Most of you might be busy preparing for exams these days, spending endless hours pouring over books. The level of stress students face before any major exam is tremendous. It is because of this stress that our rational thinking gets affected, making us go blank in some cases. There are various ways of coping with examination anxiety. Shivani Manchanda has a few tips.

Read instructions

A teacher once gave his students a surprise test. The task was to answer 100 questions in 15 minutes. The whole class desperately started answering questions with the exception of two students. When the time was up, the teacher announced that all the students had failed except the  two students who did not answer the questions. The teacher pointed out that the first line of the question paper instructed students not to answer any question at all. 

Stress buster

Even though something as dramatic as this may not happen in your exam, there are many of us who have answered all the questions when the instruction was to answer only a few. Even more common is the situation when you forget to write some of the points that are part of the answer.

The reason is that examinations not only test your competence in a subject, but also the speed with which you demonstrate your competence. Only if we remember the rules of planning and goal-setting can we exit the examination hall with a smile on our lips.  

Five steps

Here are ways you should go about answering questions in an examination hall so that you do not miss anything.
Step I: When you receive the answer sheet, write your name and roll number correctly. Double check your roll number.
Step 2: When you receive the question paper, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Remind yourself that you have prepared well for the examination and can ace it.
Step 3: Read the full question paper as well as the directions and questions. If you know any question really well, mark it. If you have to choose between questions, make a decision now.
Step 4: Divide your time depending on the marks allotted to a question. Spend more time on answering a question which carries more marks. Also, leave some time for revision.
Step 5: Unless otherwise stated, first answer the questions you know well. Write the main aspects of your answer in point form at the beginning and then begin expanding each point. This way you won’t miss any point. 

Learn to relax

Answer questions neatly with clear margins on both sides of the answer sheet. Underline the main points or key words. If you feel that your concentration is wavering, close your eyes for a minute and tell yourself that you can do it. If you write the answers calmly, you will be able to give your best. 

Shivani Manchanda has master’s degrees in career counselling and child development. She has been counselling about opportunities in India and abroad since 1991. Mail questions to telegraphyou@gmail.com