Finals Frenzy: 5 Steps to Exam Success

It’s that time of the year when high school and college students are asked to demonstrate what they have absorbed since the beginning of the semester. Midterms and finals test cumulative knowledge. And, since information from months earlier may be a bit hazy, the key to success lies in solid preparation.

Students who follow these fives steps will be well positioned to soak up the knowledge they need prior to the big test and far more likely to retain critical information than those who approach studying in a haphazard fashion or leave it to the last minute.

1. Plan

A few weeks before the tests make yourself a list of the key information you need to know for each subject. To avoid the downfalls of cramming, create a schedule that will allow you to study a little bit each day — a good rule-of-thumb is 30 minutes per class per day. If you receive a study guide or practice problems, complete as soon as possible. If test guidelines are not made available, pull out completed assignments, class notes, and past tests to create your own study packet.

2. Study

When studying for tests, many students confuse familiarity with knowledge [pdf], so let’s be clear on the difference. Familiarity means you are acquainted with the material or idea (e.g., you recognize the name Ponce de Leon; you may even recall that he was an explorer). Knowledge means you have mastered the target information well enough to teach it to someone else (Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer who claimed Florida for Spain in 1513).

Students who say they know the material, but “don’t test well” have likely overestimated their true level of knowledge or misidentified the target information. To avoid tricking yourself into believing you know more than you actually do, practice until you are certain of your ability to explain the most important aspects of the material in a way that someone new to the subject can understand.

3. Self test

It’s never a good idea to wait until the exam to find out if you really know the material as well as you claim. To determine if studying has paid off, test yourself or ask someone else to quiz you. Use flashcards, textbook questions, homemade mock-exams (these can also be swapped with friends to cover areas you overlook), online tests, study guides, and other forms of questions to uncover areas of weakness. If possible, score each test you take and calculate your grade for a healthy dose of reality.

4. Study again

Based on your level of success, expect to go through at least one more round of studying to fill-in learning gaps and solidify your knowledge. Refer to the self-test answers you missed and use class notes, textbooks, and context clues to help trigger your memory. Repetition can really pay off here. For example, when using flashcards, if you get the answer correct, move the card to the bottom of your deck. If you get it wrong, study the card and reinsert a little ways back so it comes up sooner.

5. Test again

Once you determine you have mastered previously weak areas, re-take and re-grade your self-tests. If you are satisfied with your results, you can stop. Otherwise, repeat steps 4 and 5 as many times as necessary to achieve your personal goals.

With a concentrated effort over an extended period of time, exam preparation can be a low-stress, high-learning event. For most of us, performing well on exams is truly a matter of putting in the time and doing the work. Once you’ve followed these steps, all that’s left is a last review the day before the test, good rest, a healthy meal, and a dose of confidence.

When you get your exam, look it over completely to identify the types of questions so that you can budget your time. Don’t rush. Take the time to carefully read the instructions, then answer easier questions first before circling back to the harder ones. If you finish early, double check your answers and correct any mistakes. If at any time you start to feel distracted or nervous, close your eyes, breath slowly, and remind yourself that now is the perfect time to put all of your preparation to good use.