ve previously taken in this course
   2. Figure out why you lost marks on these tests to avoid making similar mistakes
   3. Find questions in your textbook; read them over and test yourself

4. Create a Schedule:
   1. Rather than planning a long, marathon study session, divide your material into smaller sections spread out over an extended period
   2. Cover one section in each study session
   3. Schedule time for fun and rest to avoid burnout

5. Set Goals:
   1. Know what material you wish to cover during each study session
   2. Set a specific time by which you want to accomplish your goals
   3. Strive for your goals rather than studying aimlessly
   4. Reward yourself for accomplishing your goals to reinforce positive study habits

*Adapted from Ontario Tech Libraries. Last updated May 2023.

Find your space

• Create a clean, organized and distraction-free study space
• Avoid studying in bed
• Some students prefer background noise and others prefer silence, try a few different locations to determine what works best for you

Stock your space

• Anticipate what you will need before sitting down to study
• Have everything all there and ready to go before you begin studying to limit distractions

Eliminate distractions

• When we get distracted, it can take several minutes to build back our focus. Here are some tips:
  • Hide your phone
  • Remove your gaming station or TV from your study space
  • Use a lockout browser to study to prevent you from scrolling the web
  • Notify family or roommates of study time
  • Use a white noise machine or music to block out external noises. It is best to use repetitive music, without lyrics

Schedule your study time

• Create a study plan with specific study time blocked off

Reward yourself

• Building self-discipline is hard work, so reward yourself when you stick to your study goals!

*Adapted from Ontario Tech Libraries. Last updated May 2023.

1. Do your research about the exam in advance.
   1. What types of questions can you expect on the exam?
   2. When and where does the exam take place?
2. Set up a study plan for each of your courses.
   1. Studying in small chunks of time with regular breaks is more effective than long study sessions.
3. Test yourself.
   1. Answer end-of-chapter questions, teach others, create practice questions.
4. Put the exam into perspective.
   1. Keep in mind that one exam is not going to make or break your whole future.
5. Keep an eye on your health and wellness.
   1. Stay hydrated, eat, sleep, exercise, and do activities that you enjoy.
   2. Eat low fat, high protein foods before you write the exam.
6. Take a few deep, relaxed breaths before you begin to write and during the exam.
7. Write down important facts/formulas that you’ve memorized and survey the exam before starting to write.
8. Read questions carefully and underline key terms.
   1. If you don’t know the answer to a question, skip the question and come back to it later.
9. If you experience a mental block during an exam, pause, take a few deep breaths and write anyways.
   1. Jot down whatever you know about the question (you may receive partial marks).
10. Use stress management techniques during the days leading up to and the day of the exam.
    1. Deep breathing, mindfulness, and visualization are examples of stress management techniques.
11. Check your thoughts and beliefs. Change negative self-talk into positive self-talk. Transform “I’m going to fail” into “I’ve got this one!”
12. Get support.

*Adapted from Ontario Tech Libraries. Last updated May 2023.

1. Once you begin the exam, immediately write down any key terms or formulas you have memorized. You can reference this as needed throughout the exam.
2. Read all of the instructions carefully.
3. Review the contents, format and scoring of the exam. Skim over questions to get an idea of how much time is required for each; plan your time allotting enough time to review at the end.
4. Address each question carefully in a systematic manner.
5. Underline keywords when you read each question.
6. Write an answer for every question. If you don’t know the answer, always provide a definition or a related concept as this may earn you partial marks.
7. Review your exam once you finish.
8. Do not change answers unless you are 100% sure that your original answer is wrong. Usually, when we don’t know for sure, our first hunch is correct.
9. Use all the time you are given to write an exam. Do not leave right away when you are finished. If you were unsure about answers, more time thinking about it might allow it to surface in your memory.
10. Review your exam when you get your results back. Try to figure out what went wrong so you can improve next time.

*Adapted from Ontario Tech Libraries. Last updated May 2023.

Part 1: Preparation

Before beginning to study, gather details about the exam: How much is it worth?  What marks have you earned in the course thus far? This will help you to prioritize when faced with several exams, and to decide how much time you will need to dedicate for study.

Regular review periods - avoid having to relearn everything at the end of the year

• Daily review - Look over your notes; make note of any questions or confusions
• Weekly review - Gather together all of your class notes, summarize important concepts, and make sure that you understand the material
• Final review - At least three weeks before your exam, begin reviewing all course material

Talk to your Teacher

• Keep track of the concepts that you don’t understand. Before starting to study, use the textbook, a classmate, or your teacher to help explain these concepts

Part 2: Planning

Gather information about your exam

• Determine which topics the exam will focus on
• Look at your unit tests to avoid making similar mistakes in the exam

Create a schedule - use the SDSS Semester End Planner

• Divide your material into smaller parts; cover one part in each study session
• Schedule time for fun; knowing you have an upcoming break will help you focus

Set goals

• Determine what material you wish to cover during each study session
• Set a specific time by which you wish to accomplish your goals, rather than studying aimlessly
• Reward yourself for accomplishing your goals in order to reinforce your positive study habits

Part 3: Study Strategies

Active Studying: engage with the material you are studying, do not simply read the page

• Read your notes out loud
• Teach the material to a family member or friend
• Draw diagrams or concept maps to visually represent the information

Questioning: Try to predict which questions may be asked, and practice answering them.

• Look to the course slides, chapter titles, previous tests, and information from your teacher, in order to predict possible exam questions
• Test yourself using a time limit that reflects the actual exam
• Find the areas where you are struggling. Spend some time specifically studying these concepts until you are

Studying with others: Other students can share resources with you, provide a fresh perspective on difficult concepts, and offer support and motivation

• Quiz each other
• Compare lecture notes to identify missing/additional information
• “Teach” each other different concepts
• Try to come up with questions that may be on the exam
• Help one another to understand difficult concepts

Creating visual aids: A concept map is a diagram that connects different ideas or pieces of information to one theme or concept.

• Write your main concept in the middle of a page, and then draw lines branching out across the page, connecting the concept to any relating ideas
• Draw your main idea at the top of the page and the branches extending downward in order of importance
• Create a flowchart, organized with each idea leading to the next, to represent a process

Memory aids:

Mnemonics can help you remember information for subjects that require straight memorization.

• Acronym
• Acrostic phrase: words begin with the first letter of each concept form a memorable phrase: “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos” = the order of the planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, etc)
• Create analogies to relate concepts to memorable images; for example, your brain is like a computer

Flashcards can also be helpful for memorizing key information.

• Write the question/concept on the front, and the answer/explanation on the back
• Flashcards are portable; quiz yourself when free, like waiting in line or before class

*Adapted from Ontario Tech Libraries. Last updated May 2023.