Good in class, but struggle with exams — What to do👇

I was a 70% ish student. Middle of the road. But had potential to get top grades.

Exams always caught me. I seemed to always go blank.

Until,  I started to develop my own hacks. Little tricks to get my brain into ‘exam mode’.

Try some of these for yourself:

The 5-Minute Rule 

To start, I’d scan the whole paper. Go through every single question. Pull out what each one is looking for. 

I’d make a note for each question:
‘this is algebra, this is trigonometry, this is tricky.’

Then I start with the easiest question. I’d come back to the hard questions later. In the meantime, my subconscious kept working away at the questions.

You’d be surprised. The answers would suddenly dawn on you halfway through the exam.

Relax Your Body

Exams are a mental and physical game. When your mind is stressed, so is your body. Vice versa.

In the exam hall, tuck your chair into the table. Plant both feet on the ground. Close your eyes and drop your shoulders. Breathe. 

A calm mind is a clear mind. 

I use this all the time. In my leaving cert, in college, in interviews. It’s a life skill. Seriously, try this process. You’ll thank me after your exams.

Visualisation 

The night before the exam I’d visualise it all. Just for 10 minutes.

I’d close my eyes. I’d picture the exam hall. The heat and the smell. The clock ticking on the wall. The teacher at the top of the hall. 

Then I’d visualise myself.

Me sitting there in my uniform. The paper opened on the desk in front of me.

I read a hard question and I’d imagine myself feeling lost. Clueless.

I see myself working it out. Writing out my rough work. Writing out what I know. Moving on.

It’s scientifically proven that visualisation can combat exam anxiety. You can play out exam scenarios in your head. Then in the actual exam you’ve already done it.

Exam Cuteness

There’s a level of ‘exam cuteness’ that’s required to transform your grades.

I’d have an exam strategy.

I’d write down as much as I vaguely knew because 80% of marks are for showing your workings. You can still do well on a question without the final answer. 

Show what you know.

Use SOHCAHTOA in a trigonometry question. Use the Minus B Formula where it says ‘correct to two decimal places’. Realise part A and B are worth more than part D. Get the start of questions right.

In 2023, having some exam cuteness really stood to students in Maths. Paper 1 was a disaster. Tears galore. But if you were cute, you’d realise that the final answer was irrelevant. The results follow the bell curve.

Embrace hard questions. The examiner will mark that question easier. When everyone else is worried, show what you know and your grades will transform.

The Key Takeaway 

It’s so common to be good in class but struggle in exams. It’s easy to fix. Try these for yourself and see what happens.