4.1 EXAM PSYCHOLOGY

Passing exams is not just a simple process of learning a subject and answering questions on it correctly. If it were that simple then a lot more people would do a lot better. The main reason that most people don’t find taking exams to be a simple process is because they get very little practice at it. Usually the first time anyone encounters anything like a real exam situation is in the mocks and the next time it’s for real. Part of the reason for me writing this book is to pass on my experiences of taking exams over a number of years and the techniques I developed for improving my performance. I only wish I knew what I now know when I took my ‘0’ levels all those years ago.

One of the most important aspects of exam technique that is often overlooked by teachers and students alike is that of exam psychology. But our mental state of mind has a great influence on the way in which we perform and its importance should never be overlooked. Let’s look at some of the more common psychological problems encountered when taking exams and see how they can be dealt with.

The fear of the unknown – every time we attempt something new in life there is something inside us asking ‘I wonder what this will be like’. This might present itself in a variety of ways but there are two extremes, one being fear and the other being curiosity. Think of how you felt the first time you answered a phone, used a lift or flew in a plane. Some people have a terrible fear of flying yet once they eventually manage their first flight they wonder what all the fuss was about. Other people can’t wait to get on the plane for the first time and are looking forward to finding out what flying is really like.

When taking exams there are two possible causes of the fear of the unknown. The first is if you have never actually taken a major exam before when you will be wondering what the actual exam process is like and how it all works. This fear is not usually too problematic because most people can imagine fairly accurately what goes on and because the process itself is not really that painful. Consequently this fear tends to be virtually non-existent in most people.

The main fear of the unknown suffered when taking exams is unfortunately much more significant. It is encountered because we don’t know what the questions are going to be – wouldn’t it be nice if we did! Naturally this fear crops up at most exams so it is well worth learning how to deal with it. The main thing to remember is that the human mind has a great ability for magnifying worries out of all proportion so what might start out as a little idle curiosity as to what the questions will be can very easily turn into a nightmare. Luckily the human mind is also fairly predictable. I can virtually guarantee that any worries you have about the questions will tend to be focused on your weak points rather than your strong points. As a consequence you will find that your fear of the exam is greatest for your weaker subjects.

Now that you know what your mind is going to do you can avoid letting it focus in on your weak points by focusing it in on your strong points yourself. The minute you find yourself worrying about being unable to answer questions focus your mind in on the areas of the subject about which you are more confident. Think of the revision you have done and all the problems you had with the subject which you have now sorted out. If you concentrate your mind on the good points then it won’t be able to concentrate itself on your bad points.

This technique is known as thinking positively. The moment your mind thinks of something negative grab hold of it and make yourself think of something positive. This will boost your confidence and you will find yourself walking into the exam felling able to cope with whatever is thrown at you.

The fear of failure – if you didn’t receive a grade for your exams but were simply presented with a list with the subject you did best in at the top and your worst subject at the bottom then nobody would have anything to worry about. Everybody would receive a list showing their performance in each subject relative to their performance in the other subjects. This tends to indicate that most peoples fear of exams is based around the grades they will obtain and, more importantly, whether the grade means that they have passed or failed. In fact if we home in even further on these fears we will probably find that they are simply based on a worry that you might fail coupled with the fear that your friends and colleagues will do better than you.

The first thing to point out is that there is usually an incredible amount of unnecessary pressure put on people where exams are involved which I believe is all wrong. Your teachers and parents constantly remind you of the importance of your exams and how terrible life will be if you don’t pass. Don’t listen to them. Obviously you will want to do your best because that is human nature. So being continually told of the importance of doing well will only make you panic more and worry about not doing well.

You shouldn’t worry about other people doing better than you. Whilst it might be important for your ego to do as well as or better than your friends and colleagues it really doesn’t matter. Within days or even hours of the results coming out they will be forgotten as you start on the next stage of your education or career. What does it matter if you passed with an A grade or a C grade? The most important thing is that you passed. So given that we’ve now established that the grade doesn’t really matter let’s deal with that terrible thought of failure that keeps going through your mind.

So if we now consider the worst possible thing that could happen – failure. But let’s be really dramatic about it. What if you fail every single exam? I’ve probably just put your blood pressure up by 20% and made you even more worried than you were already. That’s precisely what I was trying to do because if you think about it seriously and you’re honest with yourself then the chances of failing every single exam are fairly remote. The very fact that you’re reading this book means that you are keen to do well in your exams and, no matter how apprehensive you may be, you will have worked hard and will be rewarded for it. So we can be pretty sure that the worst case scenario of failing every single exam is extremely unlikely to come true.

So already you should be more confident knowing that you will pass some exams. Taking this argument a stage further if you think about your exam subjects then there will be those you are good at and those you are not so good at. If you are reasonably good at a subject then you are highly likely to do well in that exam, and, even if you don’t do as well as expected you should still pass.

Now think of the subjects you are not so good at. These are the ones which are really worrying you. This is where your real fear of failure lies. You are not worried about failing all your exams, nor about failing your better subjects. Your real worries lie with your few weaker subjects. Already you should be feeling more at ease simply because the cause of worry and fear has been identified. Now we can start to deal with your real fears of failure.

The first thing to remember is that everyone has good subjects and bad subjects so you are not alone in this respect. Also remember what I said earlier about the fact that you’re reading this book means you will be able to cope with the exams better than others.

Finally let me get you thinking about the subjects you are worried about. Think about your revision first of all. When you started revising the subject you went through your notes and gradually committed things to memory. As you read your notes so your understanding of the subject will have increased, even if only by a small amount. The point I am making is that your understanding of the subject is better now than it was before you started revising.

Now think back to your mock exams and to any tests or homework you did for the subject. Think of how well you did and try and give yourself an average mark out of 100 for your work. For instance if you usually got 5 or 6 out of 10 for your homework or in a test then your average would be about 55%. If it comes anywhere near 50% then you have nothing to worry about because that will be a perfectly adequate pass in most exams.

If your average works out at between 35% and 45% then you should still be OK. After all you’ve done some revision since you scored those marks and, given that you obviously didn’t understand the subject that well to start off with, you have no doubt sorted out a number of your problems and should therefore be OK in the exam.

If your average works out at less than 35% then you can worry just a little bit but you will still be OK if you work sensibly for the exam. Once again you must remember that you have done some revision since you scored these marks for your homework which should immediately have the effect of boosting your ability. Secondly you should remember that your exam technique will be pretty good after reading this book and, since one tends to take more care over an exam than homework, your score in the exam should be better than your average. Try going back over some old tests and homework questions and attempting them again. Hopefully you should find that your average has improved. If you still find it to be low then you really need to get some help with this subject. Make a list of the areas you find difficult and go along to your teachers tutor or lecturer and get some help and advice. They will be only too pleased to assist you, after all if you do badly it will reflect on them. Even if you reach this stage you still have very little to worry about because at least you’ve now discovered where the source of your fear is coming from and have the opportunity to do something about it.

Hopefully you should now see that there is absolutely no need to have any fear of failing. If you’ve performed well in the subject over the past few years then there is no reason to think that you will do badly in the exam. If you’ve been fairly average in the subject then the revision you’ve done and the application of some exam technique should see you safely through. Finally if you’re really not that good at the subject and never have been then at least you’ve isolated the source of worry and can do something positive about sorting your problems out.

Positive attitude – if you think you’re going to fail then you probably will fail. Going into an exam with a feeling of doom and gloom can only make your performance worse. Some might say that you almost want yourself to do badly simply so that you can say, “I told you I was going to fail”. Snap out of this defeatist attitude. Have a positive attitude. Hold your head up high and tell the world that you are going to do well. Put across an air of quiet confidence.

Obviously inside you might not feel successful or confident but I guarantee that if you act in this way for long enough your inner feelings will start to change. It is amazing how powerful the human mind really is. Use its powers to your advantage. The more positive and confident you appear, the more confident you will actually become. Try having a positive attitude and see how well it works. From this moment on shut all negative thoughts out of your mind. I think you will be quite surprised by the results.

Whatever happens and however well or badly you may do remember that there is life after exams. Whilst they may seem a major event at the moment in a few weeks time they will all be over and life will return to normal. So don’t let things get out of perspective.

Learn how to deal with your nerves and moments of panic. Teach yourself to relax by sitting calmly and breathing deeply. Close your eyes and imagine you are somewhere else. Practice this technique whenever you get a free moment, for instance on the bus or the train. Once you are able to relax and control your nerves you will be in a much better position to cope with any anxieties the exam may cause you.

If you do find yourself getting into trouble in an exam because you can’t complete a question or because your mind has gone blank then spend some time relaxing. Try going back over the work you’ve done or trying a different question. Never allow yourself to remain in a panic because it will cause you to panic even more.

Never enter into a post-mortem after an exam. It’s too late now to do anything about what you’ve written so what’s the point in discussing it. You are only likely to worry yourself with your mind focusing in on everything you think you might have got wrong rather than on the good points. Save all your worries for what is to come and prepare yourself for the next exam rather than wasting time worrying about something that can’t be changed.

Never attempt to revise at the last minute. Revising this late in the day means that your revision programme probably isn’t complete. Consequently you are trying to cram some learning into the last few minutes. Forget it. This is likely to do more harm than good. If you are worried such that you have to revise at the last minute then you will be unable to work effectively which in turn will cause you to panic even more. Try and make do with the work you’ve already done and spend these last minutes preparing for the exam mentally.

Remember that you are not the only one sitting the exam and that hundreds of other people are suffering in the same way as you are. Think of how much better prepared you are for the exam than they will be and how much better you will do as a consequence. So often we get so wound up with our own problems in our own little worlds that we forget that others are probably suffering ten times more than we are.

Never let other people upset you or worry you. Under pressure people are at their worst and whilst they may not lie they may not always be 100% truthful in what they tell you. For instance a friend may tell you that he’s finished all his revision and is ready for all the exam might throw at him. In reality he is probably as unprepared as you are but is boosting his confidence by telling you these things and seeing your reaction. Providing you are aware that people might do this you will be able to ignore it. Never believe such stories because they are usually untrue and will worry you. All that matters is that you are ready for the exam and that you will do well. If Joe Bloggs has finished his revision and is going out for the day then good for him but you’ll probably do better than him on the day.

Always answer the easiest question first in an exam, followed by the next easiest, then the next and so on. This keeps your confidence at its peak throughout. At the start of the exam you need to boost your confidence in order to overcome your initial nerves. Once you’re into the exam and have settled down with a few simple questions under your belt you will be in a much better mental state of mind to tackle the more difficult questions.

Throughout the exam you should treat the person who will be marking your script as a dear friend. It sounds corny but these people have got a pretty boring job marking hundreds of scripts and seeing the same mistakes time after time. Make your script stand out and you’ll grab their attention and hopefully benefit from it. Be neat and tidy at all times and space everything out well so that it is easy to read.

Use lots of diagrams if possible and use colour to make them more eye-catching. Writing little notes to the examiner in the margin will help him to see you as a real human being and not just another student. Apologise for a crossing out or if your script is a bit messy. Try and make the examiner like you and warm towards you because if you make them your friend they are more likely to treat you better when allocating those all-important marks.

If you find an exam hard then remember that others will be finding it hard too. If you’ve worked hard for the exam then you should be able to make a good attempt at even the hardest question. Remember that if it is a hard paper then the pass mark will often be adjusted accordingly. So do your best happy in the knowledge that even though you’re finding the exam tough a lot of people are finding it even tougher.

Summary

Focus your mind on your strong points
Think of all the hard work you’ve done
Remind yourself that your chance of failure is very small
Do your best
Don’t worry about your friends doing better than you
If you must worry then be realistic in your worries
Remember that you already have the attitude of someone who will do well
Practice relaxing and calming yourself down
Never enter into a post-mortem
Never revise at the last minute
Remember other people are worrying about the exams too
Don’t let others upset or worry you
Keep a positive attitude at all times
Answer the easy questions first

4.2 Rules for all exams

I thought it would be a good idea to devote a chapter to a quick exam technique checklist which you can quickly read through before an exam just to remind you of some of the more general points I have been discussing in this book.

Here it is: –

Never do last minute revision
Relax before setting off for the exam
Make sure you know the time and place of your exam
Arrive at the exam hall in plenty of time
Don’t be put off by other peoples confidence
Glance over your revision notes before going in
Keep away from discussions
Stay calm by breathing deeply and thinking nice thoughts
Check your watch shows the same time as the hall clock
Have spare pens, pencils, batteries and some sweets in case of hunger
Check you have the correct question paper
Read all the instructions carefully
Check there are the correct number of questions
Look for questions on the back page
Make sure you have been given any tables etc. which you are allowed
Be aware of how long you have for the exam
Allocate a time per question and stick to it and allow time for checking
Read the complete paper before you start writing
Be aware of the exam format and the mark allocation
Attempt the easiest questions first
Be neat and tidy at all times
Treat the examiner as a friend and make him like you
If you get panicky then stop and relax
Return to problem areas later on
Make use of your subconscious mind to think problems over
Anything you cross out should remain legible
Ask for more paper before you need it
Use diagrams and quotations
Use colour to make your diagrams more interesting
If you have any problems then call an invigilator
Write what you think the examiner wants to hear
Never be radical, play everything safe
Hand in all your rough working
Answer the correct number of questions
Never enter into post-mortems
You’re going to do well so don’t worry about a thing