Exam Tips

Besides the usual practice, be careful, spot questions, do mind maps, I shared with a class some personal exam tips and most found them amusing - to the extent of being ludicrous. Do share with me your exam tips.

Tip 1. Use the same model of pen from Day 1. Buy in bulk.
Reason: To be familiar with the pen, feel how it rolls as you write. As my friend recollected, 2 of her pens ran out of ink by her 3rd last paper during O-levels.

Tip 2: Only use waterproof ink pens, eg. ball-point pens. Never use gel-based pens.
Reason: If water is accidentally spilled on the script, the ink will smudge. Markers, who are also humans, drink water so the probability of water spillage is extremely high.

Tip 3: Learn how to tie your script with a string.
Reason: If you tie too tightly, the paper will rip when you flip them so tie loosely and the knot is tight. If you try to tie a butterfly knot, the string provided is too short. So learn how to tie the string.

Tip 4: Write your FULL name and attempted Qns no. on every page of your script.
Reason: The string may break. To rearrange the answers in order. The marker don't know your nickname.

Tip 5: Stay awake and focused.
Reason: Every minute you doze off/ day dream/ look at your crush, is one minute wasted to think about or answer the question. A close friend even refused to go to the toilet during Chemistry examinations because he was afraid of not completing the paper. In the end, he sh*t in his pants and was ridiculed for the entire year (life). Seem embarrassing but this is a sacrifice that determined students make to get an 'A'. Crazy huh?

Tip 6: Exercise your hand
Reason: Especially for essay papers, one may need to write more than 10 pages in 90 minutes so your hand will get tired. Unless you are ambidextrous like my husband who can write with either hand, do some warm-up exercises before the paper. He learnt to write with both hands because his History paper was extremely tough. Again, crazy but logical strategies that the elites adopt to achieve their goals!

Tip 7: Visualise how you will react and feel when you are doing and completed the paper
Reason: Self-fulfilling prophecy. If you feel like a failure or imagine that the paper is going to kill you, you are more likely not to do well. When I study, I like to imagine whatever I am studying is going to come out in the examinations and I can score full marks. When the examiner reads my script, he will go, "Hmm... this person deserves an A!" hahaha... sounds so silly but I don't know why, the topics that I studied (spotted) usually are tested in the examinations. Maybe this makes me arrogant - not much major failures in my life or they may be failures but I don't see them in similar ways (denial?)

Tip 8: Always check your answers. (contributed by Vivian, my Uni mate)
Reason: Check for errors to minimise careless mistakes and reduce unnecessary loss of marks. My Math prodigy friends used to do their Math paper TWICE before the stipulated time is up. To quote these geniuses, "No room for error. Check, check, checkmate!"

Tip 9: Bring a jacket (contributed by Vivian, my Uni mate)
Reason: Especially when the examination hall is air-conditioned, it may get too cold which affects your concentration. If you need absolute silence to concentrate, bring ear plugs too.

Tip 10: Good time management and practise under timed conditions
Reason: Do not listen to music when you study. Music relaxes you but you may not perform well when no music is played. To get used to examination conditions (where there is no music, sitting alone), one should always practise examination papers in similar conditions (eg. limited time).

Ok, need to set Mid-year examination questions now!