4 Test-Taking Tips to Help Prepare for Your Next Exam

Our go-to test-taking tips.

Whether you’re new to online courses, or it’s been awhile since you’ve had to take an academic test, sitting down to prepare beforehand can be stressful if you don’t have a plan. Here are some of our favorite tips to help you succeed and get the most out of your program.

How to prepare before a test.

Did you know that the average person forgets about 90% of the new material they learned or read within just 24 hours? Make sure you remember as much as possible by

• Studying and reviewing your notes regularly.
• “Overlearning” the material to increase your comprehension and recall.
• Keeping what you learn fresh in your mind so that you can remember it!

What should you do during the test?

Sitting down to actually take the exam can be a little scary. You’ve studied though, and you’ve got the material in your mind, you just need to shake it out. Anxiety doesn’t help so do these things to stay calm and collected for your test.

• Stay positive going into the exam. Your frame of mind is important and can affect how you do! Even questions that may seem confusing at first can be figured out with patience, an open mind, and a positive attitude.
• Preview the exam before you begin! If you know what you should be prepared for, you’ll be less anxious and feel like you studied the right material.
• Answer the questions that you know first. You’ll build your confidence and you might find clues within the test that will help you answer the questions you aren’t sure about.
• Make sure to check your answers before submitting! This is especially important when you’re completing your exams online. You may have accidentally clicked an answer you weren’t intending to. Taking a few minutes to review can save you from a lower grade.

What happens after the exam?

• Review the exam to give yourself a general idea of how you’re learning the information you’re studying. If you’re having problems, it can be an alert that you should reach out for help from an instructor or tutor.
• Review the questions you got wrong. Did you maybe misunderstand what the question was asking? Is it the material you couldn’t remember? Finding this out can help you improve how you take your next exam.
• Stay calm and focus on review what you got wrong and what you did right. Even if you’re not happy with the grade, you can still learn something and do better next time!

Make a plan.

A test plan can help you prepare for any exam coming your way. It’s a simple outline of how you’re going to use your time and resources to get ready for the test. You should make sure to plan things such as

• When you’ll study.
• Where you’ll study.
• What your goals for each study session should be.
• What you’ll judge your progress by.
• What to do if you need extra time.
• How you’ll test your knowledge through tools like practice tests, study groups, and quizzes.
• How you’ll use the feedback from a test to help you improve your test prep for next time.

If you take time to prepare and feel good about the knowledge you’re picking up, you can tackle your next exam with confidence and stay on track to reach your goals.