So, the day has finally arrived. I’m sure you feel dread, butterflies in your stomach. I wanted to write this blog because I see students make the same mistakes on exam day which creates stress. We want you to be the most positive version of yourself on exam day, so we have put together several tips to help you maximise your chance of success.
Tip #1 – Eat. You may be nervous, but you need to eat something to keep your sugar levels high enough to focus on your exam. Nuts & seeds, berries, avocado, and whole grains aid memory. I would also recommend that you choose matcha tea over coffee, I find it gives more energy without the comedown I can get with coffee
Tip #2 – Create a morning routine. Make sure you wake up early enough to have at least 30 minutes to yourself in the morning. This is your time to centre yourself and set your goals for the day. Listen to a morning meditation or if that is not your thing, maybe a motivational podcast or a comedy episode to get you in a good mood.
Tip #3 Prep – If you are sitting your exam at an exam centre, ensure that you have checked out the parking situation beforehand and you get there early so you aren’t running about and raising your cortisol (stress hormone) levels). If you are sitting the exam remotely, you should ensure that the Wi-Fi connection is strong and have tested that the invigilating system works on your computer. I would suggest you log on at least 30 mins early to check everything is working well.
Tip #4 – Breathe. When we are stressed, we take shallower breaths, and our cortisol stress levels increase. Studies have found that increased cortisol leads to lower levels of cognitive functioning. This is why in an exam your mind can go blank. If this happens breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for four seconds each.
Tip #5 – Read the question carefully
For a CR exam, make sure that you are not answering the question that you want it to be! Read the question carefully a number of times and create a short plan in your notes section. If this is an OR exam, anything you are not sure of flag and come back to. When reading the questions go for the answer that is always right, not the one which can sometimes be correct in certain situations. If you are twisting yourself in knots to make it fit, it is likely that it is the wrong answer!
You’ve got this, I wish you all the very best of luck in your exams and let us know how you got on!