6 Ways to Ace Your Next Test
Thursday, October 29, 2009 by David Pierce 
It's midterm season.
As I sit down to write this post, I just finished an Anthropology test. I nailed it. Like, crushed it. No, that doesn’t even do it justice. I took it out behind the classroom, beat to a pulp, revived it lovingly, apologized sincerely, and then beat it again even worse.
Now, I don’t pretend to be the smartest kid in the room, or to be, like, super-awesome at taking tests, but I realized today that I’ve figured out a few ways to make tests both less stressful, and more successful. So I’ll share a couple.
Before the Test
Study Out Loud
Everyone learns differently – some learn by reading, some by listening, and some by doing. If you read your notes aloud to yourself as you’re studying, you’re actually doing all three. You’re reading your notes, hearing yourself say the words, and actively reading out loud. It’s incredible how much more you’ll retain, and be able to recall, just by reading your notes to yourself or a friend.
Condense
You’re not going to need to know every single morsel of information that you’ve covered since the last test, and odds are you’re not going to be able to even if you try. So don’t try. At the beginning of your studying, go through everything you’ve learned and figure out what you’re definitely not going to need to know. Cross it out, burn it, get rid of it; make sure all that stuff isn’t in your way, and isn’t wasting time that should be spent studying important stuff.
Sleep is Victory
You need sleep in order to do well on your test. In fact, you need sleep more than you need to re-read the textbook for the 43rd time. Make sure you get at least six hours of sleep before a test, even at the expense of a little bit of studying - Here’s why.
During the Test
Answer Everything the First Time
Don’t leave blanks as you go through your test. Answer every single question, even if you have no idea. Circle that question so you can go back to it, but make sure you answer it. One, that gives you a shot at guessing right if you run out of time. Two, you’ll be shocked at how often you’re right on your gut-check guess.
Re-read
After you’ve finished the test, go through and take it again. Seriously. Don’t just check your answers, actually take the exam again – this’ll make it more clear when you’ve put a wrong answer, or accidentally misread a question, because you’re not likely to do it twice in a row. Don’t look at your answers until you’ve newly answered the question, and then see if they match.
Don’t Overthink
I can’t tell you how many people I know who have changed right answers to wrong ones, just because they’re freaking out about it. If you’re sure of an answer, go with that! Your first instinct is almost always smarter than your second one, so don’t second-guess things you’re confident about. Spend that time instead trying to figure out the “I don’t even know what this word means” questions. Which are fun.
Tests are easy. But we make them hard by studying too much of the wrong thing, waiting too long to do it, and panicking over and over during the test until our pencil is mashed and we’re openly weeping. Awkward. With these steps, you’ll be a little more on top of your game.
What’s your best “rock the pants off my next test” tip?
Reader Comments (6)
hello.. i want to thanks you..
Very good article. This will really help me thank you..
can i use this article on my website?
as a graduate student in anthropology (archaeology, specifically) this makes me happy.
Great post! I love reading tips for doing well on exams! Here comes a shameless plug though:
I wrote a post titled Best Tips for Acing Final Exams
great post ! this article really helped me out on last weeks midterms!
I certainly agree with you about overthinking. Overthinking, for me, is the closest you get in committing academic suicide. If professors give you enough time to prepare your projects, the same thing comes for studying, and that is because it is a rule that you do not cram too much when studying. And cramming leads to overthinking which leads to mental blocks and a very low grade. I think what students must first learn to establish and understand is the concept of studying itself. They think of is as a chore that involves a lot of your time sticking your nose into a big book and memorizing non-stop. Inside a room that must be locked shut and foolproof. It may be a little exaggerated but I know some who exactly think of studying as that--IT IS VERY HARD TO DO. Which really isn't. All you have to do is get information, spit it out, then get a grade. If students think of it like this, then all the pressure they have forced on themselves on the mere thought of studying will be taken out. And we know how pressure contributes to the way you approach your studies. Without pressure, you are able to organize your thoughts into creating a plan--calmly--that works best for you. If you learn more by using drawings, you can't study properly if you use a system that works best for people who want to simply listen to e-books, right? So a plan of study habits must also be personalized, I believe.
-College Study Skills
Seriously I think that the best way to ace the next test is to just do everything in advanced. It's a no brainer, but I know a lot of guys who cram 5 hours before the test and cry about how hard the test was after they take it.
I can seriously guarantee a decent grade if you space out your studying rather than cramming.