Know How To Boost Performance
How do past papers improve your exam technique?
Exams are like anything else – the more you do, the better you get. That’s why past papers are so important to your exam preparation.
How to be a past master
Exams don’t change much from year to year. Ask your teacher which exam board your school has chosen across all your subjects and get hold of as many relevant past papers as you can.
Get to know:
- Their layout, names/numbers of questions
- The format of instructions
- The range of questions: multiple choice, short answers, essays etc.
- The marking scheme
- The pace of the paper, how you should allocate your time
- Which questions turn up most often (the ‘bankers’)
Exam technique
- Go through some past papers, jot down the bones of answers (theories, equations, key dates, personalities, subheads etc.) and ask your teacher if you’re on the right lines.
- Get your timing right: if a paper requires four essays, four essays of medium length will always be better than three long essays and a few scribbled lines.
- Allow 10% of an exam’s duration for reading the questions to begin with, then 10% more for reading your answers at the end.
- Look at the marks available for the questions and allocate your time accordingly. Do plenty of timed trials to get your timing right.
- It sounds obvious, but in the heat of the exam moment many people don’t read the question properly and so can’t answer it properly. Read it carefully, underline keywords, sketch a relevant mind map or jot down the essay’s subheads.
How can you do better on exam day?
Have a clear conscience
You’ve done your mocks, used your Planner, revised everything, done past papers. You’re ready! Don’t get stressed. Relax, let yourself perform.
Avoid stress
Don’t break up with your partner or row with your parents or friends, it’ll flip your mind out of exam mode and affect your performance.
Get a good night’s sleep
Tiredness damages concentration, so don’t ‘cram’ the evening before. Go for a walk, have a bath, browse your notes, then get a full eight hours sleep.
Have a nourishing breakfast
You know how important breakfast is to your performance. Avoid sugary cereals and drink water, dehydration damages concentration.
Arrive on time
Arrive 5-10 minutes early, check you’ve got everything you need, your candidate number, where you’ll be sitting. Remember, panic is pointless.
Listen to the invigilator
They’re there to make sure you do what you’re supposed to. Pay attention to what they say.
When it’s over…
Don’t bother with post mortems outside the exam hall. You’ve done your best. Physically and mentally, pack up your revision and move on to the next subject.
Good luck (although take this advice and you won’t need it)!