Having an exam study plan is key for students about to undertake exams no matter whether they are at secondary school or university.
Ideally a student will already have an exam study plan in place however it is not too late if they don’t! In my experience it is important for a student to put together a study plan at least 6 weeks prior to exams.
How to create an exam study plan – 10 steps
- Complete and finish off any core work – as soon as you can complete this so you can begin focusing on your exam study plan and what needs to be achieved in terms of revision before your exams start.
- Determine how much study or revision time you need for each subject – the time for each is likely to differ and it is suggested that you consider spending more time on the subjects your find difficult rather than on the ones you are good at and know much better.
- Review your school syllabus or revision checklists – so you know what will be covered in the exams, what if the format of the exams and what marks each will be worth.
- Draw or type up an exam study plan – do this for each week until exams and include exam dates and times, all your regular commitments and activities like part-time work, sporting, chores, family activities. To assist with this you can use a draft plan I have prepared – click here to access a Plan for creating a study plan.
- Determine your best study times – you need to work out when your best study times are and then enter your exam subjects into study blocks in your plan and allocate time for each one.
- Schedule down time – make sure you schedule in some down time as well into your study exam plan as that is important.
- Have good sleep and eating patterns – ensure you also get enough sleep and eat well whilst preparing for your exams too.
- Study in shorter periods – remember it is better to study for shorter periods as they are more effective than really long blocks. If you lose concentration, stop and have a break and the refocus and go again.
- Set goals for each study session – set yourself a goal at the start of each study session and what you are planning to achieve during that time.
- Study in the same way that you are going to be asked to do in your exams – all your methods of revision should consider this for each subject.
- Display your exam study plan – where you can easily see and refer to it.
- What are you waiting for – get started and put in the effort as soon as you can!
One important final point
Please do not let your exam study plan overwhelm you, remember what your goals are and one step at a time work towards achieving them when completing your upcoming exams.
Ensure you put in the required effort and give it your best shot as that is all you can ask of yourself.
If you are still not sure how to put all of this in place please get in touch as this is something I can assist with sooner rather than later and put you/or your child on a path to success – [email protected]
