What To Do Just Before An Exam or Test
Equipment
Prepare any equipment you may need and are allowed to bring into the exam room.
The basic items are:
- highlighter
- pens (bring three, and test them to make sure they all work beforehand)
- pencils (also bring three, so you don't have to waste time sharpening)
- eraser - ensure that your eraser is a good one, and not one of those terrible ones that just smudge your writing until it is unreadable instead of rubbing it out. These days most pencil questions are multiple choice, which is marked by a machine that will not give you any points if it seems more than one answer is coloured in. If you have an eraser smudge, you could lose the mark.
- ruler - make sure it has no writing on it that could be construed as cheat notes!
- a watch, so you can keep an eye on the time
- a bottle of water
You might also be able to bring (check on these):
- dictionary - if it has an inbuilt thesaurus, make sure to check whether that's okay.
- calculator - bring spare batteries, and make sure your type of calculator is allowed in. Sometimes, only calculators without memories are welcome.
- notes
- blank paper
Right before the exam
Staying calm is really important here. Remember, it's just a glorified test! You've done all you can do, and stressing isn't going to help.
If you feel a little bit anxious, this is actually good for you. This will keep you focused during the exam, meaning you will do the best you can.
Try to stay away from anybody who's panicking. You'll start panicking too if you have the misfortune to be near someone saying how it's gonna be hard and that they're going to fail.
During the exam
Stay calm! If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, stop, take a drink of water, and then continue. Take it one question at a time, and find somewhere to write down the numbers of questions you aren't sure on, so that if you have time you can come back to them.
Work out how much time you should be spending on each mark, and try to not go over it. Remember, if you are finding it hard, chances are most other people are finding it hard too.
