Examination Techniques

Now that the examinations are here many students must be under tremendous stress. But it is not just the students who are stressed as teachers and parents too face the same situation. Why do people get stressed? Adolescents are faced with the demands of their developmenta tasks and that of a complex society. They need to acquire skills of adjustment to emerge into adulthood unaffected by these demands. If they lack these skills or if too many demands are made on them, they fail. Students are anxious as they are worried about whether they would be able to live up to the expectations of their peers, parents and teachers. Optimal anxiety motivates and keeps them ahead but over-anxiety disables. Anxiety is contagious and passes to other students, teachers and parents. Adolescents, when stressed out, tend to perceive everything as an emergency. Some of the reasons for increase in stress level are identity crisis, the need to make career oriented decisions, teachers/parents attitude and pee

It is natural to feel nervous before an examination. The more prepared you feel, the easier it will be to conquer your fears. Create a revision plan to help you feel in control of the process Plan your work carefully around the topics you need to focus on. Being aware of gaps in your knowledge can create nerves, but having a plan of how you will fill these will make you feel better. Find out what is involved in the exam:  (i) where and when it will take place (ii) how much time is allowed (iii) how many questions you need to answer Think positive Keep the exam in context – even if you do badly, there will be other options open to you Allow yourself some fun-time each day to relax Eat sensibly – your brain cells need energy to function well. Make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated. Dehydration makes you tired and reduces concentration

Although time may be short, you can still make a difference to your grade. Try and prioritise; do what you can.   Use your revision tools (prompts, diagrams etc) to check final facts Keep calm and consolidate your existing knowledge rather than trying to learn new topics Don’t stay up all night revising; being overtired will not help you to do your best