How to Prep for the End of Year Exams

As the school year is ending, we come to smell the virtue of summer; however, there is a smell to taint such a closing scent. The smell of final exams is around the corner for the whole of high school. There is less than a month until exams start, and typically, you are one of two students. 
Number One: “I know what I am doing”, “I have a plan, and it will be fine.” 
Number Two: “I am cooked….Whaaaaaaat do I do?”, “I give up, GG.” 
Hopefully you are not student two but matter the situation you will be in this article is supposed to help and give tips on how to get that desired grade.  

First of all, the simplest advice is just to make sure you have a calendar in which you can note all your exam dates. Honestly, it is such a stress reliever having your dates written down, so you don’t have to remember. It makes you feel better organized mentally and physically, knowing that you can just look at your calendar to know what to do.  
 

(Personal Google Calendar Exam Schedule-5/5/2026)

Some ways you can act on this advice are to use websites such as Google Calendar or to use a physical sheet of paper to hang in your bedroom. Anything works as long as it can be seen by you.

Another simple piece of advice is just don’t cram for your exams, plan, and use the time to your advantage. Plan 3 to 2 weeks, or start with the more content-heavy subjects, such as Biology and History, which mostly rely on memorization. Also, do not be tempted to study the subject in which you have your first exams; instead, focus on the one that needs the most effort (Your weakest subject should be your priority).
Personally, I start with the subjects I have the exams for last, so that I can then study later for the subjects I have the exams for first. I am aware this is a contradiction to what I previously stated, but this can differ for people.

Finally, in your exam preparation, you should organize all your documents from the past year. All the Formatives and Summative you have done, look back at them, and find all the content you have done. Then make a list of the different topics in each course so that you can map out what you need to study in each class. This is very similar to the idea of the calendar, except it outlines a study plan. In most cases, you don’t have to do this step as your teacher has outlines ready for you.

Next time, we will look into actual study habits and techniques to make sure the content stays in your head. Stay tuned.

By Adam Khan a student like you who has been through this.