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How to complete your paper on time – Not missing out on what you know!
Many students face the struggle of not completing the paper on time during exams. This is one of the things that give the jitters to most of the students. The main reason behind this is not because they do not know the answers to questions but are not aware of how to manage time effectively during the examination.
Time management is crucial for any exam. In this article, we have put together answers to the burning question – ‘how to manage time while writing an exam?’
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Practice makes perfect
Just like how a sprint runner practices running laps each day before the day of the race, you should practice giving the exam as much as possible. Solving mock papers beforehand will help you understand what to expect in the exam paper and give you an experience of how to tackle questions of different difficulty levels. These multiple trial attempts will allow you to try out different answering strategies and find out which works best for you.
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Start writing from the top
Usually, in the first 15-20 minutes of an exam, students tend to look around and think stuff through and then begin the exam. However, this is a wrong practice to waste time. Start writing as soon as the clock begins to tick. Do not give in to the temptation to look around and see what others are doing. These are just minutes of the exam gone in vain.
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Do not think over the answers
As mentioned, start the exam as soon as the timer starts running. As crucial as this is, it is equally important to not waste time thinking about answers. Start attempting the questions for which you know the answers well. Then, once you have had a run-through of the paper, you can revisit the questions you’re doubtful about, give some thought to them and attempt the questions. Once you get the question paper, identify the easy questions first and attempt those before moving on to the complex ones. This will ensure that you do not miss out on the easy questions while struggling to answer the tricky ones.
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Avoid taking breaks
Prepare yourself to take no breaks through the course of the exam. Carry a water bottle with you to the exam hall. This will reduce the time you spend going out to the corridor to drink a glass of water and return. Such breaks in the middle are bound to disturb your flow of thoughts and you will have to start thinking from the beginning to complete your paper. This expense of time is unnecessary and can be avoided by being a little prepared.
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Get rest before the exam
During an exam, your brain should perform at its peak and be active throughout. This will increase your chances of writing accurate answers. It is essential that you get a good night’s sleep before the day of the exam. Sound sleep will help you improve your productivity and concentrate better in the exam. Sleeping well will help you keep a calm head during such stressful times.
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Take everything you need
Many students lose out on precious time due to missing out on small details. In the middle of the exam, it is common that your pen might run out of ink or there are no writing sheets or you are in need of a calculator. These small hindrances will set you back for a long time when you are in the exam hall. So, before you leave for the exam, have a checklist of the things you would need in the exam hall and check off each box as you check your belongings.
Keep these pointers in and follow them before and during your exam. These will surely improve your efficiency in the exam and help your time management in exams. Have a calm head and shun out any nervousness that you may have. You can surely complete your paper on time by following these 6 pointers.
All the best!