Entering Exam Season - Tips & Tricks

By Quinn Martindale ’27, Resident Editor, Isabella Perco ‘26, Staff Writer; Edited by Safiya Ahmed ’27, Resident Editor

Every high school student knows that exams are one of the most stressful and demanding times of the year. At Ridley, teachers understand this too. We sat down with three of Ridley's own, Ms. Scott, Ms. Thompson, and Ms. Fournier, to hear their best advice for preparing to crush exam season.

Over her time at Ridley as a mathematics teacher, Ms. Scott has seen many exams come and go, some successful, others not.

Quinn: To you, what are the most effective study techniques you recommend to students preparing for exams?

Ms. Scott: Use your skills or knowledge. This means that you want to think about completing practice problems and using the provided solutions or answers to check that you are making progress, and can address any errors or misunderstandings as you go. Consider explaining what you know to someone else or talk through a concept with a peer. Talking it through can help clarify your thinking and reinforce your learning. If you like visuals, consider drawing a mind-map or sketch note of the information and work to make connections.

Also learning to manage your time is very helpful. It can be overwhelming to start the process of studying, and it can feel like you’re never going to dig your way through all that you have to do. Maybe consider making a priority list of the topics that you want to study for each exam and chunking your time to review. Think about studying topics for shorter periods of time but doing it more frequently to help reinforce your learning.

Quinn: Those are good strategies! I know many students, myself included can procrastinate so I will keep that in mind. My next question is: Are there any specific tools or resources, like apps or websites, that you find helpful for students?

Ms. Scott: Start with your exam outlines. Take the time to read the exam outline and make notes/highlight key information that is provided there. Make use of a planning calendar that works for you – whether it be a paper calendar that you by your desk, or an electronic calendar that you carry with you. Use the resources that your teacher provides. You’ll likely have a review package, class notes in OneNote that you can use, and other resources that have been curated by your teacher. If you have one topic that you want more help with – consider making use of the resources outside of what your teacher has provided. These might include Khan Academy or other math trusted math resource, or you might use an AI tool like Math Bot to help show you full solutions to a problem that you are stuck on. You also want to think about remembering that your peers are a great resource. You’re all studying the same material and will have different strengths. Support each other.

Quinn: Finally, what do top-performing students in your class do differently when studying?

Ms. Scott: Top-performing students are able to work through setbacks and work to manage their time to make steady progress over time rather than leaving work to the day/evening before. This means that they can address concerns early and ensures that they have time to do the things that take care of their bodies and minds (i.e., sleep, nutrition, exercise).

After learning about study strategies from Ms. Scott, we switched gears and chatted with Ms. Thompson, who gave us some great advice about building healthy habits and keeping a strong mindset during exams.

Quinn: What are the most effective techniques you recommend to students preparing for exams?

Ms. Thompson: Tidy your study space. Ensure your study place is tidy and clear of distractions. Make sure to include time for breaks. It’s important to move your body – get outside for a walk or a run. It’s important to get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, and stay hydrated. Also, write, write, write. Practice answering review questions by writing them out on paper or a white board – just reading over the review is not good enough for most people to help them well. Active learning is very important. Summarize ideas in your own words, and try teaching or explaining the concepts to someone else.

Quinn: How do you recommend students manage their time?

Ms. Thompson: Budget extra time. Remember that often, everything will take longer than you expect, so make sure to budget more time for review than you feel you need. Use a calendar, block out your time using a calendar, colour code it so that it is visually appealing, put it up in your study space, and things like that.

Finally, we talked with Ms. Fournier, Ridley’s drama and English teacher.

Isabella: What are your best exam study tips for English classes?

Ms. Fournier: Review, review, review! Review the exam package thoroughly. Review previous assessments in the course and the feedback you have been given; in most cases these tasks mimic the tasks you will complete on the exam, also review the authorial techniques that apply to the text types you have studied

Make sure to refresh your memory of the works you have studied in your course (major events, characterization, authorial intentions) It sounds obvious, but practice! Generate practice questions based on the exam review package you are given. This will look different in each grade level, but practicing responding to questions helps you prepare. Practising in a group is even better.

Isabella: What are your best tips for helping pre-exam nerves?

Ms. Fournier: Make sure that you eat, sleep, and breathe. Follow your regular routines, so that your exam day is not out of the ordinary. Remember that you have done high-stakes things before, and you will do them again. Keep in mind as well that you will not be able to learn new material 30 minutes before your exam, so keep that time clear to stay focused and calm.

Isabella: Finally, what are your best tips for those writing exams for IB classes?

Ms. Fournier: Remember that you’ve done this before. You’ve had your rehearsal, and this is the time to show what you know.

After meeting with these teachers and learning their insider tips on how to be ready for your exams this spring, with these tips in mind, we hope Ridleians can be well equipped with strategies for their exams. Good luck this exam season, you’ve got this!