Few things in a student’s life are as terrifying as the thought of an examination. With its connotations of testing, interrogation, and judgment, the word “exam” can be frightening. Nobody likes being put in a position and having their worth based on the success or failure of a single action that can go well or badly depending on a variety of things. However, much of the power that exams have over us stems from our fear of the unknown, which we can overcome.
There can be little doubt that being adequately prepared for activity takes a great deal of the mystery out of it. Most of the time, we fear tests because we do not feel fully prepared, and we see the exam as some sort of mystery monster with unknown abilities waiting to burst out and eat us.
Some are simple exercises of common sense that can be learned relatively easily while others are more demanding and require long-term commitment and application.
Nothing beats familiarity when it comes to removing the dread of the unknown. An exam assesses your familiarity with your subject matter, as well as your level of comfort with the knowledge and insights you have obtained. Familiarity cannot be established quickly, it takes place over some time. Consider it like meeting a stranger for the first time and beginning the process of becoming close friends.
Revision is not a learning process; it will not assist you in developing a comfortable acquaintance with your topic. Revision is, as the word suggests, looking over something you already understand simply to remind yourself of it. It’s a little like getting ready to go shopping for a friend’s birthday. You may know your friend very well but sometimes you have to sit down and remind yourself what their tastes are.
There is no replacement for the long-term study if you wish to prevent test stress; last-minute review cannot help you with this; that is not what it is for. So, the best method to take charge of your test is to commit to your course of study, spend the time learning and understanding so that you are prepared not afraid of being questioned about it.