Tried and tested: Entrance exam strategies

Here are some helpful tips for psyching yourself up for that crucial entrance exam
Angel Britanico
Published 12:00 PM, Aug 15, 2014
Updated 1:49 PM, Sep 16, 2014

Many students fail to realize at times, until its too late that preparation for

During exam day:

1.

entrance and board exams begins as far back as their very first day of school.

Believe in yourself. If under preparation is the enemy, fear is its sneering

sidekick and its up to you not to let either bring you down. Avoid talking
about the exam or reviewing with fellow examinees. You already probably

Academic performance, however, is not the end-all-be-all of the admissions process.

know everything you need to know about the subjects by this time.

No one can go back in time to improve their grades, but the persistent and wellprepared stand a fair chance of passing admissions and board exams.

2.

Bring the necessary accessories and requirements. Set your watch 1520 minutes in advance. Use a pencil case to keep all supplies in one place.

Whatever way you choose to prepare (if at all) for such exams, here are some tried
and tested exam strategies to make the most of the experience:

3.

'till kingdom come. Note the travel time from your house to the test venue,
and leave one to two hours before. Prepare to walk or run to your test center

Before exam day:

1.

to avoid the build-up of vehicles within the school.

Know your study style. There are those who learn best when reading
aloud, drawing figures, discussing with others, writing songs or conducting
their own experiments. Try out different approaches and adapt what works

4.

Research. Get exam pointers from teachers, relatives, friends and web
forum posters who are alumni of your desired schools.

3.

commute from a restaurant to your testing center.

5.

youd want to worry about is dusting off junk food bits from your test paper or
ignoring the smell of adobong pusit in your snack bag.

and to share valuable information like alternate routes, directions to nearby

the route on your navigation app.

4.

Prepare your things the day before. Make a checklist and pack on your
own to make sure you dont leave anything behind, especially your allimportant test permit.

Bring fuss-free snacks. Many test-takers become so preoccupied

answering that forget to eat snacks. But if you do bring food, the last thing

Tour your testing center. Ask a graduate of the school to show you around

eateries and test tips. Draw or download a map to your test center, or save

Plan your pre-test meal ahead. Eat within the area or just bring your own
meal. There are too many things that could go wrong if you gamble to

for you.
2.

Leave the house early. Exam days notoriously cause traffic jams that go on

6.

Take that restroom break. You may not think you need it at the start of the
test, but your bladder might change its mind just when youre struggling to
convert grams to moles.

7.

Use scratch paper wisely. Write down important formulas. List down the

have a 25% fighting chance of being right and sometimes a little chance is

letters of the alphabet and their corresponding number equivalents (i.e., A =

better than none.

1, B = 2, C = 3 and so on) for faster analysis in abstract reasoning subtests.

After the exam:
8.

Manage your time well. For each subtest, divide the number of questions

1.

Ask the proctor all your questions regarding the release of results.

by the number of minutes allotted, and estimate how much time you should

Confirm the schools official information channels (i.e., hotlines, website,

spend per item. If youre stuck, just proceed to the next and return later.

social media) with the proctor. Ask for the month and week when results are
usually released.

9.

Shade circles lightly or partially, then fill them in only after youve
answered all questions. The idea behind this is to finish all the questions

2.

Check your belongings. Make sure to bring your review materials,

and answers in less time. This is crucial because after the proctor instructs

especially if you have other forthcoming tests or if you know someone from

everyone to proceed to the next subtest, examines are forbidden from

younger batches who may need them.

returning to unanswered or unread pages.

3.
10. Narrow down your choices. Unsure about a certain number? Partially mark

Unwind and treat yourself! Pat yourself on the back there goes a
milestone in your academic life! No need to spend or leave the house to

the two closest choices. Scribble important details and possible answers on

celebrate, though. Something as simple as eating your favorite home-cooked

scratch paper, then refer to these notes before finalizing.

meal, reading a book youve set aside during review or binge-watching your
favorite series will do the trick.

11. For reading comprehension tests, begin with the end in mind. Read the
test questions first then skim through the passages for the answers.

4.

You win some, you learn some. If the universe conspired to get the
outcome you wanted and needed, congratulations! Youve just earned an

12. For essay tests, keep answers straight to the point and grammatically

excuse to burn all those review materials (no, not really).

correct. Clarify whether the essay writing part has its own time limit, or if it is
included within the time limit of a subtest. Read all essay questions first to

Celebrate the passing of the hurdle, but dont be complacent. After all, its one thing to

anticipate the time it takes to answer each. Stick to 2-3 important issues or

be admitted into a school but graduating from it is another ordeal entirely. Ditto for

arguments per topic, and make a graphic or linear outline (not a written one!)

passing a board exam and for the long, often bumpy road to being an excellent and

before you write down your final answer.

responsible practitioner.

13. Leave no blanks.When in doubt or when youve ran out of time, take a
guess even if the test has a right-minus-wrong policy. You have 0% chance
of earning a point if you leave an item blank. But if you take a guess, you

Whatever the outcome of the exam may be, all that you are and all that you
know is so much more than an exam score.

Dont lose heart if the results were not as favorable. Apply to other schools if youre an

But in the words of Winston Churchill, Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the

incoming high school or college student. Hit the books again for your second run of

courage to continue that counts. Whatever the outcome of the exam may be, all that

review if youre a graduate seeking licensure. Youre human and its perfectly natural

you are and all that you know is so much more than an exam score.

to be hurt, hysterical, disappointed and embarrassed even angry when things

dont go our way.

Written tests and shaded circles can only tell us so much. The true test of character is
how big were willing to dream, how much were willing to give up and how far were
willing to go when what is worth having doesnt come easy. Rappler.com