A COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING EXAM PREPARATION

Exams help students enhance their overall personality, memory, and revising skills. This article provides guidance and assistance for writing exams and tests, focusing on planning your time to write and study.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR WRITING EXAMS?

It is the time when everyone is thinking about the upcoming exams. This year's test has more of an essay format than exams you have taken in previous years. This article will guide you through the steps that will lead up to your essay exam. It will outline the preparation process and provide a practical method to follow when you begin writing. While there's certainly a lot of anxiety that comes with exams that require essays, you'll be well on your way to success by preparing a plan and following it before the exam.

ONE WEEK BEFORE

PREPARE A STUDY PLAN AND DO FOLLOW IT

Preparation for exams is vital. Exams for essays can be challenging because of the many revision notes and other information, and there is only one essay to complete.

Several essay exam methods must be mastered when the final exam approaches. An instructor may give you an array of questions. You then can choose the one you would like to attempt in the essay-based exam. You might be given an overview of the topics and then be given an essay question. They may wish you all the best if you do not have any details. How you go about your studies is based on your information. However, you study, it is essential to begin at least a week before the exam.

Be aware that you cannot sit for eight hours a day to prepare for your essay. You will be distracted and not make the most of your study time.

Instead, you should set realistic time frames at which you feel you can finish your studies. You must ensure that your study times are not too late or too early, but at the time, you find to be most productive. If you are an early riser, plan your study time to wake up at the crack of dawn. You can learn in increments of 20–30 minutes with breaks in between. This will help you improve your brain's ability to stay focused and avoid interruptions such as social-media.

After preparing your exam strategy, you must follow it each day to ensure you pass the exam.

THE NIGHT BEFORE EXAM

PUTTING TOGETHER ALL THE NECESSARY TOOLS

Your instructor will need to explain which instruments are allowed for the written exam while you are studying for it. Instead of trying to locate all required on the day of the exam, you can try to put them together before the exam so that you do not have anything to worry about. At a minimum, you should have an eraser, a pencil highlighter, and a pencil, and scrap paper is important. We also recommend keeping water at hand and ensuring you drink plenty.

In specific tests, it is possible to make use of notes, textbooks, notes from lectures, or any other source of data. If that is the case, be sure to have them on hand and arrange them in a manner that is logical to you. You should have reviewed these materials before preparing for the exam. If you underline or highlight important points of information before the test, these tips can help you find what you need quickly and easily.

SLEEPING ENOUGH

The night before taking a test could be difficult, so you may be unable to fall into a deep sleep or stay in bed. Many people are worried that they will fall asleep during their exams. Many struggles to separate from the data in their brains.

Sleeping enough and being well-rested before exams are essential. Therefore, make sure you take time to unwind before bed. You could take a bath, go for a walk outside, or stream your favourite movie. You do not want to be distracted by your classmates and their worries. It is better to keep to yourself. Instead, take time for yourself and rest assured that you are well prepared and on the right path to success.

EATING WELL

Getting enough sleep and eating the right foods is essential. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling gassy when taking exams. Drinking a lot of coffee before taking the test can cause you to feel anxious and could affect your focus. Popular diuretics include tea and coffee. So, yes! you should go to the bathroom before the exam even begins!

If you have an exam very early in the day, make sure you eat an easy breakfast. If the exam is late in the afternoon, you should try not to eat a big meal that can make you feel tired. Selecting healthy alternatives and avoiding excessive caffeine and sugar can produce the best results.

ON THE EXAM DAY

GETTING STARTED

Okay, you have enjoyed a restful night's sleep and a nutritious breakfast, and are now all set to go. Sometimes you need to wait for several hours prior to the exam begins.

It can make you feel stressed, and if you have been studying for a long time, you might be relaxed. If you feel stressed out and anxious, get away from the stress. Walk around, practise yoga, or watch your favourite sitcom's latest episode.

After you log in to your exam, relax. Please take a moment to review the exam guidelines. Take note of how long your exam will last, your formatting requirements, how to save your files, and the best way to send the file.

READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION

Sometimes we become so anxious during exams that we start writing the questions instead of reading them. This is a dangerous trap. You should read the entire question from start to finish to find clues about what the instructor is trying to convey. You will likely be asked to answer the essay question using keywords. If you know what these keywords mean, you can then better handle the question.

They might use some essay-related words (and what they mean).

• DESCRIBING; This is the most straightforward to write about; it is all about making a list of features, qualities, or parts.

• COMPARISON: It is essential to consider two aspects and then look at their similarities and differences, with the similarities being the most significant.

• CONTRAST: To create contrast, you need to look at two things and compare them to each other (so you can see the differences).

• DISCUSSION: You have to have a discussion for this one (essentially an exchange of ideas and contrasts).

• EVALUATION: Here, the instructor asks you to share your opinion, consider other opinions to support your arguments, and provide proof to support your claim.

• ANALYSIS: For analysis, it is necessary to have an argument or position. You can break down this argument into smaller pieces and discuss or explain each. The teacher might also ask students to "critically analyse," meaning they must use academic sources to demonstrate their point.

• SUMMARISE: In this case, you will need to consider an argument that is more extensive and simplify it by removing some of the specifics. It is also possible to include significant conclusions that are recorded.

• INTERPRETATION: You must explain its significance. You can do this by using examples and explaining relationships.

You will discover that the terms used by instructors could indicate what you should do as a student. You are at risk if you do not understand the terms and phrases or do not read all of the instructions. While studying, be diligent and remain present.

MAKING AN OUTLINE OR MIND MAP

Once you understand the question and the answer, it may be tempting to start writing immediately, but that's not the best way to do it.

Plan out the essay you want to write for a few minutes. This can help improve your writing speed as you begin to write your essay for the exam. Although you do not need to spend a lot of time thinking about every aspect, writing a short essay and to the point will help you stay on task and ensure that your paragraphs answer the test question from the start.

There are two primary methods for essay exams to brainstorm. One is a mind map, which is also known as a spider web, and it appears like this:

The main idea (the thesis, argument, statement, or location) is in the middle when you make a mind map. The branches that come off the main idea are the topics of your paragraphs, and the branches that are farther away are examples or examples you could use. This shows how your work fits together clearly.

Another choice is to make a line drawing. With this method, you plan out what you will write in your essay by drawing a sketch. The formation is like this:

The bolded text in the previous example represents your paragraph headings. These pieces of information are useful pieces of information that you could include in your paragraphs. This structure is very useful because it allows you to fill in the gaps.

There is no legal requirement that you begin writing from the beginning. To write an essay, start with the paragraphs you think will be the simplest (or someplace between). It does not mean that you have to write the introduction first. Sometimes it's easier to write the conclusion and introduction at the end than at the beginning. This allows you to check that they are in sync and answer the question fully.

THE TIMING IS PERFECT

There is nothing more frustrating than finding out halfway through an exam that your time is running out. You may wonder how to make your essays more concise during an exam. Plan to answer essay questions during exams!

You will now have a basic outline or mind map that you can use for your exam strategies.

The next step is to set an achievable target in each section. If you realise that you have set yourself 10 minutes per paragraph, you must attempt to follow this plan.

Writing short paragraphs is much easier than adding an excessive amount of data in an indecent method. There is probably an alarm clock on your laptop or in your study space. Be sure to monitor it regularly and track the duration. Additionally, while time is essential, it is not a bad idea to take the time to practise your typing abilities. If you increase your speed and accuracy, you will be able to spend more time getting your ideas down. However, this must be considered an ongoing goal and something you can do during your education.

WRITE EACH PARAGRAPH SEPARATELY.

Each paragraph is made up of a series of steps. It is easier to design each paragraph using the same format. However, it makes it easier to read for those marking it.  You may be thinking that there are many ways to write an essay. It is not the best strategy to use creativity in writing, as it will take a lot of time.

The typical structure of a paragraph appears like this:

1. Topic sentence - ensure that your opening sentence introduces your topic for discussion and is linked to the argument you made in your intro.

2. Discuss your topic sentence in detail. If there are difficult terms you are using in your subject, make use of this sentence to define them.

3. Introduce your evidence - use this sentence to connect your topic and your data/research/example.

4. Give some specifics and use the following two sentences to present your case to the viewer.

5. Critical thinking should not stop with the details! Remind the reader of your subject. In this sentence, you can explain why the evidence you have given is significant.

6. Use a transitional or concluding sentence that links your paragraphs and gives readers a hint of the next step.

Based on the list, your essay will need around 6-8 sentences to be fully completed. If you adhere to this method, it is simple to revisit and make sure that your ideas contain all the essential elements they need.

EDITING, REVIEWING, AND PROOFREADING

It's easy to push the "send" button after writing the last word of your conclusion. You have put in a lot of effort and probably want to finish the exam. But resisting this urge, however, is a good idea. If you find yourself with extra time after your essay test, take the time to review the essay you wrote and ensure that you're not losing marks due to a few blunders.

Then, look back at the instructions and find the parts of your essay that answer the questions. This will help you make sure you've done your assignment right.

Following that is checking for minor mistakes. 

One benefit of taking an essay-based exam from home would be the capability to read it aloud, which means that nobody is looking down on you (except perhaps cats, but that's fine). The act of reading aloud can help you spot rambling sentences and situations that need an apostrophe. Your text could not be long enough if you have bad breath or have not read it all.

You can also speak out loud to find awkward words or areas in which you have repeated the same phrase several times. This could help you earn one or two points, making the difference between two firsts and an upper-second.

CONCLUDING GUIDELINE

It is not easy to figure out how to plan and edit your work for essays on exams. If you do time and effort into practicing to improve your skills, you can ensure that when the test comes about, you will be prepared to pass the test. It can be overwhelming, at beginning of the exam day, but the reality is that the test will be finished within a matter of minutes, and you will be ready for greater and better things. Be aware that ten years in the future, you are likely to forget this experience; therefore, do not stress over it right now. After you have completed the exam, take a moment to relax. You can take a break from the screen and do something you enjoy. It is now time to relax after a hard day of studying. Give yourself a high-five, and thank you for all you have accomplished. A positive attitude is an essential aspect of writing essays. It is required by schools and universities across the globe. Be ready!