There is a lot of planning that goes into the day of the exam. Even if your child feels prepared for the big day, he or she may still make some of the common blunders children make when taking examinations.
We examine at these blunders, as well as suggestions for helping your child avoid them and developing problem-solving abilities in the process.
Common Exam Error 1: Hurrying Through the Exam Questions
Aside from the burden of recalling significant amounts of information, students sometimes worry about finishing their papers within the timeframe given. As a result, they speed through the exam questions without thoroughly reading them, hindering their ability to comprehend what is expected in their responses.
To Avoid Making This Error:
Make sure your child understands that tests are not a race. Rushing through a paper can result in poor outcomes. It is critical that your kid thoroughly reads each question.
Supporting your child’s emotional development is also beneficial. Distress, fright, anxiousness, and agitation are common symptoms experienced by students who panic during an exam.
Taking deep, calm, and long breaths is a good strategy that your child can use to relieve stress when he or she is anxious throughout a paper.
“Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness,” commented by The American Institute of Stress.
Common Exam Error 2: Not Leaving Enough Time to Finish the Paper
Similarly to racing through questions affecting your child’s exam performance, giving each question too much attention can be unhelpful. This is especially true if your child becomes discouraged as a result of his or her inability to get the correct answer.
To Avoid Making This Error:
Remind your child to make the most of his or her exam time by practising timekeeping.
If your child is allowed an hour and ten minutes (a total of 70 minutes) for situational writing and continuous writing, he or she can devote around 25 minutes to situational writing and 35 minutes to continuous writing. Before the time runs out, he or she still has 10 minutes to evaluate both pieces.
If your child is having trouble with a question on a different sort of exam, such as comprehension, Math, or Science, recommend skipping that question and returning to it later, after the remainder of the paper has been finished.
Common Exam Error 3: Not Filling Out Multiple-Choice Questions and Leaving Them Unanswered
Multiple-choice questions are intended to deceive the mind and assess a student’s understanding.
When panicked pupils are unsure of the answer, they frequently leave multiple-choice questions blank. They often forget or run out of time to return to such queries, despite their best intentions.
To Avoid Making This Error:
Your child should read each question carefully rather than skimming for keywords.
Another approach you may teach your kid is to first answer the question in his or her head, then read all of the options before hastily marking a response. This will aid in the elimination of any incorrect alternatives before your child selects what is deemed to be the correct option.
Another strategy is to focus on the phrases “not,” “never,” “sometimes,” “usually,” “often,” and “always.” These qualifiers change the meaning of the statement; choose the one that makes the most sense.
If your child is stumped and doesn’t know the answer, it’s advisable to choose the item that “feels” right, thereby making an educated guess, rather than leaving the item blank.
Common Exam Error 4: Saving the Easiest Questions for Last
Students like to answer the easier questions last since they can occasionally provide insights to the harder ones.
This is not a good idea, especially if the student has trouble managing his or her time.
To Avoid Making This Error:
Exam questions that your child understands the answers to should be prioritised. Returning to more difficult questions after all of the other answers have been filled in is a better approach to improve exam performance. After then, your child will be free to take his or her time answering the difficult questions.
Common Exam Error 5: Writing an Essay Without a Plan
Students frequently get right into writing a composition without first mapping out the storyline.
When this happens, the entire piece becomes muddled, if not incomprehensible.
To Avoid Making This Error:
Make it a habit for your child to create an outline for his or her essay.
Teach your students how to plan a tale, develop ideas, and manage the flow by writing up a story curve, before getting into the finer aspects of composition planning.
A story curve (also known as a tale arc) is a common framework that can be applied to narrative stories. It aids your child with visualizing the five elements of a successful composition: the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion.
The story curve allows a student to organize his or her composition in a chronological order, ensuring that no crucial portions of the account are missed.
If time allows, a preliminary drafting can also be useful in fine-tuning your child’s thoughts and ensuring that he or she does not go off topic or go off on irrelevant tangents.
If you don’t have time to produce a draught version before the final composition, at the very least, encourage your young student to pose the following questions:
- Does this sound interesting?
- Is this correct? Is there any proof to back this up?
- Is it possible for me to make this statement more concise and clear?
- Is it easy to move between sentences and/or paragraphs?
- Have I gotten the essential points across and illustrated them?
Recognizing and Learning from Exam Mistakes
You are preparing your child for higher test outcomes and a more enjoyable experience during an academically difficult period by assisting him or her in overcoming exam stress.
Have fun learning!
