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Five exams preparation for online tests

Online test preparation methods.

For some students doing an online exam is a new and, to some extent, a mystifying experience. Most of them are not sure of what to expect or the skills and methods that can enable them to perform in online assessments.

To start on good ground, most of the steps required to take an online exam are relatively similar to those needed to handle a classroom test.

Even so, the online environment presents slight differences that require extra carefulness and thorough preparation. Many institutions implement exams monitoring and integrity solutions like lockdown browser.

The student has to know they will be required to download and learn using the various online exam tools. Despite these dreaded feelings of taking online exams, there are its upsides too.

Online exams are more mindful of personal needs, more flexible, and recognize the students' pressure. Below are some online exams preparation strategies you can tailor your revision to achieve the most of the online assessments.

What is an online exam?

Online examination is the process of conducting a test online to test students' understanding and knowledge of a particular area of study.

Traditionally, people had to gather in a classroom to sit an exam at the same time. With online exams, students can take them virtually, at their own time, with their devices at the comfort of their homes, offices, or anywhere they are. All that is needed is stable internet and a browser.

Online exams offer significant benefits both to teachers and students. The primary importance of online exams is cost and time-saving.

Its feature of giving instant feedback saves the instructor the tedious job of grading and analyzing results. This is possible by using various examination software to make a quiz.

Instant feedback also helps students know their results early, allowing them to prepare for retaking the test if they performed poorly on the test. It also offers enough time to study harder for the subsequent tests to improve on the grades.

Apart from being a time-saving method of learning, online exams also save money. You don't need to worry about the cost of paper and related document works like printing, scanning, and photocopying.

Furthermore, amid the Coronavirus pandemic where social distancing is the order of the day, what's more, can we say? Online exams are the way to go. It avoids the gathering of students while still delivering on the objective of successful learning.

On the same note, it also helps prevent the disease's spread by avoiding the exchange and touching of exam materials. As one of the precautions to contain the virus, institutions have no option but to implement online studies in their systems.

Online exams preparation strategies.

For several years in formal education, some students are introduced to taking exams online-a different format from what they used to know. This comes in the midst of a pandemic that has affected their mental health.

Some have never done this before and might be confused and anxious about how things will turn out. But do not worry yourselves too much. In this article, you will find exams preparation strategies to help you face online tests confidently, like the regular class tests.

Read on to find more.

1.  Create a revision routine.

First, you have to decide what topics to cover in the revision and the kind of learning or knowledge the exams are testing. You can seek help from your teachers or dig into past papers and the sample answers.

Once you have received the exam timetable, spread the topics across the remaining days to exams to develop your revision schedule.

Creating a routine of your revision is very important, more so in the wake of the world pandemic. Coronavirus has disorganized everyday life routines; it is, therefore, vital to become intentional with how we manage how life and priorities.

Many psychologists and wellbeing practitioners would recommend adopting time management methods like the Pomodorotechnique to help you with proper planning for your revision.

For instance, 25 minutes of study, then a five-minute break, then repeat can be beneficial when you feel overwhelmed by studies and struggle to stay focused on the revisions.

2.  Learn and understand the concepts, not words.

In your preparation for the online exams, begin to analyze course notes, lecture videos, marked essays, and any other essential learning materials. Learn the concepts and ideas, avoid cramming too many texts.

Open book exams allow you to show that you can apply the ideas you have been learning rather than showing what you have memorized. Though this can help relieve some pressure, looking for source materials in the middle of a test is distractive.

One better way of solving this is to summarize key points, ideas, analysis, and quotes in a sheet or notebook. This kind of thorough revision helps you to comprehend and remember the information. It also makes it easy to find what you may need during the exam.

Theoretically, you will begin your revisions early using the existing summarized notes instead of learning new topics. There is enough stress from the pandemic, so you want to do what you can to reduce it.

Do not panic when you can't have enough time for revision. Have a plan, but prioritize your study topics with the available time.

To be free from worries, create a "worry sheet." Have a paper folded into two; on one side, write things you can achieve and things you cannot get on the other side. Focus on the things you can control and achieve and leave the rest to take care of themselves.

This way, you are becoming realistic with your goals and expectations, which reduces the stress of being behind with your revision or the guilt of not covering some topics.

3.  Tackle the exam anxiety.

Taking an online exam, alone and in the middle of a world pandemic, is a demystifying experience; it is ok to feel anxious or afraid. Despite these facts, there are also some ways you can use to help in tackling these feelings.

First, try to reduce stress by creating a separate exam space from your usual revision area. For example, you can sit at a desk or kitchen table instead of sitting on the bed. You can also go to a different location away from the normal area, say, a hotel or a quiet restaurant.

Confirm with the school if they have exam walkthroughs online. These will serve you with a clear picture of what the procedure will look like, from logging into the portal to uploading the answers.

You can try to download, log in, and acquaint yourself with the skills by practicing with the exam software before starting the test. This will make you familiar with necessary software procedures and help reduce anxiety.

If you don't have a strong device and a stable network, you can arrange with your school to loan you a laptop, a dongle, or a useful kit.

And if you have not undertaken a 24 or 48-hour examination, you can do a dry run on this one too. It is not about writing the exams for days; you will get schedules that balance writing answers with eating, sleeping, and relaxing.

4. Prepare your exam tools in advance.

Last-minute collection and confirmation of exam materials such as calculators is one of the causes of anxiety before and during exams and can lead to poor performance.

Ensure everything you need for the test is ready and in good condition before settling for the exams. Remember, online examinations use exam monitoring and integrity solutions to detect any unusual movement and flag your test answers.

Prepare early to avoid the risk of failing due to a lack of exam materials.

5.  Train on time management in advance.

Unlike the classroom examination, where you can liaise with the invigilator to add a little time to set time for the test, online exams are strictly timed, and there is no extra time that can be added.

To avoid being cut short before answering all the questions, practice time management in advance. To achieve this, you can ask the instructor how long the tests last and try taking similar tests under the same timeframes for the tests.

Conclusion

Despite the slight differences that may come with online tests, they are quite similar to the regular classroom exams. They should not pose any worries and anxiety to you if you are new to the trend.

With proper preparation and practice with the software, you can overcome the fears you may experience when you hear the term online tests.

Implement and stick to these exams preparation strategies discussed in this article and rest assured you will achieve the best in your online tests. Ensure you have a revision routine, manage your anxiety, practice time management, and prepare your exam materials early.