You're Young. You're Capable. But you don't test well. Here's what to do.

It's frustrating when you know the content, you know you're capable, you've studied, but you just don't test well. You're not alone. Struggling to perform well in exams is a common experience for our students. Luckily, we've got some tried and tested tips to beat your next exam.

1. Never complete exam questions in the order they are written.

   Tip #1 is our most effective tip, and the one most often ignored by students. Completing an exam by starting on question 1 and doing the questions in the order they are written can increase your stress, cause mental blocks, and cause you to miss out on marks.

   
   

   Instead, start your exam by reading all the questions. Order your questions from easiest to hardest. Complete the questions in this order.

   This will boost your confidence and prioritise questions that you will perform well on, making sure that you don't lose out on these marks if you run out of time.

2. Manage your time.

   Calculate how much time you should be spending per exam question. You will need to know how long you have to complete the exam and the number of questions. If each question has a set number of marks allocated to it, you can calculate the amount of time you should spend per mark. Check the clock as your exam progresses. Make sure that you're on track to attempt all questions on the exam.

   
   

3. Stop studying an hour before the exam.

   Nobody is retaining important information at the last minute when they are feeling anxious about an exam. Studying right before your exam can increase your stress and use up valuable mental resources. It is better to relax right before an exam. Put in some headphones and tune out the noise of other students stressing around you.

   
   

4. Once the exam is done, avoid talking about it.

   You're done! There's no point in reliving the exam and potentially increasing your own stress. Take a deep breath, be glad the hard part is over, and cast it from your mind until the grades come through.