We all get nervous about exams. Despite determining a huge chunk of your final grade, nobody really knows what they’re going to be tested on heading into one. It’s this fear of the unknown that leaves most people feeling unsettled.

While it might not be possible to get a clear picture of what you’ll be writing about, there are still things you can do to make tests and blind assessments more manageable. In life, one of the best weapons in your arsenal is to be prepared. When it comes to taking tests that means mastering factors like understanding how best to study, what to do when you’re in an exam hall, and knowing what kind of strategy works best for each test type.

How to study for a test 

There’s no one right or wrong way to study for your test. That’s especially true when you consider all the different types of assessments and exams that different subjects might throw at you. However, there are still a wide variety of top-level study strategies that will make facing any exam that little bit easier. Keep the following in mind to enter your exam as confidently as you can.

• Optimize your note-taking. The ultimate way to get prepped for an exam is to start thinking about them as soon as you’re in class. Your notes will be a huge source of inspiration for revision. So making sure you’re optimizing this part of the process from day one will make it easier during crunch time. A key factor to think about here is what kind of learner you are (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or someone who learns from reading or writing). Try to craft your notes in a way that will make it easier for you to engage with them days, weeks, or even months after your lecture. This might mean using diagrams or flashcards, for example.

• Plot out specific study time. Knowing you have to study for an entire subject might feel a little overwhelming. That’s why it can be super handy to map out when and what you’re going to study. Break large topics down into bite size chunks, then assign how long you’ll spend tackling them.

• Join a study group. If you’re someone who thrives off of interacting with others, a study group might be the way to go. This gives you the chance to double-check notes, bounce ideas off each other, or explore concepts further with your peers. Make sure to choose an environment where social chit-chat is kept to a minimum – ideally a quiet space like a library.

• Find a zen place to study in. And on the subject of quiet areas, it’s important to set your study space up for optimized comfort. A cluttered work environment leads to scattered thoughts. By creating a study zone which you feel relaxed in, you’ll be able to maximize the efficiency of your session.

• Don’t cram the night before. It’s perfectly acceptable to do some last-minute revision the evening before an exam. What’s less ideal is doing the bulk of your studying in this window. Leaving things to the final hour greatly reduces your chance of absorbing all the vital information you need to succeed. This cramming session will also raise stress levels, potentially making it harder to get the rest you need before the big day.

Advice for how to be ready on test day 

When the big day arrives it’s normal to feel nervous or uneasy. All the prep in the world can’t account for feeling unsure of how you’re going to perform in the moment. Everyone will react to a test differently. What works for one, might not for another. That’s why it’s useful to know more than one technique for dealing with nerves. Try each of these techniques until you land on one that works for you.

• Prepare the night before. Setting yourself up for the following day is always a good strategy in life. That’s perhaps never more true than with something like an exam. Taking the little steps needed to ensure you’re in the right frame of mind on test day can make a huge difference. Some of the best things you can do here are to:

• • Make sure you’re going to bed early enough to get enough sleep
  • Set your alarm to be a little earlier than you need to get up
  • Have your clothes for the next day planned out to save you time in the morning
  • Know your route to the test location

• Make sure you’re fully awake. The last thing you’ll want when entering an exam hall is to feel lethargic and not fully yourself. While getting enough sleep is a clear way to combat this, it might ot always be enough. Other techniques you can employ to feel alert are:

• • Focus your breathing and calm yourself
  • Listen to music that makes you happy and engaged
  • Get up 30 minutes early to give your brain time to wake up

• Eat a healthy breakfast. Good nutrition is another key factor in being your best self. You’re going to need a solid balance of nutrients to keep you feeling motivated, energized, and engaged during what could possibly be a long day. While you’ll know what foods are best for your body, some general tips in this regard are:

• • Make sure you eat something hearty that leaves you feeling full, but not bloated
  • Have a well-rounded meal which hits all the major food groups
  • Add healthy additions like fruit to morning cereal
  • Try to avoid eating any junk or processed foods

• Do some brain warm-up exercises. Just as you would warm-up before doing a physical activity or sport, the same applies for your brain with a test. Make sure to find some time to help get it energized and switched on. Effective ways of achieving this include:

• • Read part of a book you’re enjoying
  • Read the news and skim what’s happening in the world
  • Do some brain puzzles such as a crossword or sudoku
  • Try to avoid cramming anything for the test

• Bring the right snacks. While you obviously can’t eat during the exam, a light bite right beforehand can be a help give you a handy boost of energy. Again, it’s important to get anything nutritional right. With that in mind, follow the basic advice:

• • Bring water and other snacks that will keep you hydrated
  • Try to snack on natural and unprocessed foods
  • Chew on spearmint gum to help you keep awake, alert, and focused

• Stay calm when you arrive. Perhaps most importantly of all, try to keep calm. This is easier said than done, but there are ways you can try to stay on top of any nervous feelings. Some of the best mindfulness techniques are to:

• • Repeat positive affirmations to yourself
  • Get comfortable with and adjust to your surroundings
  • Turn your phone off and stay in the moment
  • Take deep breaths and try to lower your heart rate

Top tips for how to take tests 

Just as there’s plenty that can be done on the morning of an exam, so too are there actions you can take which make the process of taking a test less stressful. A successful approach to exams should see a balance between mind, body, and soul. That means getting organized, making sure you’re focused, and staying relaxed. Here are some of the best ways to do all that.

• Read through the questions first. If you’re taking an exam that only has a handful of questions, make sure to read through each before answering the first. This gives you time to think about what you want to say in later parts of the test, while also ensuring you avoid repeating yourself if two questions cover similar themes. It will also give you a good idea of how much time to dedicate to each section of the exam.

• Answer in an order that works for you. If the questions don’t need you to answer them in a set order, consider tackling them however suits you best. If there are ‘easier’ questions which you feel comfortable with, answering these might be a good way to build confidence. Getting easier questions out of the way early also guarantees you marks, without needing to rush through them at the end. Just be sure to show diligence when answering and don’t rush.

• Pay close attention to instructions. If there are additional instructions given out by an invigilator or on the exam sheet itself, make sure to heed them closely. This extends to things like the test times themselves, as well as how the assessment might be graded. Don’t miss out on critical information about the test because you’re not focusing.

• Do a brain dump. If you’re taking a test that might require you to remember a bunch of formulas, quickly write these out in a brain dump at the start of your exam. Having these all-important formulas ready to go will not only serve as a useful aid, but also give you a boost of confidence – as they show that you’re on top of things.

• Re-read your answers if you get time. If you’re fortunate enough to finish your exam with some time to spare, go back and read over what you’ve written. You might notice errors you’ve made, or that you need to provide additional clarity to bolster an argument.

Strategies for different exams types 

Not every exam follows the same beat. If you’re taking a math test, you’re not likely to need to write a 500-word essay. Likewise, history students shouldn’t have to remember any numeric formulas to analyze Japan’s role in World War Two.

While no two exams are exactly the same, there are a handful of common formats which an assessment is likely to follow. Each of these exam types will need a slightly different approach. Use the following test strategies depending on the kind you’re sitting.

1. Multiple choice. Try to think of multiple choice questions as a very detailed “true of false” selection. In most cases, you’re going to be met with one true statement and then three or four false ones. Just as with true and false questions, look for absolute qualifiers to help you eliminate possible answers.

If you’re stuck, eliminate the answers you know are false and then look in detail at the wording of those you’re unsure about. Even if you still don’t feel fully confident, you can now guess between much fewer options (assuming there’s no penalty for an incorrect answer). If you are penalized for errors, leave the answer blank.

Answers that appear strange and unrelated to the question are often wrong. Also, spot to see if there are two answers with very similar wording or results. The chances are high that one of these will be the correct answer, with the other included to throw you off. If that’s the case, you just need to decipher which is correct.

2. Short answers. These types of questions exist to help you provide very short and succinct answers – usually to show you have a solid understanding of a subject. In most cases, these will be definitive answers rather than an abstract concept that needs to be discussed.

The trick here is to write down enough to get full marks, but not to waste your time by writing down every little thing you know about the subject you’re discussing. A good trick is to look at how many marks a short answer question is worth as a percentage of the total exam. If it’s just a 1-2%, a few sentences is likely enough. If it’s 10% or more, it might be worth demonstrating your expertise.

If there are multiple short answer questions on your test, read through them all first. Start by answering the ones you definitely know the answers to. Next, tackle those you’re fairly confident about. Leave the questions you’re unsure of until last, to ensure you aren’t rushing to write answers for those you will definitely score marks for.

For these uncertain final questions, use logic as a substitute for knowledge wherever possible. For example, if a question is asking why Odysseus is seen weeping in his first scene in the Odyssey, but you aren’t sure why, you could stumble into the right answer by making the educated guess that it might be because he misses his family and homeland.

3. Essay answers. If you’re taking an essay-based exam, the best advice is to have a detailed knowledge of your source material. These kinds of questions evaluate your understanding and comprehension of the subject matter at hand – but that also doesn’t mean they’re looking for you to fill the page with a list of everything you know about the topic.

Try to pick out all the keywords used in this type of question. Circle those which are included and think in detail about exactly what’s being asked of you. For much guidance on how to do that, jump to this section.

The key here is to address the answer to your question in your first paragraph, then reinforce this in your conclusion. The bulk of your essay should be evidence-based points which support your argument, with detailed analysis used to demonstrate both your critical thinking and knowledge of the subject matter.

Remember that an essay question will rarely have a definitive right or wrong answer. So what you’re saying doesn’t need to be absolutely unchallengeable, it just needs to be coherent, well thought out, and have a unifying core message that’s tied together via your supporting evidence.

For practicality’s sake, think about double-spacing your essay to make it easier to read for an examiner, and make sure to proofread it after you’re finished.

4. True or false. While not the most common type of exam format, true or false questions are not unheard of. The beauty of these is that, as long as you’re not punished for incorrect answers, you always have a 50% chance of getting them right. That means hazarding a guess is easier than on more general queries.

With that in mind, there are still techniques you can use to make this kind of exam easier. For example, look for qualifiers. Qualifiers are words that provide an absolute to a statement – such as always, never, none, every, all, no, or entirely. These extreme statements should rarely be answered as true. For example, a statement saying “all kids love chocolate” might be correct in most circumstances, but it negates the possibility of any exceptions.

Also, be sure to read the entire statement in full. All parts of the question have to be entirely true or false for it to fall into one of those categories. Don’t rush to an answer because you think you know what the question is asking.

5. Matching questions. These kinds of questions aren’t particularly common, but they could crop up on science or math exams. Their purpose is to have a student spot similarities between a collection of themes, images, or sentences, and then connect them together.

A good trick for this kind of assessment is to begin by making sure the number of matches is equal on both sides. If it isn’t, it means there might be a few red herrings in there (or answers that match up with more than one thing).

Make sure to read all the potential answers on both sides before choosing to match items. It could be that two things appear to match, but are actually better suited to something that appears later on.

Clarifying key words in test questions 

Language is one of the most powerful tools you can possess. When it comes to certain types of exams having a good vocabulary isn’t just a benefit, it’s a must. The subtle nuances of essay questions mean that you might be faced with any number of adjectives in order to answer a question properly. While some might seem simple, others could leave you scratching your head over how best to proceed.

When answering questions, try to remember what each descriptive word is actually asking from you:

Word	Description	What it means in the context of the exam
Analyze	Examine the the structure or details of something methodically	Show how different parts of a narrative or topic mesh together, and provide clear evidence for any patterns.
Compare	Highlight the similarities between two concepts	Show how any similarities exist between two separate bodies of text or thematic ideas. Do this by providing evidence.
Contrast	Highlight the differences between two concepts	Show how any differences exist between two separate bodies of text or thematic ideas. Do this by providing evidence.
Critique	Judge or analyze	Explain what is both wrong and right about a topic. Do this using your own critical insight, as well as with supporting evidence from scholars or provided subject matter.
Define	Describe the meaning of a phrase of concept	Use your own words to accurately describe something in order to demonstrate you have a comprehensive knowledge of it.
Discuss	Talk about a theme or concept, giving critical insight	Lay out what the key question you’re answering is, then provide a clear point of discussion centered around relevant data and information.
Explain	Provide further clarity or context on a subject	Outline your thoughts clearly and concisely to provide clarity on a subject matter.
Illustrate	Provide emotive and clear examples	Use examples from class material or a reading assignment to make a detailed point.
Prove	Provide evidence to highlight why something is true	Use specific data and processes related to your class materials to highlight why a thesis is or isn’t accurate on a given subject.