Counselling Suite

Studying for tests and exams

With our Year 12s finishing up this week, I thought it timely to discuss some tips for studying for tests and exams. These skills can apply to students in most year levels, not just the senior years. In fact, the earlier students start developing good study habits, the greater the likelihood of them being able to manage their stress levels and achieve success in later years.

Be prepared: An obvious one but also very important. Students will benefit greatly from starting their study for tests and exams in advance. I am not talking hours and hours each night but 15-20 minutes/night from 1-2 weeks in advance should suffice. The more exposure students have to test and exam material and the more opportunities they have to practice skills, the greater the likelihood of this information being stored in their long-term memories. When information/skills are stored in the long-term memory, they can easily be retrieved (and will be remembered after the test/exam). When skills have been practiced regularly (i.e. maths processes) they can be performed with a degree of automaticity, freeing up cognitive resources for other complexities. Preparation is also a great antidote to test or exam-related anxiety! Compare how you’d feel walking in to an exam with no preparation, to walking in to an exam with lots of preparation…
Do practice tests/exams: This seems to be a foreign concept to some students and it baffles me… Practice tests and exams are probably one of the best ways to prepare for the real thing. Students should use a timer and replicate the test/exam conditions to benefit most. Chances are, there will be some similar questions covered. Moreover, they are great preparation for the test/exam conditions and help students to increase their time awareness, which is very important (i.e. how long they should dedicate to different questions/parts).
If you’re not prepared… CRAM! I know this might sound contradictory and I am certainly not encouraging students to do this all the time, however, if students have not prepared for tests/exams with a couple of nights to go, then it’s important to encourage them not to give up. They will still benefit from last minute preparation (reading, writing notes, doing practice tests). Sure, they might not remember a thing once they finish the test/exam, but last minute study is much better than no study and students who cram can still experience success.
Repetition is key: I might sound as though I’m reiterating myself a bit here as this one is closely linked to preparation. It’s very helpful for students to read/see their notes/be exposed to test material a lot though. As previously discussed, increased exposure to test/exam material leads enables that info to be stored in the long-term memory. So encourage students to post materials around the house. I remember that I used to stick a copy of the quotes I needed to memorise for my English exam on the bathroom mirror so I’d see them when I’d brush my teeth. Students could post notes on the pinboard above their desks. Take them to the breakfast table to skim over (it’ll be more helpful than scrolling through Instagram while drinking while having a morning coffee). Attach them to the back of the toilet door. Encourage students to self-test as well – if there’s something they need to memorise, encourage them to read over notes, then write out what they need to know or use an audio recorder and say it. They can keep repeating this process until they are able to recall all of the details. Parents can also assist with this by taking a copy of the student’s notes and asking them questions about them. You don’t need to understand the subject material to do this – it can be as simple as, “tell me what you know about x”.
Revisit previously learned material regularly: Students may feel as though they’ve mastered one component of the test/exam revision which is fantastic, then they move on to study something else and never look back. It is important, however, to revisit previously learned material to consolidate knowledge. This will, once again, help with memory storage and retrieval under test conditions.
Write up a study plan: Encourage students to plan out their days during swot vac. They should record all of their exam dates, then map out when they plan to focus on various subjects during their time off. Encourage them to schedule in breaks as well. These days can easily be wasted but getting students to plan out their days can help to keep them accountable (as well as having the benefit of reducing anxiety as it will make things more predictable).
Take breaks: It’s important for students not to overdo it in the lead up to exams/tests. Make time for things that help them to relax and that they enjoy. They will then be more productive during their study time.
Encourage healthy routines: this includes eating, sleeping, exercise, screen time and relaxation.
Visualisation: This is particularly helpful for students who experience test/exam anxiety. If they are able to visualise themselves walking in to the exam setting, taking a seat, taking out their pens/paper, starting the exam and working through a difficult test item, then they will be more likely to be able to do this in real life. Visualisation can be like a rehearsal.
Plan for and develop strategies for challenges: If students have some strategies up their sleeve for what to do if they are having trouble working something out, then it can be less overwhelming for them when confronted with this in the test/exam setting. For example, I often talk to students about skipping a question they are struggling with and placing a mark on it to remind them to return to it if they have time. Sometimes, when they spend too much time on a difficult question, they can become distressed and judgement is clouded, and this can impact on confidence for subsequent questions.
Maintain perspective: remind students that although important, tests and exams are not necessarily predictors of life success and/or happiness.

If you are concerned about your child’s test or exam preparation or anxiety, then they might benefit from counselling support. Referrals for counselling support can be made by completing the counselling referral form and sending it to counselling@bps.sa.edu.au

Dr Lucinda Clifford

PSYCHOLOGIST