Lots of things can go wrong or right on the day of your exam and we can often spend time worrying about what is to come when the big day arrives.
To help reduce these anxieties, there are a number of things that you can do to aptly prepare yourself before it gets to exam day rather than simply panicking at the last minute.
My Accounting Exam Accelerator Programme focuses on the academic side as well as the parts we can easily forget, including the non-studying side of exam preparation, so you can be reassured that no topic will be left unaddressed, no matter its direct relevance to accountancy.
Here are some of my top tips for how to ensure you are properly prepared before you enter into exam circumstances, including ways to manage the paper the moment it’s in front of you and how to test your skills before the dreaded day.
1. Location, Location, Location
One simple step that can trip up a multitude of people is not knowing exactly where your exam is and at what time it starts.
Check in advance where it is being held and if you’re not familiar with the location go visit it in advance so you know precisely where you are meant to be and you can even check how long it takes to get there so you can plan your journey accordingly.
2. Know What You’re Up Against
Would you know the structure of the exam, the amount of sections, how many questions there will be, which questions are compulsory or how long the exam takes overall?
If not, it’s important to recognise the logistics before you begin the exam so that you’re prepared on the day, something that can easily be achieved by completing a plethora of past papers under timed conditions – you can read more on the importance of completing mock papers in my blog Why Past Papers Are Your Best Revision Tool.
Even with tailored revision centering on your exam conditions, you might find yourself going blank, so simply speak to the invigilator and don’t begin until you’re absolutely sure of what to do.
3. Practise Speedy Answers
Most professional exams are now done online, so getting your typing speed up whilst not rushing your answers is worth the effort of practising at home.
If you don’t practise before an exam, you might be surprised at how difficult it is to type in an efficient manner, including how many mistakes you might be making when trying to type quickly.
My blog 4 Ways To Improve Your Typing Speed & Accuracy covers different techniques you can try to boost the two most crucial parts of a computer exam (aside from the content you’re writing about), and my What To Know About Online Accounting Exams blog is also a great read to ensure you aren’t going in blind.
Should you know that you do have an in-person, written exam coming up, it’s important to brush up on your handwriting to make sure it’s legible whilst still maintaining a good pace.
4. Divide Your Time
Before an exam, when you’re double and triple checking how many and what sort of questions you’ve got to do, make a plan of how long you’re going to spend on each question – successful students often know how they’re going to approach a paper as well as how to portion out their time so they don’t end up with a blank question at the end.
Crucially, whatever your timing plan is, you must stick to it religiously, however tempting it may be to give yourself another few minutes to squeeze in one last point.
It’s imperative that you attempt all questions as no marks can be given for blank spaces but you can gain some for a brief start at one, so stick to your allocated time frame to reach those final questions and write something down.
5. Read The Question
In most exams these days, you’ll have to select one or two questions from a range presented to you, so take a deep breath and read every question carefully before choosing which one sounds the best.
The difference between taking five seconds to read the question and half a minute reading it is not that big, but the difference in your answer could be huge.
6. Plan Long Answers
As I’m sure you’ve been told a million times before, plan your long answers or essay questions, because this will enable you to write quickly, confidently and construct better answers.
Utilise your allotted 30 minutes of reading time at the start of the exam to brainstorm your ideas on the paper and use this as a checklist to cover all the main issues and points you want to raise.
7. Don’t Waste Your Time
Wasting time on less important areas is pointless when you’re against the clock, so don’t lose sight of your end goal.
Stick to writing about the big issues or topic and mention a minor detail in passing if you feel it is 100% relevant and won’t take too much time, but don’t go into excessive detail and risk jeopardising your schedule.
8. Implement Reduced Time Techniques
If you do find yourself running out of time on the last few questions, briefly list the points you would have made and give short examples if you can.
Whilst you won’t ever be able to achieve full marks from producing a mind dump or bullet points as you would for a fleshed-out answer, your rough explanations should gain you some extra credit.
9. Final 15 Mins
By dedicating 15 minutes at the end of your exam to any extra points you may need to make or loose ends that need tying up, you will provide yourself with more confidence in tackling any problems encountered.
Go back through your test and check that you are happy with what has been written, resisting the temptation to end your exam early as this is time you will truly never get back.
Assess your spelling and rewrite any illegible, hastily-scrawled words if you’ve sat the exam in-person – even if you don’t change anything, you’ll feel better having checked and you won’t be left thinking ‘what if’.