How to do exams

Analyze the testing conditions!

• Listen well to what your teacher says concerning the exams. Hints may be given all throughout the unit.
• Find out how many items will usually occur in a test!
• Which types of exercises will you have to do: closed, half-closed, text-based? Prepare for all relevant formats by solving sample exercises!
• How much time is available?
• Which weight does each item have? How many credits can you get?
• Does your teacher recycle tests that have been used in previous years?
• Does your teacher use testing materials from specific publications?
• Are practice tests available?
• Does your teacher cooperate with colleagues? What do your friends in their classes know that you don’t know?
• What kind of aids can you use during the test: dictionaries, grammar books, glossaries? Are you sure can use them effectively?
• Have you got all the materials necessary to prepare for the exam? Compare your stock of materials with what your classmates have!
• Will you be allowed to eat or drink during the exam?
• What kind of grading system does your teacher use? Does a spelling mistake matter as much as a grammatical mistake?
• If your tests include material from former exams, you will have to revise it!
• Is there any specific vocabulary you need to learn?

• Which sections on which pages of your textbook need to be learned? Which are really important?

Prepare well!

• Double-check the date, time, and location of the exam!
• Start early! Work for regular class tests cannot be managed if you start the night before the exam will take place.
• Organize your learning. Split your workload up into units of 15-20 minutes work per day. Use flash cards for every segment.
• Also, look for a quiet place to study for the test and stay away from social media.
• Make a plan of your week: Write down which units you want to study at which specific day and time! Allow for additional time to revise all relevant materials! Allow for breaks!

• Organize your material. Don’t start packing your bag in the morning before you leave the house! Just in case you need an additional sheet is required, bring one along.
• For revision, try condensing the whole material into not more than one sheet of paper!
• Do many practice tests and learn from them! Time yourself while doing so!

• Make sure you have a sound sleep on the night before – don’t party and (if you’re a senior student) don’t drink any alcohol!
• Try not to study late the night before.
• Have a healthy breakfast and don’t drink too much coffee!
• Avoid starting a row with your parents or friends before you sit the exam!
• Wear your lucky shirt or bring your lucky charm!
• Stay away from stimulating drugs!

Start off with the exam!

• Do not sit an exam if you are ill but follow the protocol.
• Deactivate your smartphone and put in your bag.
• Go to the restroom before the exam starts.
• Arrive in good time – ten to fifteen minutes before the exam will start!
• Avoid talking about your preparations and expectations just before the exam starts!
• Stay away from students that are likely to panic!
• Be realistic. It’s just an exam after all. Exams are designed to test what you know, not what you do not know!
• Find the best desk in the room – check for sufficient space and lighting, avoid distractions!
• Put all relevant materials on your desk!
• Calm down! Take a deep breath, breathe in slowly. Use relaxation techniques! If you have a memory block, use positive coping strategies (“I will remember that!”), keep the exercise for later, do some stretching or, if permitted, go to the restroom to take some time off.
• When the teacher hands out the test materials, make sure you have received a complete set of materials and whether questions are printed on both sides!
• Fill in your name wherever it is required.
• Write down how much time you can spare for each exercise! Check howmuch each question is worth and make sure you set your priorities right! Re-check your allocated times for each exercise. Avoid spending too much time on your preferred exercise. Don’t leave the exam early, but get back to an answer you might be able to improve!
• Look through the complete test materials before you start.
• Check whether there are options you can choose from! It always happens that students do both instead of selecting one!
• Ensure your handwriting is legible.
• Read the task descriptions carefully! Highlight whatever is relevant in the instructions! Answer the questions in the format requested. Break the questions down to make sure you really understand what you’re being asked.
• Use an extra working sheet to plan your answers and record facts you want to use in your answers!
• Don’t hesitate to ask your teacher if there is anything that is not entirely clear to you.
• Mark all the exercises you have already completed! Make sure you don’t miss any exercises! Also, check again whether the exercise number corresponds with the number on your sheet!
• Don’t leave any blanks or questions you haven’t answered at all!
• Don’t waffle and over-answer the questions, but plan your answers wisely!
• Start with the exercises you can do easily. Then, proceed to the more difficult ones.
• Relax hand and forearm muscles regularly through the exam.
• Use all the information provided in the exam. Sometimes, you’ll find hints and additional vocabulary in other parts of the test.
• If you are not sure whether you’ve solved an exercise correctly, mark all the trouble spots and come back to them later.
• Give yourself sufficient time to revise the complete test. Use an effective proofreading system! Always take time to check your answer for basic grammar and spelling!
• If permitted, drink sufficiently during the test! Avoid having drinks with an extremely high sugar content!
• In the end, review all your answers. Start with the questions you're least confident about.
• Return all the materials you are supposed to hand in with your teacher!
• Don't listen to what others say after the exam or test.

After the exam

• Don’t overthink your exam too much!
• Stay away from classmates that like to discuss the exams after they’ve just left the exam venue.
• Take a break, chill out. Whatever your feelings towards a possible outcome of the exam may be, don’t start with the preparations for the next one right away.
• If the exam has been handed out to you, carefully review your teacher’s notes. Sum up all the credits to make sure the total sum was not miscalculated. Look for questions or even entire pages that were not corrected. If necessary, ask for help.
• Analyze your exam strategy and the mistakes you’ve made. Make a short list of mistakes you’d like to avoid next time or improvements that would make your next exam even more successful.
• Ask your teacher for more detailed instructions and tips to prepare for the forthcoming exams.