Beat the stress, here are some test tactics.

With the ongoing examinations, coupled with these uncertain times of contagious viruses going around, it is definitely additionally stressful for both parents and students during the exam season.

Here are some pointers to help both you and your child to beat the stress:

1. Develop a consistent study routine

To be successful in our studies, consistency is key. Therefore, developing a study routine will help to keep your child on track with the syllabus, and be always prepared for tests and examinations. It will be beneficial to come up with measurable and achievable goals each time your child study so as to keep them engaged and motivated. This is also important so that your child will know what to expect, and understand what they will have to do in order to make it an effective study session.

2. Revisit the mistakes that he/she has made

Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Studies have shown that making mistakes can improve retention of information relative to passive (i.e., errorless) study, provided that cues and targets are related and not fully unrelated. (Source: Andrée-Ann Cyr, Nicole D. Anderson - Learning from your mistakes: does it matter if you’re out in left foot, I mean field?) People are bound to make mistakes, what is most important is to learn from them. Therefore, revisit your mistakes, understand why you made them and seek to correct them.

3. Create a list of commonly made mistakes for each topic

By creating a list of commonly made mistakes, you are covering any potential areas where you could make an error on. This is reinforcing any problems or lack of understanding for the topic at hand. Making the list and going through the list before the exams will help your child gain confidence in the topic by tackling the difficulties they have.

4) Sleep early for a clear head the next morning

A good night's rest will allow your child to have a clear head in the morning. A little stress is good, but putting too much stress on your child may not be beneficial for him/her as we will want for them to be confident when they approach the examinations. A good rest is definitely important for a confident start in the morning.

5) Do not panic when faced with a tough question

Approach any question with confidence. If your child is not able to answer a question, skip it. There is bound to be questions with varying levels of difficulty. Be mentally prepared that you will be faced with a tough question that you are unable to do. Come back later to re attempt after all the questions at the back are done.

We can all pull through this exam season!