8 Tips That Will Reduce Your Exam Stress

It’s that time again! Students at private and public schools in Sudan are preparing for their end-of-year exams. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many schools to turn to virtual or online learning, IGCSE exams are running normally this May and the exams for the Sudan National Certificate are set to take place in the next few months.

Whether you’re pursuing a school certificate or a higher education certificate, the following tips, brought to you by IGCSE Sudan, the first online educational platform in Sudan, will help you reduce stress as you prepare for your exams.

Create a revision time table

Organising a revision timetable can be anything from creating a schedule to writing down a to-do list everyday before the exam, which will keep you super prepared and on track of the content you cover.

In addition, sticking to your revision timetable and giving your exam content more time will boost your confidence and you will feel comfortable before the exam.

Set realistic goals

Setting an ideal revision timetable, whether you have several weeks, days, or even hours before the exam, helps you organise and put everything in perspective.

Setting ideal goals will help you assess your situation and maximise your productivity until you achieve the grade/s and goal/s you want.

Pro tip: Don’t set a lot of tasks for one day. Nobody can do over 10 topics a day! 

Practice some past papers before the exam

One of the main secrets to getting over exam stress is practicing past papers. Solving past papers will boost your confidence ahead of the exams, and you will know what type of questions to expect and how to approach them. In addition, solving past papers will train you to manage your time during the exam and finish on time.

Some exams don’t have past papers, so you need to keep track of your instructor’s assignments or try to research questions that are related to the topics you are studying.

Practicing will help you identify topics you are less confident with, which will help you tackle that topic and achieving greater results in your exam.

Click here for IGCSE, As & A levels, and SAT papers.

Eat healthy meals

Make sure to eat healthy meals with healthy food such as vegetables, fruits, and a variety of protein such as lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products. 

Avoid eating food or drinking caffeine at late hours that will prevent you from having a good and early sleep.

Remember, stay hydrated with water. It helps!

Have a good sleep at night

Having good sleep will positively impact your productivity; therefore, you will study better.

Try to get at least eight hours of sleep at night, close your phone, bedroom lights and other distractions to help you sleep better.

Pro tip: Avoid caffeine and high protein food at night.

Always take breaks

Take frequent breaks every 30-45 minutes. Psychologists say students can only concentrate for continuous 30-40 minutes. That is why in schools, lessons are 40 minutes then there is a break. When you take a break, make sure to get off your desk and do some activities, taking a walk or preparing a cup of tea.

Try to avoid checking or using social media before exams. It will affect your stress levels, and will keep you unfocused and you will lose valuable studying time.

Believe in yourself

Always believe in yourself!

We always face new challenges, so we should look at how far we came and how much we have achieved. Do not let one exam decide your future!

No need to worry if you have prepared well for the exam. If you having negative thoughts about the exam, you need to replace them with positive ones.

Whatever you got on any exam, if you’ve put in the work, you must be proud of yourself and how far you’ve made it.

Always tell yourself, “You can do this!”

Get assistance from family members, colleagues, and instructors

It is not shameful to ask for help or support. Talk about how you are feeling! Talk to your parents, siblings or friends! They may help you overcome exam stress or struggles. If you are stressed, never keep it yourself. Try to talk to someone!

Sometimes, parents place unrealistic expectations and expect results which place further stress and pressure on a student. Let them know how you feel and that you have certain expectations and expect results, according to your capacity and capabilities. At the end of the day, your parents want what is best for you.

So, whenever you feel stressed, talk to and ask for help from people around you!

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This article is written by Abdelkarim Mohamed, the founder of IGCSE Sudan. He is also an aspiring blogger with an obsession with developing education. His writings are about developing your academics and skills to help you join the world’s best universities and have a better academic journey.

IGCSE Sudan is the first online educational platform in Sudan, which was founded in 2018 and began operations in 2019. IGCSE Sudan aims to create the best experience for every student through high school, and presents great study tips and fantastic university opportunities abroad. For more information, visit igcse-sudan.com or Instagram @igcse_sudan.