Leaving Cert exams: the dos and don’ts of the final countdown

For many Leaving Cert students, school days are almost over and the stark reality of sitting English Paper 1 at 9.30am on Wednesday, June 7th, is staring you in the face. You may be feeling anxious, even overwhelmed. But there is no need to panic.

Even if you think you are sunk and have not applied yourself throughout the year, that need not spell disaster if you approach the next few weeks calmly and strategically. There is still time to improve greatly on your potential grade performance – but there are some important pointers to keep in mind in the run-up to the exams.

Do map out your last few weeks of study

Allowing for gaps between exams after the first week’s papers are completed, you can clock up many hours of high-quality revision before you sit the last paper.

Firstly, print out your exam timetable from the examination.ie website. Working backwards from your last paper, map out exactly when you are going to tackle every single question on your study plan.

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If you don’t have one, and are using past papers as a guide, draft one right now. You may be surprised to realise you can still cover the majority of your course curriculum if you punch in a solid day’s work.

Study is most effective if you write short summaries of key points on each question on to mind maps, which you can review the evening before each exam.

Practise writing out the answer to a past question within the time you will have on the day of that specific subject. Do no more than three hours study across four questions before taking a break for at least an hour. Keep yourself hydrated with water. No sugar highs, because they play havoc with your capacity to concentrate.

Don’t focus all your effort into your weak areas

It might seem like the smart approach to focus only on your weak areas or subjects. That is important, but don’t neglect areas that you think you already know.

Remember: doing well in examinations is 50 per cent technique and 50 per cent knowledge of your subject. You have absorbed many times more information over the past two years than you could ever present in your Leaving or Junior Certificate.

Do put a big focus on exam technique

The next few weeks should be about fine-tuning your answers in line with the marking schemes, published by the State Examinations Commission (examinations.ie).

These are a vital resource as they will show you exactly what the teacher marking your paper will be looking for when they bring up your exam script online on their PC on a hot afternoon in July.

Two students with the same amount of information on a topic may get radically different grades, depending on how each present the information to the correcting teacher.

Timing is also crucial. Estimate how long you have to work on each question. Practise doing this with a watch in preparation for the real exams.

Don’t go into more detail than needed

Four or five key points are more than enough for most topics – and will get you more marks than more detailed answers with just one or two points. The detail of your answer to any particular portion of a question should be in proportion to the numbers of marks available for that section.

When you sit down to read your paper on the day of the exam and select those questions you will attempt, four or five key words as rough work at the back of the answer book are all you will need to structure your answer to any question comprehensively.

Once you get started, you will find that the information starts to fall into place in your mind. Therefore, you should reduce your recall triggers to no more than a handful of points or key words on any topic.

Do use stress to redouble your motivation

The best way to rid yourself of the stress you are probably feeling right now is to get stuck into a solid study routine. Sitting around worrying about how you are going to get through the exams will get you nowhere. Use the stress you are feeling to help to maintain your focus over the coming weeks.

Minimise distractions. Stay away from social media. Turn off that phone. With the right focus, you might surprise yourself by what you can accomplish. If, however, exam stress becomes a real problem for you, consult your family doctor, who will be able to help you deal effectively with it.

Don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do

School days and the support your teachers have given you over the past 14 years or so are over. The next month before the exams, and the study periods in between them, is more than enough time to pull all that you have learned over the past two years together, to practise presenting your knowledge in the most exam-friendly manner, and to strengthen your weak spots.

It’s also possible to do this while living a balanced lifestyle, exercising and eating well and giving yourself the occasional treat to recharge the batteries and keep up your energy levels. A detailed plan is a good place to start.

Do get a good night’s sleep

You must aim to be in the best shape possible when the day of each element of the exam arrives. Don’t stay up too late to the point where you’re exhausted in the morning. Do everything in moderation. Exercise and downtime are a great antidote for stress.

Don’t forget about support available from your teachers

If you feel unsure of your capacity to answer a particular question, contact the relevant teacher and ask them for help. Most will be more than happy to help out as they are still in school working with non-State exam students.

They have huge experience of preparing students for exams as well as having taken a few in their own time. Don’t be tempted to seek last-minute grinds if you run into trouble with a topic or subject. Go into school and ask your teacher to explain it to you. If your teachers are still offering either formal or informal classes, tap into their expertise. There are also very good sources of online help.

Do seek support from your parents – your family will always be there for you

The best advice I give to parents at this stage is to just listen. There’s no point pretending to be an expert. What they need at this highly stressful time is someone to listen to them without criticism.

If you show your child trust and unconditional acceptance, they may tell you what they are really feeling. Having given them your listening ear, you can ask them whether there is anything you can do to help them improve their performance in their examinations.

It may be as simple as being at home more to ensure a calm, quiet atmosphere in which they can study more effectively.

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Don’t take part in any activities that will knock you off stride on the final lap

Remember, performance on the day of the examination is determined by physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing, as well as preparedness in the subject material.

Those facing into the stressful conditions of examinations need regular physical exercise through sport, walking, jogging or swimming.

As always, you need to avoid alcohol and drugs; not an easy task given the peer pressure on your age group.

Given the levels of energy required to perform to your potential across seven subjects over three weeks, you also need to maintain a nutritious, healthy and balanced, diet, avoiding excessive sugar intake and junk food.