Studying for the Test

Take a diagnostic practice test:

Most competitive exams are composed of different parts. For example, the GRE is comprised of math, verbal, and essay components. In order to do targeted studying and practice you need to best prepare for the test, you will need to take a practice test to determine which areas of the test you need to focus on the most. In your test prep books, you can typically find diagnostic practice tests.

·         There are also many websites, like collegeboard.org for the SAT, which provide practice tests for competitive exams. These online tests will score your tests for you.

·         Take the practice test under test like conditions. This means time your test, put away electronics, refrain from listening to music, and sit in a desk/space that will be similar to the environment of the test.

Practice the essay portion of the test:

If your test includes a writing portion, be sure to practice writing your essay in the time that will be allotted. Make sure you practice writing an outline and planning what you will write about during your practice as well.

Make an outline to structure your study plan:

You will need to make a realistic study plan based on what test you are taking, and the amount of time experts say you will need to do to prepare. Some competitive tests like the GRE take months to prepare for, for example.

·       Sit down with your study materials, and make an outline of the big topics/areas you need to study for the test.

Backward plan which areas of the test you will study and for how long:

Having a plan and staying consistent in studying and doing targeted practice are going to be key for success on competitive exams. Typically, you will need to block off large, regular chunks of time in your schedule for studying. According to your outline, break down how much material you will need to study per session, approximately.

·         Start with the most important material and work toward the less important material to make sure the important content gets covered before the test.

Use a calendar app like Google Calendar to make a schedule:

You can sign up for a Gmail account if you do not have one and want the app. Go to your Calendar app located in the apps directory in the upper right corner of your Gmail account. Go to "Create" and schedule an "Event" to put the study schedule on your Calendar app. Check and update your calendar regularly to remind yourself of your study schedule.

·       Google Calendar has an email reminders option that you can use to remind yourself of your schedule.

·       Revise your schedule as needed. If something comes up and you are unable to study, look at your calendar and revise the study plan. Make room in your schedule to study at another time so that you can cover the material and keep on pace in your studies.

Clear your plate of obligations:

In order to gear up for taking a competitive test, you should carve out room in your schedule for you to study regularly. Explain to your friends and family that you will be concentrating on preparing for a test. Take whatever steps you need to give yourself the time and space you need to focus regularly on studying.

Keep track of your progress by taking practice tests:

Every couple of weeks, or as often as recommended, take a practice test, and then go back through and look at the questions you missed. If your answer sheet tells you what kind of question it was, take note. If not, do your best to determine what kind of problems you are missing, and look for patterns in the mistakes you are making so that you know what to focus on in your studying.

·         When testing, don’t consider each question unique.  There are different types of questions that recur in tests. For example, on the English portion of the ACT, test questions come from these categories: grammar & usage, punctuation, sentence structure, strategy, organization, and style.

Study the areas you are weak in:

Take more time studying the concepts that you are having trouble with. For example, if you are having difficulty correctly answering the questions about sentence structure in the ACT, use your practice book to study lessons on sentence structure. Consider getting help from someone who is strong in the area you are struggling in, like a teacher or a friend.

Stay focused on your outline:

The stress that comes from studying for competitive tests can be overwhelming at times because of the amount that you have to study. Make sure to combat that stress by concentrating on studying one lesson at a time. Remind yourself that you have to go through this test prep one step at a time, and don’t let yourself worry about mastering the whole test in a short period of time.

·         Do not try to learn everything at once, cramming will not help you deeply understand the content you are learning.

Mistake 4

Arriving Late For a Paper:

Most of us are punctual, especially for important occasions. However, some of us may have a habit of being late. Even if you are a punctual person, there may be times when things just suddenly crop up and you end up late for an appointment.

Late comers are the norm rather than the exception for many major examinations. Just ask any examiner. If you are the unfortunate latecomer, you may sometimes be barred from sitting for that particular paper. Even if you do get to sit for the paper, much precious time would have been lost. On top of that, your mind would still be reeling from the rush. You would not be calm enough to attempt the paper before you.

What can you do to avoid being late for a paper? Be there early! Give yourself enough time to travel to the venue of the test or exam. Spare yourself at least half an hour at the venue. Use this time to familiarize yourself with the place and setting, so that you know what to expect when the paper starts.

For example, if you could know in advance that the air-conditioning is very strong, then you would be mentally prepared for the cold. If you have brought along a sweater, you could then wear it and be able to sit through the paper comfortably.

How to Prepare for Competitive Exams???

Preparing for competitive exams can seem daunting, but if you employ strategies to prepare for the exam, the process can be much more manageable. To begin, you have to buy or find online test preparation materials for the test you are taking. Take a diagnostic practice test to see what you need to practice, and then make a timeline and outline of your study plan. Learn tips for studying, relaxation, and keeping healthy to help you prepare for your test holistically.

Considering Your Options:

Enroll in an in person course:

There are in person classes that you can take that are given by the Princeton Review for the ACT, for example. These classes are great because some students benefit from the sense of accountability that you get from a traditional class setting. These classes can vary in length, but for the Princeton Review course, it lasts 6 sessions. To enrol, you go online and find a website for the course you want to take, enter where you live, and the dates you are interested in taking the class to find a class near you.

·       The Princeton Review course gives 4 practice tests so that you can measure your progress and target your problem areas. Most other test prep courses will offer something similar for you to chart your progress.

·       These classes tend to be expensive but will often include the cost of the study materials that you will be needing.

·       Do the homework associated with these courses in order to score the best you can.

·       If you live in a rural area, you may need to commute to a city to take the tests.

Enroll in a test preparation program online:

There are many online websites, some of them free and others at a cost, you can sign up with that will prepare you for the test you are taking. For example, for the ACT, there is a website that prepares you for the ACT through videos, text lessons, practice tests that simulate the real test, and games to help you study and keep you engaged.

Buy study materials, and study the material on your own:

For the ACT, for example, there are different kinds of study guides you can buy depending on your need, and this is the same with many other tests. The following are different types of study materials for the ACT: critical books are study guides are for anyone trying to improve their scores, regardless of skill level or areas of strength/weakness; subject training books will help you focus on one specific area of the test, for example, English, Reading, Math or Science; books for top scorers are for those who want an extra push to get their score to the top; and last, books for people who score low and/or only want to work for a short amount of time. Avoid these 5 hour type short study guides unless you only need to improve your score a small amount.

·       Purchase your materials from book stores, online, or check them out from a library.

·       Research the best study guides for the specific test you are preparing for and your needs.

mistake 3

Panicking Before or During a Paper

Do you worry that you would not have enough time to complete a paper, even before it starts? Are you very afraid that you would not be able to answer most of the questions in the paper, even before it starts? Does your heartbeat increase when you enter the exam hall and your hands sweat when you receive the exam paper? Are you at a loss of what to do for the rest of the paper, when you realize that there is one question that you cannot answer?

If you experience any of the above, or other symptoms of anxiety and panic, you need to check yourself. One of the worst things that you can do before and during a test or exam paper is to panic. Once you panic, your mind is in a frenzy and you cannot think properly. How can you attempt the paper calmly when you cannot even think properly?

Always tell yourself not to worry too much before a test or exam. Below are some good ways to reduce or eliminate your anxiety and worry:

1. Clarify all your doubts at the end of each lesson, so that they will not snowball into a big bag of questions before your test or exam.
2. Always prepare for a test or exam well in advance.
3. Don’t study every minute while you are awake. Busy yourself with some mundane household chores to take your mind off the upcoming test or exam.
4. Have a good night’s sleep before the date of the test or exam.
5. Keep reassuring yourself that you can do it. Once you stop doubting yourself, you will stop panicking.

If all else fails, comfort yourself that it is only a paper. It’s not the end of the world even if you don’t do well for just one paper.

Mistake 2

Cramming Too Much Information into Memory:

You have memorized every word in all the chapters from your textbook that you would be tested upon. You see a question in the paper that begs an answer you know is found on page … Oh, no! You can’t recall the page! And so, the answer escapes you!

As you try fervently to recollect that page, you realize it becomes harder! Meanwhile, the minutes pass away and you lose valuable time!

If you are one of those students who try very hard to memorize everything in your textbooks, stop! Unfortunately for most of us, our brains can often only retain 10% to 20% of the information that we read. More unfortunately, we cannot control what will be that 10% or 20% of information that we will remember!

So, instead of trying to recite every word from page 1 of your textbook to its last page, you should concentrate on understanding what is written in those pages. If you can understand what each topic in your textbook is about, why would you even need to memorize all those pages? You should be able to explain them in your own words!

You can improve your understanding of any topic, reinforce what you have previously read and increase the amount of information that you can remember by:

1. Taking part actively in classroom discussions and activities about the topic.
2. Discussing the topic with your friends.
3. Reading alternative books or chapters about the topic.
4. Watching video tapes and video compact discs about the topic.
5. Listening to audio tapes about the topic.

This is because our brains can remember what we have said and seen more vividly than what we have read.

Mistake 1

Spotting Questions:

Spotting questions is by far one of the most common mistakes many students make when preparing for a test or exam paper. It is also the worst mistake you can commit before sitting for a paper.

For subjects that require much memory work, such as History, Geography, Biology and Economics, many students try to take the easy way out by trying to spot what questions would appear in the paper. Such students believe that they can read their teachers’ or examiners’ minds. Are you trained in telepathy or fortune-telling? We don’t think so.

Spotting questions is a problem that is at times made worse when the teachers themselves actively encourage their students to spot questions. As students who had sat through GCE "O" Level and GCE "A" Level papers ourselves, we can attest to that.

Some teachers are also known to deliberately drop hints to their students before a test or exam paper about what types of questions to expect. That happens quite often in the local polytechnics and universities too. We know because we, our friends and our siblings have studied at the local universities and polytechnics. Sometimes, the questions actually came out in the test or exam papers. Sometimes, they never did!

Instead of spotting questions, you should spot topics if you must. For example, instead of trying to prepare for a History question that reads, "Why did Singapore break away from Malaya?", you should prepare for the History topic "The breaking away of Singapore from Malaya".

That means you should know the why, when, how, who and consequences of the breaking away of Singapore from Malaya. This would ensure that, should you be asked about "What were the consequences for Malaya after Singapore broke away?", you would still be able to answer it.