Strategies to Improve Performance
Take thorough notes.
Most people capture in their notes only 20 percent of what the instructor says. Write more rather than less and compare your notes to others’ to fill in what you missed.
Review the material each night.
If you don’t review what you’ve learned within 24 hours, you won’t remember about 20 percent of it. At 36 hours, you’ll forget more than 30 percent of what you’ve learned. If you want to remember information, you must review it within 24 hours of learning it.
Actively study.
Passively reading through material won’t help you remember the information. Instead, engage with the material. Quiz yourself as you go. Find ways to connect new information to what you already know or to your experiences.
Study with your peers.
There is value to working with others. Form a study group of 4-6 people. Arrive prepared and start by creating a plan for what you want to accomplish in the study session. Minimize conversations that don’t further the work of the group.
Study in Power Hours.
- Before you begin: Plan when and where you’ll study.
- 2–5 minutes: Set your study target (What do you already know? What do you need to know? What information is most critical?).
- 5 minutes: Establish your study action (What actions do you need to take to reach your target? How do you need to study?).
- 30 minutes: Study with a purpose (engage with the material).
- 10 minutes: Review the material you studied.
- 10 minutes: Take a break and recharge before starting another Power Hour.
Make sleep a priority.
When you sleep, your brain organizes and reinforces material that you learned that day. To maximize learning, get enough sleep throughout your studies.
Listen carefully to guidance before the test begins. Skim through the entire test before you answer any questions.
Orient yourself to the layout of the test and the kinds of questions it contains so nothing catches you off guard when time is running out. Remember, in some cases, you can start with any test question, not necessarily question #1. You might start with the section that looks the most difficult to get it out of the way, or you could get a confidence boost by picking the questions that look easy.
Keep track of your time.
Be aware of how much time you have and how many questions you have left. Manage your time so that you can answer every question.
Skip a question if you don’t know the answer.
Maybe you’ll remember the information later, or maybe you’ll find the answer inside another question. Ensure you answer any questions you skipped.
Tips for multiple choice questions:
- Read the entire question.
- Identify key words in the question (“all,” “none,” “except,” etc.).
- Try to come up with the answer in your head before you look at the options.
- If you have a reason for changing an answer, your new answer is probably right; otherwise, you might want to stick with your first choice.
Write about your concerns.
If you have jitters before the test, take a moment to write what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling. Research shows this technique helps anxious test-takers perform better.
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