Wednesday, 16 February 2022

By ASP School Projects

The success strategy you need to pass your term 1 exams.

Are you anxious about your children’s first term exams?

It is a new grade, new teachers, or perhaps even a new school. It may be your children’s first exam ever or just the first exam of the year. It is normal to feel nervous, regardless what the situation is. Maybe the reality hasn’t sunk in for them yet and you get even more stressed about them not taking it seriously. It is understandable, since you want them to succeed. If your children are well prepared and equipped with the right strategy, then they have nothing to worry about.

A successful strategy to approach the first term’s exams:
1. Understand the reason why you are doing this.
2. Preparation is the keyword.
3. Work on it every day.
4. Do a test run.
5. Execute it.
Bonus: Follow up and reassess.


1. Understand the reason why you are doing this.
Going to school, making notes, reading, studying, going to extra classes, working through practice papers – it all takes a lot of time and effort. It is not always easy and fun for children. Getting your children through school also put a lot of pressure on you as a parent.

Why are you doing it? This is the big question that you and your children should discuss. This should be the core driving force behind their decisions. Most problems can easily be solved once your children know what want to accomplish. When your children feel overwhelmed with tons of homework and study material, this answer should help them to get back on track.

It may be nice to say your children got 90% for their exams, but it isn’t just about getting good grades – it is far more than only that.

You want them to succeed, because a good education will allow them to follow their dreams. Those dreams may be anything, really. Ranging from conventional career paths, such as doctors and engineers; to the lesser travelled paths, such as astrophysicists and historical linguists; to forging their own paths as inventors and artists. All dreams are equally valid and necessary to enrich our societies. Your children may not even know yet what their callings in life are. They’re still growing up, and ideas can change. The point is that it is much better to get a good academic foundation that will open many doors later on.

Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

While it is true that some people drop out of school at sixteen and become very wealthy and successful, they are the exception, not the rule. Even then it didn’t happen for them by mere luck. They worked incredibly hard and had to learn a lot on their own. They had a vision and goal. It won’t take long for a sixteen-year-old dropout to wish that they hadn’t taken their education for granted as they try to make their start-up a success.

Having the mindset of being properly educated is also applicable even if your children simply want a career that doesn’t require strenuous tertiary education. If they want to pursue activities such as modelling, dance, music, sport, etc. professionally that aren’t necessarily part of their school curriculum, then you should schedule time in their daily routine for those extramural activities. Don’t let them neglect schoolwork completely though. Being well-versed in language, mathematics, science, biology, economics, history and technology will make them a better all-round person, as well as more employable. It is better to be over-qualified than not at all.

Once your children have contemplated their future, they should have an answer to their big vision “why”. They should be comfortable with the idea of consistently working hard on their studies in order to reach that goal. The fact is that it will not be a fleeting thought or habit that lasts only for one school term. They’ll need this driving force throughout the entire year, their entire school careers and beyond. The reality is we don’t always get an A+, five stars, golden medals or a pat on the back for our hard work. Sometimes it goes unnoticed. They should enjoy the process of learning and enriching their minds. That is lasting and far more rewarding. A glittering certificate or trophy is just a nice bonus as a confirmation that they are on the right track.


2. Preparation is the keyword.
After your children figured out the answer to the daunting question: “Why are they doing this?”, then comes the next part: “How will they accomplish this?” Preparation is the keyword. Setting up systems will help your children keep on track. With good planning and the right attitude your children are well on their way.

If you don’t plan things properly, then you might miss out on important things. This is when you miss deadlines and walk into an exam hall with red eyes from not having slept the previous night.

The best way to start is by setting up a schedule. Having a good schedule and calendar will allow you to plan ahead. Read all about it in our blog ‘Four tips to help you set up a schedule for a successful school year’.

Start by planning ahead for the whole year, such as when school terms start and end, public holidays etc. Then add days when tests and exams are scheduled. Add dates of important homework assignments and big projects. Remember to add days on which extra mural activities take place, such as soccer practice and piano lessons. They should always look ahead at what is happening next.

Break it down even further into daily activities. You can enter the fixed times first, such as the time you should wake up, go to school, get back from school, have lunch and supper and go to bed. Then you can determine which times work best for homework and studies around all your other activities. Decide how much time you want to allocate to each subject and how much time you need to go through certain topics. Be realistic. Rather space it out than cramming it all in the day before.

Also, don’t just schedule out a certain number of hours to study for the sake of it. Have specific goals in mind. For example: you have to go through these 3 chapters today or understand these 5 principles or memorise these 10 names. It may take more or less time than you anticipated. Be flexible.

Remember to include leisure and exercise time in the schedule. You have to take care of your body and mind. You are in it for the long term. Try not to overindulge in TV, cell phones and computer games when taking a break; and also don’t overdo your workouts so that you don’t have energy the rest of the day. Going for a jog, listening to music and having a healthy snack will leave them feeling fresh and recharged.

Another important part of preparation is to make use of the resources available to them. This means talking to teachers and other students that perform well. They will send your children in the right direction and give them personal feedback.

Your children can also make use of various study techniques such as reading out loud; making summaries, flashcards and mind maps; or explaining it verbally to other people.


3. Work on it every day.
Your children can ponder the very reason why they have to study and get caught up in endless philosophical debates. They can plan for their great success with every schedule and daily planner until they are blue in the face. They can get every tip from every teacher… But there comes a time when they simply have to do the heavy lifting.

Sit down and study. It is that simple.

No teacher, parent or fellow classmate can write the exams for your children. They have to do it.

Your children have to be consistent in their work ethic. They have to prepare for lessons in advance by reading through the chapter before the class begins. They have to make notes in class and read through their notes that day after school, as it will be reinforced in their memory. They will have to revise their work before an exam.

They have to make the learning process a habit and find a way to enjoy it. It is a personal thing which can be very fulfilling.


4. Do a test run.
The last step before actually writing exams, which might be the most important, but often overlooked, is for your children to test themselves. Use past papers and mock/practice papers. This will give your children an indication how well they know their work. This will also set their minds in the correct mode to start thinking in terms of the exam paper format when studying. They may think they know their work once they read through a textbook, but as soon as it is all mixed up in questions like fitting column B to A, multiple choice, filling in missing words, labelling diagrams etc. then it becomes another story. Once they score high marks in practice papers, they can walk into the exam hall with confidence.


5. Execute it.
On the exam day, it is important to get into the right mindset. They have to be ready to execute this task that they have been preparing for so hard so that they may get the best results.

Here are effective steps for your children to follow on the day of their exam:

Wake up early, eat a healthy breakfast, get dressed, take all the right stationary in their schoolbags, go to school on time, be at the exam hall early, distancing themselves from groups of children that are too chatty and not focused, walk in with confidence, clear the desk, take out the tools they’ll need and take a deep breath before finally opening their exam paper.

Once they have opened their exam paper, they can quickly scan through it. Ensure they have the correct paper and that it contains all the pages. Then look at the time and the number of questions.

Calculate roughly how long it will take to complete the questions and how to distribute their time. Some may be more difficult or require more time for longer answers. It is often good to start with the easier questions that they know the answer to and complete them quickly (but be diligent). This way they build confidence and momentum. They get peace of mind that they have scored some marks. Then they can answer the longer and more intricate questions.

Then do all of the questions they missed out on or were unsure of. They can make an educated guess and answer it to the best of their ability. If they were paying attention in class they shouldn’t be too far off. It is better to get one mark than none at all. Teachers cannot give marks to answers that isn’t on paper.

Lastly, they should read through the exam again to make sure they have answered all questions. They also have to revise their answers and adjust it if necessary. They shouldn’t second guess themselves too much. That can also confuse them also. They can change a right answer into a wrong one. They should go with their instinct.

After the exam papers are handed in, they should walk out of the exam hall with confidence and positive thoughts. They should feel proud of what they have accomplished. Even if they think they could have done better or are doubtful of some answers. They shouldn’t fret over it for too long, otherwise they might feel discouraged. What is done is done. They should get ready for the next exam.


Bonus: Follow up and reassess.
This step should continuously be part of your children’s strategy for success.

After completing a test, children can check their notes and textbooks again to see if they answered the questions right or wrong. They can reflect on ways to improve for their next exam. It can range from simple questions in the back of their minds, like “How can I answer this type of question better next time?”, “Can I do this more efficiently” or “Should I work on this skill?”.

They shouldn’t spend hours beating themselves up on how they could have done better. Nothing is ever 100% perfect. It is more important to improve their skills with each exam. It will eventually also reflect in their marks.

Only after they receive their report cards and get their papers back will they really be able to assess their performance. Evaluate how they scored in their exams and whether it aligns with their goals and priorities. If they want to become a mathematician, then you shouldn’t be stressing too much over a 75% for their history paper. That is already good. They should however get high scores for their maths papers. If they want to become a veterinarian, but are failing biology class, then there is a problem.

It is good for you and your children to re-evaluate the whole process from time-to-time. What works for them and what doesn’t? Go through these steps again and strengthen their strategy. Each child is different. What works for one of your children may not work for the other. Try and try again. The important thing is that they never lose hope and give up on their dreams.


We wish your children a successful outcome for their term 1 exams. Let us know if you found this helpful and what your children’s exam strategies are. It may help other parents and students too.

If you have enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter. You will receive free valuable advice and tips to boost your children's academic performance.

© Copyright 2003 - 2024 ASP School Projects. All Rights Reserved.
No information or document may be duplicated, copied, distributed or sold, either in part or as a hole without the written permission of ASP School Projects.