How to Stimulate an Exam Environment
- e+n
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
Exams test more than your knowledge of the content. Unfortunately, it also assesses your test-taking ability. For example, do you get anxious during the exam and start to freak out? Do you misread questions because you’re nervous? Are you sleep-deprived because you’re a night owl and it’s a morning exam? These factors affect your test scores, even when it should only be about your knowledge 🙄
The one positive outlook with this situation is that most of these factors can be controlled simply by stimulating your exam environment and practicing test-taking 💘 The most intense exam I have ever taken is the MCAT, an 8-hour multiple-choice exam. These tips helped me prepare for the MCAT!
They may not be perfectly replicable for your typical university exam, but you can adapt these tips to fit your exams! 😺
📑 The Practice Exam
First off, you need a practice exam! To be most representative of your real exam, it would be best to use and exam provided by your professor, such as am exam from the yeat before.
Once you’ve found a practice exam, treat the exam like it is the real thing! What does this mean?
Find a quiet place to complete the exam
Only have the materials you will need for the exam (eg. pen, calculate, water bottle)
Set a timer for the time you will have for the exam
Do not peak at your notes—no matter how confused you are
Even when you’re stuck, write something like you would the day of the real exam
Once you’ve completed your practice exam, review the exam like it is the key to your future. Be brutally honest with yourself when you mark it; lying to yourself is not going to help you. Find your strengths and your weaknesses. Review topics that you are struggling with. Analyze whether you lost points due to content gaps or exam-taking (eg. misreading the question, test anxiety).
Most importantly, construct an action plan to improve your exam-taking and content gaps. For example, if you become too nervous, perhaps try verbal affirmations, meditation, or journaling. Work hard to control the controllable variables of the exam!
⏪ Practice the Exam Day
For the MCAT, I had to be intense with my prep. Some of these suggestions may apply to you, but others might be overkill.
Think about the following ideas:
What are you eating before (or during) your exam? I would eat the same breakfast, snacks, and lunch during every practice exam for the MCAT.
What time do you have to sleep the night before? Practice sleeping at this time a few days in advance, especially if it is a morning exam and you’re a night owl. Sleep is important for the consolidation of your studying!
What time do you need to wake up? I always made sure to practice waking up the day before my exam to ensure I had enough time to get ready, eat, and practice self-care.
What time is your exam? I personally tried to do practice exams/questions during my scheduled exam time to make sure my brain got used to that subject at that particular time.
⏰ Exam Season Routines
Remember, exam season is always a marathon and not a sprint. Self-care is essential! This includes a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every day during your prep. Sleep not only calms your nerves, but also consolidates all the material you studied that day. Sleep >>> procrastination.
When you get your exam schedule, consider the timing of the exams. If you have an early exam, it may be worth it to practice waking up early and sleeping early during prep to ensure you’re awake during your exam. On the other hand, if your exams are in the evening, perhaps shift your schedule to sleep more in the morning and study later into the night.
There’s no objective right or wrong. You decide what feels best for you! Keep this in mind and take care of yourself throughout your prep!
Exam season is rough! I wish you all the best. Remember, you can only do your best at the end of the day and be proud of your efforts regardless of the outcome. Good luck!
All my best,
N
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