The Fundamentals of Exam Prep

Exams are a dreaded cornerstone of the American high school experience. From standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT to AP, IB, and more subject exams, these sources of academic stress for students nationwide are also integral to the college preparation journey. However unpleasant the process, taking exams can seriously boost a student's resume for future endeavors. This article will share some helpful tips for increasing your chances of success at these exams.

The basis for success on all exams is understanding of the content being tested on. For standardized testing like the SAT, this might only involve a review of English reading and writing skills, as well as pre-calculus math concepts. Studying for subject exams like AP tests, however, can be much more time- and effort-consuming since you need to dive much deeper into a specific subject. As such, the healthiest recommendation for preparing for this type of exam is to take detailed notes on subject content throughout the whole year, which can be used for review when the testing date approaches. The most apparent benefit of notetaking is that it allows you to capture the information you need in a succinct and digestible format for your future self to review. Additionally, the process of notetaking itself forces you to internalize the content that you are studying, granting you a deeper understanding than just memorizing facts.

An equally important factor for exam success is familiarity with the exam's structure. Even with an extensive understanding of a subject's content, taking the exam might still be a difficult process if you do not enter the testing room knowing what to expect. For both standardized and subject exams, the most proven method of familiarizing yourself with the structure is to take one or more practice tests (often available on the exam's official website). Although time-consuming, practice tests let you gauge how effectively you apply your knowledge to the exam as a bonus to exposing yourself to real exam questions. If your content understanding is sufficient, consistently completing practice exams and learning from mistakes is almost guaranteed to boost your performance on testing day.

Of course, due to a variety of circumstances, diligently taking year-long notes on a course or grinding through dozens of practice tests may be unviable or simply unappealing to some students. In this scenario, they must cram as exam season approaches to maximize their chances of success. Even when cramming, taking notes while reviewing all the course content is still a reliable method of boosting your score. Indeed, the process will feel much more tedious and overwhelming when not spread out over an entire school year, but if you have the time, notetaking pays off. Meanwhile, students with even less time should identify and focus on their weakest topics in the course curriculum to study up on. This way, you can maximize the benefits you reap from the little time you have left before testing day. Additionally, spending the night before skimming through a specimen test to scout out question formats can help improve your preparedness.

A final comment: special studying techniques (some social media-famous like the Pomodoro technique and spaced repetition) can help some people with using their time more efficiently, but are certainly not required for success. The fundamentals of effective exam preparation can be summarized by the three major tips explored in this article:

1. Take notes for future review and to internalize course content.

2. Take practice exams to familiarize yourself with the exam structure.

3. With limited time, identify and focus on studying your weaker topics and scout out possible questions.

Try applying these methods to your own studying and good luck with the upcoming exam season!

Best, Youyi Li

PrepPages Director of Events