The final phase of the study routine system is output. This is the phase that most student ignore, even though it is arguably the most important phase of the test preparation process.
It’s amazing how we spend so much time studying for tests and pay no attention to simulating the test taking experience before sitting the actual test. In most other disciplines that require performance, rehearsal is a central part of the preparation process.
In my practice as a teacher I have seen gifted students receive grades that are not indicative of their ability. The problem is that they do not take the time to develop their test taking skills. I can recall one student who had a very real case of test taking anxiety. She was one of my best students who ended up failing her semester exam because she could not manage her nerves. In the following semester I told her parents that I will be willing to set a pre-test for their daughter before every test. The student did these tests to time. The outcome was amazing. By simulating the test conditions and repeatedly doing practice tests to time at home, she no longer felt nervous in tests and at the end of the second semester she got an A for my course.
It is important to note that your teacher or examiner is going to use a single test or exam to assess how much you know, so it makes sense to practice answering questions under exam or test conditions before doing the test. There are many ways that you can approach this. You can ask your teacher to give you extra questions which you can then use to create your own test. Or you can find worksheets on the internet and use the questions there to create your own test. The tricky part is knowing how much time to give yourself to complete the test that you have created. The best way to get an idea of the time that a given test should take is to ask your teacher. He or she will be the best judge of how long the test should take.
The next step is to tell your parents or guardians that you will be doing a test and you do not want to be disturbed for the next hour (or whatever the duration for the test is). Of course you will turn off your phone and do the test to time. When you practice this you will learn test taking skills. Skills like, leaving out a question that you are struggling with to answer other questions (thereby accumulating marks as time goes by) and then returning to it later. You will learn that there is no need to panic if you don’t understand a question. You will develop the skill of managing your nerves so that your mind can be clear and ready to solve questions that offer an initial challenge.
Once you have gone through the three stages of test preparation: input, absorption and output, you will be far more confident in your ability to perform well on your tests. This confidence will greatly increase the probability of you being successful in your tests and examinations.
Unleashing your true academic potential 