With the exam period quickly approaching, it is crunch time for all students, but this is especially true for those getting ready for their O and A Levels. So how can you assist your child in better preparing for the national examinations while tensions rise and stress levels soar?
Preparation for the English O-levels in Singapore often doesn’t begin until the pupils are in their third year of secondary school, even though they will be examined on everything they have learned since Secondary 1. According to this, a student typically has two years to prepare for the national exams adequately. Similarly, pupils begin preparing for the A-levels as soon as they enrol in junior college.
A straightforward game plan guarantees that study time is fully utilised when preparing for the national examinations. Here are some helpful hints for improving student preparation.
early assistance
Knowing one’s strengths and limitations is crucial because doing so will enable one to seek help earlier and raise their grades in the areas one struggles with (s). In addition, obtaining individualised assistance and having questions answered more quickly through private or group tutoring can significantly improve a student’s grades.
For students wishing to brush up on their weakest areas in preparation for the national exams, many tutoring centres now offer various O-level and A-level “crash courses”.
Join or create study groups
Studying in groups improves the facilitation of revision because students may share solutions and concepts with their classmates. This strategy works particularly well when students revise for humanities classes like literature, history, and general papers, which call for critical and imaginative thinking. It gives pupils the chance to gain fresh perspectives on various thoughts and notions dissimilar to their own.
Another advantage of studying with friends is the encouragement and support they may offer during this trying time. In addition, students in a study group will be more motivated to work harder and smarter by exchanging study suggestions because they are working toward the same objective.
Despite the advantages, some students can still like studying alone rather than with others. Therefore, adopting efficient study techniques that work best for you is advised.
The key is to plan.
It is crucial to create a study schedule, so students have enough time to complete each course. Students must prioritise extra revision time for their weaker topics while simultaneously making time to prepare for their strongest subjects.
Work on former exam papers
Practice makes perfect, as they say. Therefore, it is advantageous for students to attempt questions from the Ten Year Series because it gives them a better understanding of what to expect throughout exams and the chance to review their specific topics.
Develop a good sleep routine.
All the other advice in this post will be utterly ineffective if students cannot get good or enough sleep. A student will be better prepared for another day of studying if they allow their brain cells to rest during the period when their body enters sleep mode.
We frequently hear the advice to “sleep on it,” but did you realise this practice aids memory retention? Research from Royal Holloway University’s Department of Psychology indicates that our brains are better able to retain new knowledge when we give it some time to sink in at night. In addition, instructors recommend that students take study breaks between revising sessions to improve learning.