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Education Experts Reveal Their Top Tips On How To Prepare For Exams

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Exam seasons are one of the most stressful times of a student’s education experience, with 16.4% of students experiencing high levels of test anxiety. For many, this anxiety can become incredibly overwhelming, leaving knock-on effects on their performance.

With January exams around the corner, the education experts at Legacy Online School have revealed 10 tips to help students prepare for the exam season and prevent test anxiety.

Top five revision tips to boost your study game

1. Make a realistic revision schedule

Well ahead of your test day you should work out how much time you have to study and what you must study. Once you determine this, break it down into manageable chunks that suit you.

Recently, cramming has become a viral study hack on TikTok with creator Kay Chung regularly racking up more than 1 million views per video on the study technique. Although 99% of students admit to cramming, studies suggest that spacing (spreading your learning over time in short sessions) is far more effective than cramming at the last minute for 90% of people.

2. Try the Pomodoro study technique

Silence or noise, flashcards or books, everybody learns differently so finding what works for you is incredibly important.

One technique in particular is going viral on TikTok at the moment with videos regularly amassing more than 1 million views - the Pomodoro technique. A study hack used to minimise burnout and maximise productivity

The Pomodoro study technique

Study for 25 minutes

Take a 5 minute break

Repeat three more times

Take a longer break (15-30 minutes)

3. Take breaks and reward yourself

When studying it can be tempting to allocate the entire day to sit at your desk and study but this can do more harm than good. Make sure to take frequent breaks, some neurological studies suggest that mental fatigue kicks in after 60-90 minutes of continuous cognitive effort.

Remember that hard work deserves a reward, and studying doesn't need to be boring, so rewarding yourself after studying will help you maximise your success.

4. Stress management techniques

This can be a stressful time for you, so supplementing study time with stress management techniques is paramount. It’s no secret that sleep, exercise, and healthy eating are incredibly important for your general health as well as memory, and stress management.

5. Ask for help

If you are struggling to organise your study schedule or are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, reach out to one of the many people ready to help you, whether it is your teacher, tutor, family, friends, or mental health professional. Turning to others for advice can lead to cultivating some long-term strategies for test-taking anxiety management.

Top five tips for test day success

1. Get a good night's sleep

It’s common for students to lose sleep before exams due to stress and anxiety but a good night's sleep is necessary for your memory, improves academic performance, and helps reduce the stress and anxiety associated with tests. Make sure to get to sleep early the night before your test, don’t stay up late studying!

2. Eat a healthy breakfast

A hearty breakfast with healthy protein, fats, and complex carbohydrates will help alleviate your stress, keep you fuller for longer, and boost your brain power.

3. Breathing techniques

Breathing techniques are commonly used to lower heart rate and stress, so if you are feeling particularly anxious or overwhelmed on the day, try breathing techniques such as the 4-7-8 technique.

4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Breathe in through your nose for four seconds,

Hold for seven seconds

Breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds,

Repeat up to four times.

4. Arrive early

Arriving late to your test puts extra stress on yourself and adds the risk of not being allowed to sit the test. So, arrive early to make sure you are there in good time and it allows you to get into the ‘zone’ before starting the test.

5. Positive rituals

A positive mindset is key for test success, creating positive rituals will help beat test anxiety and create a calm mental space on your test day. Whether that's a walk beforehand, visualising yourself acing the test, or a treat after the exam they will all help create a positive association with testing.

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