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Ultimate Exam Preparation Kit 2015
Content1. The Ultimate Checklist to Acing Your Exam2. How to Make a To-Do List3. Organise Your Study Schedule4. Take A Minute to Relax5. List of Approved Calculators6. List of Important School Dates 2015
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The Ultimate Checklist To Acing Your ExamsIf you want to ace your exams, you need to approach the examinations with the proper state of mind. This is how you do it.
During the school term :
2 to 3 weeks before the exam :
Ive organised my notes and assignments carefully in folders
Ive done the extra/example questions in the textbook.
After each chapter, Ive made a topic summary and attached it to the front of the chapter.
When my teacher returns my assignments, I look out for questions Id gotten wrong and
correct my mistakes.
I can re-do the questions correctly without looking at the answers.
If I encounter difficult questions, I mark them with coloured tabs to remind myself to revise them before the exam.
At the end of every week, I review the chapters Id just learnt.
Ive formed a study group with at least one friend.
Ive consulted my teacher or tutor about concepts Im not sure about.
I get at least 7 hours of sleep every day.
Ive made a to-list of chapters thatll be tested (I can tick them off as I finish revising them).Ive revisited difficult questions that Ive encountered during the term. I can re-do these questions correctly.
Ive re-done old quizzes and assignments.
Ive completed at least one set of practice papers or sample examination questions.
Ive done practice papers under timed conditions.
I have consulted a teacher/tutor on how to avoid repeating errors I made in the last exam/
quiz.
I have all the materials Ill need during the exam (eg. dictionary, calculator, mathematical
set, curved ruler, compasses)Ive checked that my calculator has enough batteries.
I can recall mathematical and scientific formulae and theorem without referring to my notes.
I understand the topic well enough to teach it to another student.
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Maximise Your Productivity!Heres some useful study habits thatll help you study more effectively. Find out what to eat, how to study, and relaxation techniques in order to optimise your efficiency! And remember not to stress yourself out too much!
1. Eat the right food
2. No distractions!
3. Take breaks
4. Keep calm
5. Exercise!
6. Reward yourself
This means - no music, no phones, no TV. Studies have found that even though many students think that music calms them down, it actually has a negative effect on your retention rate! And having your phone next to you means that youre likely to be answering texts from friends, or on social media. You are more likely to recall information accurately if there arent any distractions in your environment. Even ambient noises from your surroundings has this effect, so avoid studying in a noisy cafe and pick a quiet, tranquil spot instead.
Take short, regular breaks every 45 to 60 minutes. Take a short walk around the room, or a bathroom break. This clears your mind and helps you absorb information more easily afterwards.
If youre worried about your results or dont think youre going to do well, try this: try to recall a challenging and invigorating memory, like when you scored a winning point in badminton. Then, switch your mental image to the exam hall. Do this every time you revise to avoid exam-day anxiety.
Do some light exercise. Brisk walking or jogging at least three times a week is one good way to do this! Experts also recommend yoga or swimming.
Or if you dont want to spend too much time away from your studies, some stretching helps! You can do this at your study table every once in a while to improve your blood circulation.
Once in a while, reward yourself for your hard work by buying yourself a nice meal.
When What to eat What NOT to eat
For snacks1Nuts, dried fruits & berriesLots of water
CandyEnergy drinks, coffeeJunk food
Lots of waterFishFresh fruit & veggies eg broccoli
Fast food
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Get Ready for Exam DayAfter all the studying youve done, you dont want to accidentally forget your stationery or fall asleep during the exam, do you? Youd want to be in tip-top shape! Be well-prepared for your paper by following these simple steps!
1. Should I be studying?
2. Get enough sleep
3. Eat oatmeal & eggs
4. Clear your head
5. Last pointers :
No. On the day of the exam, you should avoid doing too much studying. Instead of trying to cram in more information at the last minute, try to relax and clear your mind! You can take a quick glance through your summaries, though. Flipping through your notes casually is alright, but dont try to memorise large chunks of information or testing yourself repeatedly. Doing this stresses you out unnecessarily and you may end up blanking out during the exam itself.
Dont pull all-nighters the night before the paper. You need to get enough sleep, otherwise youll be too tired during the exam itself, and your brain wont be processing at optimum speed. You should get 7-8 hours of sleep the night before the exam, in fact.
Experts recommend foods that are slow digesting and high in fibre & carbohydrates. A balanced breakfast of oatmeal and eggs, eaten 3 to 4 hours before your paper, is a good meal to have.2
Studies have also shown that consuming small quantities of dark chocolate helps in reducing your stress-levels. And since its low in sugar, you wont have a major sugar crash halfway through the paper.3
Write down your worries. This will unburden your mind and clear out space for you to process information during the paper.
Take deep breaths. Inhale deeply, and count to 5, slowly. Then, let your breath out at the same pace. Inhale, count to 5, exhale. Do this repeatedly, just before your papers, or whenever you start to feel nervous.
Arrive at the exam hall at least 15 minutes before the exam starts.Bring a watch to help you keep track of time.Make sure you havent accidentally brought your notes, formula lists or mobile devices into the exam hall.Bring a bottle of water to keep you alert and hydrated!
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Essential Exam SkillsWhat differentiates a top scorer from a student who simply works hard? Two words: exam skills. If you know what to expect during the paper, half the battle is already won!
Skill 1 :
Skill 2 :
Skill 3 :
Skill 4 :
Skill 5 :
Skill 6 :
Skill 7 :
Skill 8 :
Skill 9 :
Write out key formulae at the top of your exam paper while theyre still fresh in your head.
Read the questions carefully and highlight key phrases to make sure you know what theyre asking for!
Make a quick plan/outline if its an essay question.
If youre stuck at a difficult question, skip it first. Come back to it later if you have time, or when youve finished the rest of the paper.
Even if you cant solve the question, you should write as many relevant points/formula as you can to try for some sympathy/method marks.
After youve finished all the questions, check through all your answers. This ensures that you havent :
At the end of the exam, make sure you submit the correct sheets of paper and dont remove prohibited materials from the hall.
After the exam, dont stress out over the paper.
Dont resume studying straight away! Take a short break from revising and reward yourself for successfully completing an exam!
Mis-read the question(s).Missed out any questions.Made any careless mistakes.Made any spelling or grammatical errors.
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Organise Your Study ScheduleTake note of your exam dates and when your assignments are due! That way, you can decide when you need to complete your homework, and when you have to time to relax.
Example
Put your remaining time to keep the pressure on.
1. 4. 7.
8.
9.
5.
6.
2.
3.
How much time do you need?
Are you happy with what youve done? If yes, tick. If no, X of make sure you re-visit the topic after a few days.
Review the toughest material just before you sleep. Your mind will figure it out while you rest.
Use colors to organise yourself better.
Dont overload yourself, keep your tasks to at most 4 a day.
Do a lot of practice papers to help with time-management of exam skills.
Take time to relax on the day before your exam.
Schedule regular breaks and naps.
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Weekly Revision Planner
from to
Exam starts in
Notes :
Day Subject(s) Daily TasksTime
NeededPerformance Satisfaction
Mon
day
Tues
day
Wed
nesd
ayTh
ursd
ayFr
iday
Satu
rday
Sund
ay
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Take A Minute To Relax!4Even though you have a lot of studying to do, remember to stay healthy! And I dont just mean physically. Mental wellness is very important too! Dont stress yourself out too much, and remember to take regular breaks. Try out these relaxation techniques to optimise your productivity, or to cope with test anxiety.
Keep Calm Clear Your Head
Stay Motivated
Ease Those Tense Muscles
Close your eyes. Take deep breaths. Inhale deeply, and count to 5, slowly. Then, let your breath out at the same pace. Inhale, count to 5, exhale. Do this repeatedly, just before your papers, or whenever you start to feel nervous.
Write down your worries before the paper. This will unburden your mind and clear out space for you to process information during the paper.
If you are worrying about your results, try this: Recall a challenging and invigorating memory, like when you scored a winning point in badminton. Then, switch your mental image to the exam hall. Do this every time you revise to avoid exam-day anxiety.
According to Loma Linda University, one of the ways to handle test anxiety is to do the following:
Sit up straight, with your feet flat on the floor.Grip the edges of your chair with your
hands
Using your hands, pull the seat of your
chair in an upwards motion while pushing
down against the floor with your feet.Hold this position and count to five, slowly.
As youre counting, slowly reduce the
force exerted by your hands and feet.
Repeat steps 1 to 5 several times.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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List of MOE-Approved Calculators5Minimise your anxiety on the day of the exam! Make sure your calculator is approved by MOE.
Scientific calculators suitable for:
PSLE Math and Foundation Math examinationsGCE N(T), N(A), O and A Level examinations
1.2.
Calculator Brand Calculator Model For use until Year
Casio FX 82MSFX 85MS
FX 95MS
FX 95 SG Plus
FX 350MS
FX 96 SG Plus
FX 82AU
FX 820MS
FX 992S
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2017
2015
2015
2015
Hewlett Packard HP10SHP10S+
HP 8S
HP 9S
2018
2018
2015
2015
Hubble Computing SC-10B 2015
Redspot Computing SC-10BSC-10C
2015
2015
Sharp EL 509WMEL 509WS
EL 509X
ELW531S
ELW531XM
EL 533X
ELW531M
EL 509VM
EL 509W
EL 546VA
2018
2018
2019
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2015
2015
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Calculator Brand Calculator Model For use until Year
Texas Instruments TI 30XIISTI 30XIIB
TI 34II
2018
2015
2015
Aurora SC550 2015
Fiamo SC 6SC 20
2015
2015
Canon F-715S 2015
Hoseki H-1030H-1031
2015
2015
Calculator Brand Calculator Model For use until Year
Casio FX-9860G SlimFX-9860GIIs
CFX-9850GC PLUS
FX-9860G
2018
2018
2015
2015
Texas Instruments TI-83 PLUSTI-84 PLUS Pocket SE
TI-84 PLUS
TI-84 PLUS Silver Edition
TI-84 PLUS C Silver Edition
2018
2016
2015
2015
2018
Graphing calculators suitable for:
H1, H2 and H3 level at the GCE A Levels1.
* Correct as of 31 Dec 2014
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Dont miss out on important dates! Be sure to mark these down on your calendar or study schedule.
List of Important School Dates 2015
*Correct as of Dec 2014. For more accurate dates, refer to MOEs website.
January 1 Jan: New Years Day2 Jan: Start of Term 1
12 Jan: Release of GCE O Level results 2015
12-16 Jan: O Level Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE)
February 18 Feb: Chinese New Year celebrations19-20 Feb: Chinese New Year holidays
Late Feb to Early Mar: CA1 Examinations (Primary) and Common Tests (Secondary)
March First week Mar: Release of GCE A Level results 201514-22 Mar: March school holidays
23 Mar: Start of Term 2
April 3 Apr: Good Friday holiday
May 1 May: Labour Day holidayEarly to Mid May: SA1 Examinations (primary) and Mid-Year Exams (Secondary)30 May to 28 Jun: June school holidays
June 29 Jun: Start of Term 2
July 17 Jul: Hari Raya Puasa holiday21 Jul: Racial Harmony Day
27 Jul: Youth Day holiday
August 8 Aug: National Day celebrations10 Aug: National Day observed
11-12 Aug: O Level MT Oral exams
13-27 Aug: O Level EL Oral exams
20-21 Aug: PSLE Oral exams
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September 3 Sep: Teachers Day celebrations4 Sep: Teachers Day holiday
5 Sep: September school holidays
18 Sep: PSLE Listening Comprehension
24 Sep: Hari Raya Haji holiday
October 1-7 Oct: PSLE written examinations8 Oct: Childrens Day celebrations
9 Oct: Childrens Day holiday
19-22 Oct: PSLE Marking exercise
19 Oct to 13 Nov: O Level written examinations
November 2 Nov to 3 Dec: A Level Written examinations10 Nov: Deepavali holiday
21 Nov to 4 Jan: Year-end school holidays
December 25 Dec: Christmas holiday
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Sources1 http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/brain-food-what-eat-when-revising2 http://www.wsj.com/articles/
SB10001424052970204644504576653004073453880#articleTabs=article3 http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/news/20091113/dark-chocolate-takes-
bite-out-of-stress4 http://stress.lovetoknow.com/Test_Anxiety_Relaxation_Techniques5 https://www.seab.gov.sg/content/calculator/GuidelinesCalculators.pdf