How to prepare for exam in 2020

If you are sitting for your board exams, O Levels, A-Levels, or any other exam that will determine your future, don’t panic! Here are some tips to help you do good.

Basic Needs

Proper sleep, food, and water are the basic needs that you must look after. It is very important to be well-hydrated for your brain to function effectively. Drink a lot of water during revision and on the exam day.
Take regular breaks to refresh your mind. Consume mind-stimulating foods like bananas, dates and any other food you like to keep yourself alert. Any fruit that you really enjoy, make their juices e.g. orange, carrot, pomegranate, etc.
Keep small snacks within reach so that you don’t have to leave your room again and again.

Stress Management

Relax and keep telling yourself that ‘I can do it’. Walk, do yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. Meditation strengthens your mind and helps you control it in a positive manner. It also guides the body to execute its projects efficiently. Hence psychological exercises enable us to concentrate and enhance our mental strength.
Go for a walk in a nearby park early in the morning. A 15-minute walk is enough. Yoga exercises for relaxing such as Savasana, Child’s Pose and Lotus Pose can be very beneficial.

Time Management

Be organized and designate a distraction-free area for your study. Keep the place neat and clean. Turn off phones, screens, devices and keep all notes near you. If music helps you study better, keep it in the background for a relaxed and refreshing environment. Mark all important topics, put them up in your room, prioritize them and make a timetable for them.

Study Guides and Resources

Use study guides, review books and supporting resources. Many online sources can provide you with past papers, top tutors’ lectures and exam practice tools and tips. Look for the most recent and updated versions of study guides online. Do check the publisher and website source for authenticity. There are online quizzes for many board exams.

Goal Setting

Make realistic, achievable goals. Don’t burden yourself and don’t try to study too much in one day. Take one step at a time. For example, if you have 6 subjects to study, take 2 subjects and pick 2 topics from each and go into the depths of those topics rather than trying to go through 9 or 10 topics in a rush.

Contingency Plan

Always keep a few days for rest and unforeseen incidents such as illness. You never know what might happen in the future and you may need to take a day or 2 off. But please don’t turn into a pessimistic maniac and start thinking negatively; “what if I fall ill” ‘what if I have an injury” “what if I forget everything if I start revising too early”. Be optimistic. Keep a positive frame of mind but be prepared for any kind of emergency.

Here are a few helpful links. All the best!
Federal Board Islamabad:
https://www.fbise.edu.pk/syllabusSSC-I.php

Cambridge:
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/