Aceing exams is on most students bucket list but for most the reality of this is left up to chance. Preparation for exams is usually substituted with postitive thoughts and positive speech. However, success in exams begins with preparation so here are some steps to assist with preparation.
Create a cheat sheet/reference sheet of the formulae that you will need to be familiar with. Try to obtain the examination formula sheet so that you are aware of which formula are not given. This will allow you to know which formulae you need to memorise.
Learn key concepts and words. Words have meanings and yiu need to be familiar with their meaning. For example, the word hence means that you are required to use a solution from a previous part of a question to solve the current problem. Failure to do this (using a different method instead) will result in the loss of marks. Also, when the word EXACT appears in a question you should automatically know that you cannot state a decimal that has been approximated as your answer.
Practise past exam papers. Initially you can use the cheat sheet that you created with the intention of reducing your reliance on it over time. As you practise, observe your strengths and weaknesses and dedicate additional time to improving your weaknesses. These papers should be completed within the required exam time so that you can gauge your readiness for the exam.
Don't practise until you get it right but rather, practise until you can't get it wrong. While students generally misinterpret this, it is one of the most (if not the most) important revision tool. Oftentimes, students practise until they get the first question correct. This is viewed as sufficient understand. However, all good students of Mathematics know how easy it is to make mistakes. Therefore to master Mathematics you need to practise, practise and continue practising until you truly believe that it is impossible for you to get a particular type of question incorrect. (Sadly, the possibility of making a mistake is always present so you will never stop practising.)
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