How to study the night before a test

Cramming is a terrible way to study, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. If you have an exam tomorrow that you’ve completely forgotten about until now, don’t worry – I’ve got your back.

Identify your weaknesses

Since you have very little time to study, you need to focus on what you find the most difficult. Make a list of the topics that will be on the test, and figure out which ones you struggle with the most. Focus on these hard topics, and then slowly work your way down the difficulty levels. If you have a little more time, then you can quickly review the easy topics, but try to focus on what you find difficult.

Make a plan of action

Without a plan or study schedule, then your cramming will be inefficient and disorganised. Use the specification to check which topics you need to cover, and decide what study methods you’re going to use for each unit. Then, schedule some study sessions into your calendar, and be sure to include lots of short breaks to keep your energy levels high.

Use active recall

Because there is so little time to study, you need to use high-yield study methods like active recall. Using flashcards, answering practice questions, or using the blurting method are all very good ways of including active recall in your studying.

Summarise the content

If you’re really short on time, then try to summarise the content. You don’t need to know anything in detail, just be aware of the basics – who cares how tall Louis Pasteur was? Don’t waste your time studying anything you won’t be tested on, and be sure that you know all the basic knowledge.

Don’t make notes

Making notes is an incredibly popular study technique, and it can be pretty useful. However, making notes is a terrible way to cram. Not only is it a passive recall study method, but making notes is just a waste of time. Instead, make a summary sheet with all the basic knowledge that will be in the exam. Try writing the information without looking at your textbook!