Navigating Through Exam Week

Two principles governed my approach to exam week.

Stop Cramming

Most candidates respond by attempting to fit in more.

Effective preparation requires recognising that introducing new material in the final hours disrupts what you already know. The brain does not simply add information: it reorganises and prioritises. Last-minute cramming increases the likelihood of overriding stable knowledge with fragmented, incompletely processed information. Instead of expanding revision scope, the focus should be on stabilising what has already been learnt.

This approach contradicts instinct. When anxiety peaks, the impulse is to do more. But consolidation, not accumulation, determines retention under pressure.

After the Exam: Do Not Check, Do Not Discuss, Move Forward

When the paper ends, it is finished. There is no value in reviewing questions, checking answers, or discussing what others selected. Candidates often believe that post-exam conversation provides reassurance; in practice, it introduces doubt and disrupts concentration for the next paper.

The correct approach is to detach immediately. You have already made the best decisions available in that moment. Revisiting them will not change the outcome.

What Exam Week Actually Requires

The final stage of preparation is not about knowing more. It is about protecting clarity and trusting what you have already learnt.

Your responsibility now is not to keep studying.

It is to arrive ready.