Having trouble passing your test? Don’t feel too disheartened, in this post we’ll discuss how to pass an exam even if you don’t like the subject. I’m afraid there are no secrets, hard work is going to be essential if you wish to learn how to pass a test.
We all know that you can’t pass an exam by doing nothing but exactly how much do you need to do to pass it? This, of course, varies in accordance to your own level of commitment, how difficult the subject is as well as the teacher etc. However, there’s a simple way to systematize the process by dividing it into three categories:
1. Where Are You Now?
Start out by asking yourself how much you’ve studied. Do you feel that your satisfied with how much you’ve learned so far (I’m assuming there’s still time before the exam, otherwise better hurry!). Try to give a quantitative measure of how much progress you’ve made so far, for instance by assigning a number from 0-10 on how ready you are to face the exam.
If you’re unsure on how much you know, I’d recommend you to look for an old exam and then sit down and try to finish it without looking at the answers. When you’re done, count the number of points you scored and the percentage (points achieved divided by all points). The higher the percentage the better prepared you are.
2. Where Do You Want to Go?
The second step is quite obvious. Once you’ve decided where you stand you need to know where to go. Do you wish to achieve a higher grade or simply pass the exam? If all you want is to pass this particular test without caring for a higher grade, then studying for that outcome would make sense, right?
WRONG! You see, even if your intention is to simply pass the exam, you should never (and I mean never) study for that goal. If you aim that low, chances are that you may land even lower but if you were to aim a little bit higher than if you fall, you’ll still pass the exam!
There’s an old Swedish Proverb that says:
“Aim for the stars and you’ll hit the forrest”
3. How To Get There?
In order to pass the exam you need to master the essentials. Every subject has some fundamental concepts that have to be understood. Be sure to go through a) textbook & lecture notes b) past exams (a must!) and try to find the most important concepts. Start out by learning these, there’s no point in trying to understand the advanced topics if you haven’t mastered the basics.
Once you’ve done this you’re ready to move on to more advanced materials. If you only wish to pass the exam, I’d recommend you to try to memorize the easier ones and leaving the complicated ones. If your intention (as it perhaps should be…) is to receive a higher grade then be sure to go through the complicated ones as well, posing any questions you may to the teacher. I’d recommend collecting all the questions on a piece of paper so you won’t need to look for the teacher every time something new comes up.
As long as the exam isn’t due right now, you have time to study. Of course, it’s always better to study a little everyday during a long time span than it is to study a lot during a shorter time span. Try your best to study a little everyday, it’s so much easier to do that than is to carry the burden of knowing that the test is tomorrow and that you’re unprepared. Recall the o’l proverb that says;
“If you don’t have time to do it right you must have time to do it over.”
I’m pretty sure that neither I nor you want to redo the exam. We have to what we have to do, period. Don’t go looking for excuses, enough with the laziness. Organize your studies with a personal study planner and then follow it as strictly as possible. It’s way to easy to get distracted by TV, movies or the like.
This doesn’t mean you should study from morning to evening without doing anything else, it simply means you should learn to PRIORITIZE. This is what medicine nomenclature refer to as triage. List things in order of their importance and finally, what ever you do, don’t procrastinate!
Start now.
Awesome!
[Reply]
i am student of mca. i fail in one exam. now i don’t want to study .whenever i start my study i feel sleepy . i feedup my student please tell me how to make interest in study
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 1st, 2010 at 2:34 am
Everyone fails at one time or the other, the important thing is not to give up because of one failure. All serious students persevere, the stick to their studies even though it may be difficult and time consuming because the KNOW what their goals are. Do you know what your goals are?
[Reply]
ive read alot of those shets only way to get great grades is how comited you are like do you wanna lose all youre friends for grade ?
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 1st, 2010 at 2:32 am
I don’t think that’s the case. You can be a successful student without losing touch with your friends. It’s a matter of principles, when your with your friends your with your friends and when your studying, you are studying (and NOT chatting with your friends).
[Reply]
Nice Inspiration……
[Reply]
i take my book to read i feel sleepy.then i will not able to concentrate in the class my thinking goes outside of the class .
please help me
[Reply]
i learn a loooooot…. from this…
thank u google….. i love u google…. handsof to u…
[Reply]
Scott Johnson Reply:
June 29th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
ME TOO
[Reply]
THIS SITE TOTALLY ROCKS. I LEARNED SO MUCH THAT I TOOK MY F UP TO BE A D IN SPANISH CLASS. WORD UP AND PEACE OUT MY BURRITO LOVING HOMIES.
[Reply]
this is fantastic. i am in south africa and i am writting my matric soon. i know i am very smart but i do not work at all, but i reading this article i am a changed person. i am going to ace the comming exams.
thank you
thank you
[Reply]
admin Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 3:12 am
Glad I could help!
[Reply]
honestly.. i failed for 2 exams in teacher’s board. the fact that i not an education graduate, i just got some methods n teaching so i can take the said board. however im still determined to pass. Since my ultimate dream is to be a teacher. i know that i can teach and i know i have a big potential to be d best teacher around. i hope and pray that in due time i can make it. presently im working as the head of the marketing dept. im planning to enroll in a review center for me to more understand all the subject areas concern. to all folks there let us not give up. the best thing n life s to the interest to learned and the determination that we need to put into actions.
papasa din tayo.. at magiging ganap na guro.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Keep on fighting man, just keep on fighting!
[Reply]
When i go to study i get into sleepy & also school my attention going out of classroom
please help me !
[Reply]
admin Reply:
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:14 am
If you get sleepy whenever you’re about to study that’s a sign that your uninterested in your studies. If you don’t want to get tired whens studying you need to become interested in what you’re studying.
Learn more about your subject, recall why you are studying it in the first place. Sometimes it’s too easy to get caught in details & technicalities and miss the greater picture. Where do you want to go with your studies, that is the question.
[Reply]
To pass your exams, just know that you need to write what you know. Study is the only way out. What differs is how long must you study to grasp what you can pour out on paper during the exam.
Know yourself properly and study as much as you can when you are in the mood to study…
[Reply]
thanks a lOt……
[Reply]