How to deal with an examination meltdown
Scared of drawing a blank in the middle of exams? We have a few tips to help you relax and remember.
KOMATIPOORT – Matrics across the country will be starting year-end exams from Monday and some are extremely nervous about hitting the dreaded blank.
Most of us have sat in front of an exam paper, after many hours of study, then struggle to recall anything about a certain topic or section.
Dr Gillian Mooney from The Independent Institute of Education, says teachers and parents should prepare pupils for the stresses of exams.
Pupils should double-check that they have all their stationery before leaving home.
Take an extra pencil and pen and Tippex (if it is allowed) and ensure you have extra tools such as calculators or rulers in your pencil case.
The formal environment of the exam venue can overwhelm pupils and cause them to forget the material they have learned, leading to panic – which only worsens things.
Mooney recommends trying to calm down in the few minutes before the clock starts.
Carefully read through all of the instructions once you have received the paper and make sure you check all of the pages. This way you can see what to expect and ensure that you do not miss out on any of the questions.
Mark all of the questions you can answer and start with the easy ones first. This will help build your confidence and give your mind some time to process all of the information.
If you still feel panicked in the middle of the exam, here are a few steps to follow:
• Do not panic: Take a few deep breaths and try to calm down.
• Calm your mind: Tell yourself that you are calm, studied hard and know your work.
• Tackle the difficult questions again: Go back to the questions you struggled with. Write down anything you can remember about the topic. You can always cross out anything you do not want marked, once you are sure of your answer.
• Visualise: If you cannot remember anything on the topic, think about where you were when you first heard about it or what your notes looked like. Sometimes that helps to spark a memory.
• Reconstruct your memories: If you jotted down notes on the material, read through it and try to form it into a good answer for the question.
• Look at the big picture: Often teachers do not just mark a one-word answer but your method and reasoning behind it. Jotting down anything you remember relating to the topic and question can occasionally earn you a mark or two.
Remember that exam papers aren’t the only things that count towards your year marks.
Some subjects have two papers and you may be able to make up some marks by doing better in the next one.
If you do fail a paper, you will still be able to apply to rewrite it and have the opportunity to better your marks and still pass.
