Ten tips for passing written exams  

1. Be prepared, get up early before the exam.
Prepare all you need in advance: pens, pencils, calculator, dictionary, etc. It will make you focus on the task.

2. Relax and don’t lose faith in yourself.
Try not to worry. Avoid talking to other students before the exam: excitement is contagious. Instead, remind yourself that you are well prepared and will certainly pass the exam well. If you get nervous during the exam, take a slow deep breath to relax.

3. Be calm and self-disciplined.
Take a comfortable place.Make sure you have enough working space. Keep your posture straight.

4.Take a look at the task.
Spend 10% of the time to careful reading of the task, highlighting key points and making a decision how to allocate your time. At the beginning answer easy questions and put aside the most difficult ones to have more time to think on them at the end. After reading questions write down ideas that can be used for responding.

5. Think on what you are going to write.
Make a plan including the ideas you are going to present. Number them clearly according to the order in which you are going to present them.

6. Answer questions in a considered manner.
Start with easy and high-value questions, the answers to which you know. At the end think on the most difficult and extensional questions which require many calculations or detailed response, or on those that would give you a few points.

7. If you must choose the correct answer from several options try to guess.
First of all, eliminate the answers that you are sure are wrong. Always try to guess if you have sufficient grounds to exclude options. Usually the first choice is correct so don’t change your answers if you are not sure.

8. Try to answer to the point.
Describe your main idea in the first sentence. In the first paragraph make an overview of your essay. After it expand the outlined concepts in detail. Add to your answers more information, examples, excerpts from textbooks or lecture notes.

9. Devote 10% of test time to reviewing your answers.
Look through the test and don’t stop until you have reviewed all the items. Make sure you answered all the questions. If you have time check spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If you are taking a math exam check your answers for careless mistakes.

10. Analyze your results.
Each exam prepares you for the next one. Decide what strategies are right for you. Find out which of them don’t work, and don’t use them in future. Use your test papers for preparation for the end-of-course exams.


http://www.learning-mind.com/ten-tips-for-passing-written-exams/