Are you stuck on studying? Do you want to learn some study tips for exams?

I understand how boring and repetitive it can be to study, but there are many ways to make studying more interactive and interesting.

These study tips for exams help boost your grades, establish better studying habits, and learn material on a deeper level. 

Here are some of my personal favorite study tips for exams that I use to study different subjects.

This post is all about study tips for exams.

Study Tips for Exams

1. Study in Increments

Break up your material to learn each day instead of cramming to do better on exams.

Try to tackle a new topic each day and review those concepts on that specific day. 

Take breaks in between long study sessions so you don’t get burnt out.

This is like exercising-don’t attempt to max out your energy all at once. Instead, you need to train yourself to gain endurance, patience, and perseverance. 

You also need to take breaks in between so you don’t drain your power.

The key to succeeding in increments is persistence.

YOU have to be accountable for studying each day. 

You have to want that thing enough that you are willing to put in the time for it.

The more effort and time you put into something and get rewarded, the better you will become with praise.

2. Review Material Each Day

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This can be a very simple 5-minute task each day after class.

After you finish taking notes, or when class is over, go over your notes.

Reread your notes and use a different colored pen to write down any questions that you have from your notes.

Fix any parts that your handwriting was messy or unclear.

Make it a habit to review your notes and what you learned after each class.

You can do it during the passing period, before the next class starts, or when it’s lunchtime.

The closer you review your notes after you finish them the better since it is still fresh in your memory.

Then, review your previous notes too. Skim through them after you have learned a new lesson the next day.

Just rereading and absorbing your notes is one of the easier study tips for exams.

3. Test Yourself

Other great study tips for exams include quizzing yourself.

Pick out concepts or problems that you think will be tested.

You can also go on Quizlet to find ideas on what questions may be asked. Type in [your subject][quizlet] and there will be tons of study flashcards or questions.

An example is: Psychology 101 Quizlet

Then, create an environment similar to when you are taking a test.

Make sure the space is quiet, blocked off of distractions, and include a timer.

Next, set up your questions or have a printout of problems in front of you.

Start the timer and start working through the problems.

After you finish, make sure you compare answers, but also check what problems you got wrong.

If you were working on math, check to see if you are stuck on a step or if you forgot how to solve it.

Then work on tackling the parts that you have weaknesses in and try to practice those problems more.

4. Check Quizlets

As mentioned previously, Quizlet is a super helpful study tool.

To search a Quizlet for a specific subject, type in [your subject][quizlet] and there will be tons of study flashcards or questions.

An example is: Psychology 101 Quizlet

You can also create your own set of flashcards in Quizlet and quiz yourself.

Another idea is to bring your friends into making flashcards and quiz each other on different concepts.

Quizlets are extremely helpful since there is material from previous students who have taken the class.

Make sure that you use them wisely and double-check that the answers match the questions.

Tip: Always compare two to three Quizlet questions and answers with each other to make sure that they are correct.

5. Study Guides

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Some other simple study tips for exams include study guides.

Usually, your teacher would create one with questions or concepts and pass it out a couple days before the test.

Take advantage and work on the study guide because this is mostly what is going to be on the exam.

You can also create a group study guide where your friends or the whole class can participate on google docs to contribute.

However, make sure you don’t memorize the study guide answers word for word and actually understand the concepts.

Also, don’t rely on others 100%! Make sure you are working on questions and double-checking other people’s work.

You don’t want to be studying wrong answers.

The time that you spend working on the study guide is studying in itself.

You are using your brain to think about, go over, and answer the questions. This is like a review of the material as you work on the study guide.

Interested in more study tip hacks? Check out 13 Genius Study Tips for Kinesthetic Learners.

6. Group Collaboration

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This study tip goes hand in hand with many of the other study tips for exams on this list.

Collaborate with your friends and classmates on Quizlet, study guides, or testing each other.

If you easily get distracted in a group setting, you can also work on study guides online.

Everyone can contribute when they have time and you don’t have to be face-to-face with others the entire work period.

Working with others also speeds up the workload which gives you more time to study. 

Having multiple people collaborate allows you to view questions from different standpoints which can help you understand the material better.

Set consistent reminders and assign workloads to each person. 

This way no one is confused about what they should contribute and when it should be due.

DO NOT procrastinate and study at the last minute on the study guides.

There may be concepts that you are unsure about that only the other person knows.

Make sure that everyone is on the same page and understands each section.

Create a study day where your friends quiz each other to strengthen the material absorbed.

7. Mnemonics

Another genius tip to study is to use mnemonics.

Mnemonics are useful to help you memorize items through words, phrases, or rules.

An example is PEMDAS in math where you remember Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally which is for executing parenthesis before exponents, multiplication and division before addition and subtraction.

Another mnemonic that I used in chemistry was King Henry Died Unexpectedly Drinking Chocolate Milk which was for the metric conversions.

It goes from kilo to hecto to deca to unit to deci to centi to milli.

There are many mnemonics that you can search online or create on your own to remember information.

The process of making a mnemonic is already part of the studying process.

Since you are spending time finding ways to make it easier to learn, you are absorbing the information.

It is like making a study guide or cheat sheets.

When teachers tell you that you can have a page of notes on a test or to work on a study guide, they are actually helping you with the learning process.

If you spend time looking for answers and writing them down, your brain will subtly remember them.

Then, when you go over it again, you are reinforcing that information in your mind.

The more you practice, the better you will be on tests.

8. Cognitive Maps

A tip for memorizing material is using cognitive maps.

Cognitive maps are visual images of concepts laid out. 

You can create a cognitive map with a main keyword or concept and break it down into smaller chunks of information.

For instance, if you are studying history you can start broadly or specifically.

If you are studying for a final, the topic can be U.S. History.

Then it can branch off into different time periods or eras like the cold war, world war, civil war, etc. 

And under each of those periods, you can jot down the key events or important people who were involved.

If you are studying for a quiz, the topic can be narrowed. 

The topic may be on a specific time frame like the world wars or 1900s through 1950s.

Then branching off can be world war 1, the Great Depression, world war 2, etc.

Under each of the smaller subcategories, you can include information like dates, specific events that led to each incident, which countries were involved, etc.

By creating a cognitive map, you are studying while you are making it. 

This is because you have to either recall the information or look it up. 

The process of doing these two tasks is already reviewing for your exam.

9. Chunking

Other powerful study tips for exams is to use chunking.

This is breaking information into smaller, manageable pieces to better remember it.

Chunking is most commonly seen in memorizing phone numbers.

If you get a string of numbers like 3459087321, it is harder to memorize than when it is broken down into 345-908-7321.

This is because your brain is memorizing the different parts of the number and stored in chunks rather than having to remember a long piece of data.

You can use chunking for breaking up difficult passages, complex information, and confusing concepts.

Similar to the cognitive map tip before, you can chunk information so it is grouped together in smaller bits rather than a large block.

An example is writing an essay. You don’t notice, but you are already chunking!

When you write an essay, you may unconsciously separate the process into steps.

Introduction

1. Write a hook
2. Introduce the main idea
3. Write the thesis statement

Body

1. Add in transition
2. Write the first main topic
3. Add in evidence
4. Add in transition
5. Write the second main topic
6. Add in evidence
7. Add in transition
8. Write the third main topic
9. Add in evidence

Conclusion

1. Restate the main idea
2. Write a conclusion

This is a basic outline for drafting an essay but we separated the steps into intro, body, and conclusion. 

By doing so, it is easier for our brain to organize the information and have a step-by-step guide.

When you are preparing for studying sessions, implement chunking too!

Similar to studying in increments, when you chunk up your study schedule, you are letting your brain get some rest.

Let your brain absorb the information after each period and then go back to studying.

10. Cognitive context-dependent (study in the same environment)

This tip is super easy but highly effective.

When you test yourself or when you study, set up an environment that is similar to your classroom testing situation.

Make sure your space is quiet, has lighting, no distractions, includes a timer, and has a clear surface to work on.

You don’t want to be testing in an environment where there is clutter all around you and no space to put your paper and pencil.

Simulating a testing environment and actually working on problems will help you prepare for testing.

If you have testing anxiety, this is a great way to help you feel less stressed and more prepared.

Want to read more hacks? Check out: 25 Best High School Sophomore Hacks.

11. Write & Erase

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One of the last study tips for exams is to write and erase.

You would need a whiteboard and some expo markers with this.

First, write down a concept or material that you need to remember.

Then try to finish up the definition of the steps to solve a problem.

Keep checking your answers and erase after each try to start in a blank state.

Once you remember the concept or material, move on to the next one.

Make sure to track back and quiz yourself on previous questions to make sure you got it down. 

If you only read and don’t implement any of the advice above, it is not going to work.

Start small or pick a few tips that you like and try to include them in your study sessions.

These study tips for exams will be effective as long as you put in the effort, time, and dedication.

Good luck on your academic journey and remember to take frequent, short breaks to replenish your energy!

This post was all about study tips for exams.