Jossie Warnant

With stuvac upon us exams are just a week away. And whether you have a dreaded ProctorU session or a Canvas quiz, your exams are likely to look different to anything you’ve done before. Say goodbye to sitting in a room with a bunch of random people and hello to doing your final exams from the comfort of your living room. Whilst this may seem like a preferable option, online exams can bring unexpected challenges. Here are our top five tips to help you nail your online exams.

1. Remember to do your exam
Missing an irl exam is the stuff of nightmares, imagine getting through a gruelling semester and then failing just because you slept through your alarm or missed your train. For online exams, it's even easier to forget to roll out of bed or get your days mixed up. So, make sure you triple check your exam timetable and set multiple reminders on your phone so that you don’t have that gut-wrenching “I’m sure I was supposed to be doing something important today” feeling.

2. Say no to distractions
The big advantage of online exams is that you can do them from the comfort of your own home instead of being crammed into some old, dingy room on the other side of campus. But taking the exam at home also means you can be exposed to lots of distractions you otherwise wouldn’t have to deal with for an in-person exam. Think noisy lawn mowers, your dog or pesky family members interrupting you just when you’re about to figure out the right answer to the next question. Whilst some of these distractions are almost unavoidable, it's super important to try to find a place you won’t be interrupted. Close the door to your room, and if you want to take it to the next level maybe even put a sign up reminding your family or roommates that you can’t be disturbed. Lately I’ve been partial to screaming out “don’t interrupt me for the next hour” to the rest of my household, and that usually does the trick.

3. Perfect your set up
Key to nailing your setup is making sure that you have all the things you might need nearby. If your exam requires a calculator, scrap paper or pens you don’t want to be running around the house searching for these items mid exam. Check what you will need beforehand and make sure you have everything close by to reduce the need to hunt for stationary.

Also key to taking an online exam is making sure your tech is sorted out. There’s nothing worse than realising you’re on 5% battery or having your wi-fi drop out midway through the test. Before you take the exam log on to your computer and check that everything is working. And if you’re anything like me, this might be the time you close down the 50 tabs you have open, just so your computer doesn’t crash right before you hit submit.

4. Dress the part
Despite the fact that you can take the exam in your pjs, you probably shouldn’t. Acing an online exam requires getting in the right headspace. I’m not suggesting that you need to wear a ball gown or a suit, but it’s probably a good idea to wear something that makes you feel put together as this will help you focus.

5. Get your timing right
For some exams you will have a choice about when you take them. Whilst it may be tempting to leave it to the last minute or do the exam when you’ve finished all your other tasks, this is probably not a good idea. Procrastinating could leave you to tackle your exam after a long day of work or at a time when your family or roommates are all home. Book in a time that you would like to do your exam, preferably in the morning when your brain is ready to work, and make sure that you keep to this schedule.

It’s been a tough semester with COVID-19 turning our world upside down. If you’ve really struggled with your studies and don’t think you’ll be able to get in the right headspace for your exams remember to reach out and ask for help rather than just simply not doing the exam.

5 Tips to Ace Your Online Exams