Exams Start Today! Tips and Tricks to Help You Perform Your Best
Posted: 12th May 2025
Eat a good healthy breakfast before your exam.
Bring in brain-healthy snacks, like walnuts, and bananas, and a proper lunch (as appropriate) to have between or before exams.
Be prepared – know which exam and which paper you will be writing for, for each session and ensure you have all the correct equipment for that exam. Know the room, the time and check this repeatedly alongside the student portal app and the noticeboard in Queen Square.
Revision – no doubt your recent mock exam results will highlight the gaps in your revision. Take note! Now is the time to fill in those gaps with revision prompt cards in break-times and lunch time.
Past papers, past papers, past papers, past papers… yes it’s been said before, there is no better way to test your knowledge and to refine your techniques than by practicing with past papers. Remember to check your answers alongside the mark scheme. Do as many as exist – that way you will be fully prepared.
Drink plenty of water (not caffeinated or high sugar drinks!) Brain function is improved by 5% just by sipping water!
Sleep well the night before – sometimes this is easier said than done, but a good night’s sleep allows you to access all your vital memory stores. However, don’t panic if you are nervous and don’t sleep well the night before – Usain Bolt never slept the night before a race and he did OK. We can get by on a bit of adrenaline for a day without losing too much brain function for the next exam.
Use any and every minute of each exam. There is a reason they are the length they are or a reason why you have been awarded extra time. USE IT WISELY.
Please listen to all last minute advice from your teachers and follow it.
Keep going, think of the long summer you have ahead of you.
