Difficult questions aren’t the main reason why people fail exams. In fact, research suggests that ineffective studying is the top factor why many students perform less than optimally in exam papers, on essay questions, and even when faced with multiple-choice questions.

If you’re getting ready for an important exam, you’re probably thinking about strategies that will help optimize your performance. Luckily, numerous approaches can be employed to calm your nerves, get your brain functioning, and perform well under pressure.

Why a Strategic Approach Is Very Important When Taking a Test

Knowing the correct answer is obviously very important to achieve success during a test but knowledge isn’t the only factor to be considered. You also need to be strategic about allocating your time, handling difficult questions in the most effective way, and controlling your emotions so they don’t overshadow critical thinking.

For example, you need familiarity with the type of test you’re going to take – facing a certain type of question for the very first time can throw you off (even if you’re very knowledgeable). That’s why you can count on practice exams and strategies aimed at sharpening your long-term memory.

Here’s a simple example that highlights why tactic matters. Imagine coming across challenging questions that you simply don’t know the answer to. If you panic, there’s a serious chance of wasting too much time and energy on the problematic inquiry instead of moving on to cover the entire exam.

When you’re prepared, you’ll scan over the test to get a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. Armed with this type of information, you can move on quickly to fill out as much accurate information as possible.

Acing Future Tests: Best Strategies to Employ

Whether you have an important exam coming up or you’d like to be generally prepared for future tests, various strategies can help you strengthen your acumen and maintain composure in challenging situations.

Taking a look at the personality of a “good” test-taker is always a good starting point. Good taste-takers are very effective in terms of time management and they’re also exceptional at self-control and managing emotions. Achieving these goals and coming up with the right learning strategy will help you enhance your performance during future tests significantly.

Preparing Mentally and Emotionally

Test anxiety is real and can have a big impact on your performance and thinking functions. Unfortunately, deep breaths during a test will often be insufficient to help you calm down and focus.

To prepare mentally and emotionally for an exam, you may want to employ the following strategies:

Get plenty of sleep the night before the exam, even if you feel that you need every minute to study. If you haven’t managed to acquire the needed knowledge in the days leading up to the test, you probably won’t be able to make up for the lost time in one night.
Come up with a plan for a worst-case scenario – imagine different situations that could challenge you and determine adequate solutions. Knowing you’re prepared for all possible scenarios will give you much-needed serenity.
Drink plenty of water and exercise in the days leading up to the test. Proper nutrition and exercise will help you control stress hormones and feel more in control of your emotions.
Have realistic expectations. Your level of anxiety is proportional to pushing yourself too hard. If you have a very precise vision of what you’re capable of achieving, you’ll face the test in a much calmer state of mind.
Dedicate plenty of time to getting ready and find yourself a study buddy. The positive attitude and calmness of someone else will easily rub off on you.
Maintain a positive attitude toward tests. View them as opportunities rather than obstacles along the way.
Do lots of practice tests, brush up on essential study skills, and get in that “exam mindset.” The more prepared you are, the easier you’ll find it to control the fear stemming from the unknown.

Employing the Best Learning Strategies

To do a good job during an exam, you’ll need to be prepared enough. Difficult exams usually encompass a lot of material and could feature multiple elements – an exam essay, multiple-choice tests, listening sections, etc. It’s also important to know if you’ll be penalized for a wrong answer and whether employing blank answers makes sense.

Some of the most effective studying strategies to count on when getting ready are:

Employ active learning: An approach that involves thinking, analyzing, and being logical or even critical when going over educational material. Acquire study skills and even life skills based on your learning outcomes, dedicate plenty of time to structuring your material and revise lectures to extract the most important information.
Use flashcards or any other learning tool that works well for you: Some people internalize information by rewriting their notes while others need to verbally structure and present the information to someone in order to make the most sense of it. Choose the approach that aligns best with your thinking.
Employ the SQ3R method: The abbreviation stands for survey, question, read, recite, review.
Try retrieval practice methods: Quizzes, worksheets, concept maps, and writing prompts.

Test-Taking Techniques to Optimize Results

Good techniques apply to all types of exams – from pop quizzes to tests featuring various multiple-answer choices and standardized tests with complex answer sheets. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Listen to the instructions and scan over the entire test to identify potential challenges and opportunities for excellent performance.
If the exam requires a lot of information, take a few minutes to write down the most important formulas, facts, and other pieces of data you may need later on in order to answer correctly.
Always start by answering the questions you know.
When you’re done, move back to the questions you’ve skipped.
Dedicate enough time to a systematic review of your answers – going back can help you pinpoint mistakes.
If your anxiety about tests starts creeping in, dedicate a few minutes to calming yourself and getting rid of the negative voices in your head.

The Test Day Is Here! What Now?

Start with the day before! Take some time to relax, overcome sleep deprivation and try some calming breathing exercises. A relaxing breathing technique can be mastered in a few minutes and it will be very beneficial during the test itself. Sleep restriction, on the other hand, takes some time to overcome.

If you manage to sleep well and get your batteries recharged, you’ll be setting yourself up for success on the test day itself.

Check out a few other things that can help you get into the right test-taking state of mind:

Arrive on time and give yourself a few moments to calm down and take some relaxed breaths (this way you’ll also overcome the common fight or flight response that’s typical for people faced with stressful situations).
Control your negative thinking through positive affirmations.
Have something to eat – you don’t want your blood sugar levels plummeting in the middle of the exam.
Warm up your brain with a favorite book or a puzzle (avoid going over the exam material before the test).
Wear comfortable clothes.
Hydrate throughout the exam – a bottle of water is a must-have.

It doesn’t matter if you’re taking computerized tests, exam essays, or a two-hour exam for college admission. The approach is always going to be the same. If you have studied enough and know how to master your emotions, you will do a good job. Being strategic about answering questions is another approach that will improve your performance even further.