1. HOLY CHILD KILLINEY GUIDANCE OFFICE Exam Preparation

2.  Before the Exam  Preparation  Planning  Visualisation  Set Goals/Targets BALANCE  In the Exam  Technique  Follow the Plan  Breath  Know what you need

3. BEFORE THE EXAM  DO NOT PANIC (this is a waste of your time!)  Do not engage with others’ panic (wastes even more time!)  Establish a pattern of revision that gives you time to relax…It’s hard to panic when you’re relaxed!  Panic is caused by poor planning which results in underachieving. Thus create your plan early and stick to it.

4. BEFORE THE EXAM  Know the Exam Paper inside out  Layout (Choice of Questions/Sections/Topics)  Structure (Compulsory Questions)  Timing (how many minutes should you use per question)  Marks (Marks/Minutes/Question)

5. BEFORE THE EXAM  Visualisation  How would you like the exam to go? Take your mind through it.  Meditation can be useful here.  Practice Positive Self-Talk; give yourself some confidence

6. BEFORE THE EXAM  Do not stay up late the night before the exam cramming, sleep is just as important, as are;  Diet; this is not the time to start dieting. Eat a healthy variety of foods.  Exercise; keep it gentle as it is about relaxing the mind and getting more oxygen into the body.  Staying positive; keep smiling

7. IN THE EXAM  Arrive early.  Read ALL instructions carefully.  Highlight key words.  Re-write the question in your own words.  DO NOT PANIC; focus, breath, count to ten, write down the alphabet. (This can restart the brain again after going blank.)

8. IN THE EXAM  Make a Plan before you begin each question in your rough work (useful for long answers).  Know what order you want to follow and stick to your plan.  Know how many minutes per question you have along with your reading time.

9. IN THE EXAM  Never use white out/tipp-ex etc. Put one line through it and brackets around it instead as illustrated (---)  Never go over your time in any question.  Never leave early, this is your only chance to get these marks; take it.  Try not to think about the exam afterwards, focus your energy on the next one instead.

10. ANY CONCERNS?  If you have any concerns about your exams, your friends exams or your daughters exams please contact the school. Do not think it will disappear, and remember we are here to help.