You can go over your notes the night before and on the day of your exam, as long as it’s not the only revision you do. Sometimes it’s less stressful to sit and quietly focus your thoughts before an exam instead of trying to cram in extra information.
Give yourself a few minutes to think about your essay question and plan the points you want to make. It doesn’t have to be long – a few bullet points will do.
Create your own personal exam kit: extra pens, scrap paper, water, snacks, a watch to keep track of time, comfortable clothes, and any books or special aids.
Check the time and place of your exam and plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the start. There might be a last-minute venue change, or your transport might be late.
Break exam questions down to make sure you really understand what is being asked, to have a better chance at getting full marks for it. Look for the key parts in the question to get clues on how to answer it.
Plan how long to spend on each exam answer and the order in which you’ll answer them. Start with the questions you’re most confident with.
In an exam, read the instructions and scan the whole paper. Check how many pages there are and how much each question is worth.
Talking to other students about the exam before the exam could confuse you or make you lose confidence in yourself. If you talk about it after, you may start to doubt yourself and stress out if you think you made a mistake.
Stick to what you already know when studying the night before an exam to avoid making yourself nervous trying to learn new information. Review your notes and test yourself on key points.
Check your exam timetable so you know when and where you’ll be sitting the exam. Make sure you have everything you’ll need to take with you – calculator, pencil, ruler, etc.