Most students can spend their time studying all week or all night for a test. But, how do you know when you are ready for a test? Can you be over-prepared? Students often do not know when they are ready for a test until they have actually taken the test.
Here are a few ways you can determine your readiness for a test:
1. Note the amount of time that you have actually spent studying.
“Studying” seriously means that you have looked over the material and you have taken the time to make sure that you have gone over every detail. Retainment of information versus memorization is key to seriously studying. If you have only memorized the information, you might forget it at any time. If you retain the information, on the other hand, you can recall the information before and after the test.
As you study, log the amount of time that you have spent studying. The best way to study for a test is to begin two weeks beforehand. Once you know when the test is going to take place, you should start studying, for at least thirty minutes up to an hour, everyday until the night before the test. This way, you have a better chance at retaining the information rather than just memorizing it.
2. If you have studied well, you should know the information that you need to know like the back of your hand.
You can only test this by making a mock test. Have a classmate or friend over so that you can study together. Have your friend make a test for you, while you make a test for your friend. Exchange the tests when you are finished, and correct each other’s test.
3. Use the information actively.
This way, when the day of the test comes, you will have less of a chance of feeling nervous, anxious, or panic-stricken. Using the information actively means that you are making it a daily part of your life, so you are retaining the information rather than memorizing it, and you can make sure that you are learning the right information.
The more you use the information you need to learn, the more you will know that you are ready for a test. When you feel that you have learned all the information that you need to know, and once you have taken a mock test and have done superbly, then you know that you are well-prepared for a test.