Top 10 Mistakes to avoid during exams

Exams subject us to an uncomfortable amount of pressure which can make us feel as though this absolute sum of our education is landing us in this one exclusive chance to prove ourselves. However, the pressure and the stress of the exam situation can lead us to make some silly mistakes which can cost you a lot of marks. But, if you keep calm and plan well, you can avoid these mistakes and prevent losing out on those precious marks. Better exam techniques can definitely make a world of difference. So, here are the 10 mistakes you must strictly try to avoid during exams.

Not reading the question properly

The first piece of advice that every teacher ever gave you for the exams is this and please know that no matter what grade you are in, you cannot overlook this piece of advice. There are questions whose answers go up to a couple of pages. So, if you get the wrong end of the stick at the beginning, you may end up wasting a lot of time and this will definitely cost you your precious marks.

Tips: Highlight the most important words of the question and read the question twice or thrice to know what the examiner is really asking.

Not doing past papers

If your teacher provides you with all the last year papers and you still don’t find time to look through each one of them ten times over, then it is totally your fault. These past year papers tell you exactly what you can expect from your exam paper.

Tip: Your questions may be worded differently but if you can answer the questions from the last 5 years, you’ll be ok. 

Cramming the night before

There’s no doubt that you do have the ability to pick up small bits of information in the few hours before the exam; however, more important than studying for those extra two or three hours is ensuring that you get a pleasant good night’s sleep. When you rest well, you’ll be able to think fast and recall things more quickly.

Tip: Go to bed quickly!

Stressing out when other people write loads

The very fact that the person sitting next to you has written the complete Harry Potter series while you have only added a smiley in front of your name doesn’t mean that they are any better than you. As long as you are confident about what you are doing and have put in enough thought and revision, what others around are doing is irrelevant.

Starting with the hardest questions

You may wish to tackle the hardest stuff first but this certainly is not going to be the best idea. The idea is to collect marks in your bank rather than tackling questions that you may not be sure of.

Tip: Start with questions you are confident about.

Eating the wrong foods beforehand

Consuming too many carbs like pasta, bread or chips right before an exam is going to make you feel sluggish. So, strictly avoid such a diet and keep it simple.

Tip: Your pre exam diet has to be all about protein.

Not knowing when to move on

There may be times in your exam, when you get a question from your favorite chapter, section or topic. That’s when you may want to go on and on with it. If you do this, the problem is that you are shooting yourself in the foot by neglecting the other questions.

Tip: Answer a given question only in accordance to the marks it will fetch you.

Now knowing when to give up

Sometimes, despite the endless revision, you might just not know how to answer. That’s when you might be tempted to just throw some words at a page with a hope of fetching some marks.

Tip: It is best to spend time on questions that might actually get you some marks. However, if you have time towards the end, do not leave any question unanswered.

Not drinking enough water

Dehydration is indeed the most common cause of lack of concentration and fatigue. When your cells dry out, they begin to work less efficiently. So, make sure you drink enough water to keep you focused.

Tip: Carry with you a water bottle.

Leaving the exam early thinking you’re finished

Finishing your exam before time is certainly the best feeling ever. However, if you leave the exam early just to enjoy your post exam celebrations, you are doing it all wrong.

Tip: Use the time you have to check and revise all that you have written.

Final Say

Hopefully, due knowledge of these common mistakes and tips to overcome them will help you avoid them in your exams! Your welcome!!