SECRETS OF EXAMINATION SUCCESS

We live in a highly competitive world where you are either succeeding or not. What determines success is how much of value you have.

DEFINITIONS: The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines

SECRET: As that, which is not known/seen or must not be known or seen by others, not declared or admitted to others. It can also be described as the best or only way of doing or achieving something that not many people know.

EXAMINATION: is an instrument for testing, assessment, evaluation and accreditation.

SUCCESS: means accomplishment of an aim/purpose/action at a specific period.

To all my friends that are preparing to write the forth coming UME, Post UME, Junior WAEC, WASSCE, NECO, GCE, Semester Exams, Professional Certification Exams, International Exams and lots of other exams, I wish you Great Success. Amen. I decided to put up these few tips because it will really be of help if they are all carried out.

1.     MAKE A CHOICE TO PASS THE EXAM: This seems quite funny but the fact remains that most people go into exam hall without first determining if they truly want to succeed after the exams. I assure you if only you make a decision to pass, you definitely will.

2.     HAVE A DRIVE: A Drive is synonymous to Determination; it also means diligence. It could also be seen as using all your might, strength, capacity, mind, heart, time and all you’ve got to pursue a particular thing (Exam in this case). Drive makes you stay focused, undistracted, hardworking and above all the best. Proverbs 22:29. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before Kings; he shall not stand before mere men.” Having determination for your exams simply makes you the best among the rest.

3.INVEST TIME TO WORK(PREPARE): One big mistake candidates make is to start reading when they remember it’s a month to exam or when the time table has just been released, the question remains what can you achieve and cover within just a month. A good candidate who has made a choice to be the best in an exam is supposed to start studying hard at least THREE months to the exams and cover all the subjects/course content/outline (Syllabus) at least three times to improve familiarity with the course/subject. This can be done by paying tithe of each day to your studies no matter your tight schedule even if it will cost you part of your night sleeping time, just two hours forty minutes/day is manageable. “You must drench yourself into your Work,” John Maxwell says. Be serious to work and stop lazing about, avoid lackadaisical (I don’t care) attitude as exhibited by other candidates. Instead of wasting precious time then learn a lesson from Mr Ant (Proverbs 6:6-11).

4. ATTACH VALUE TO THE EXAMS: Value makes you outstanding in whatever you do. You could attach value to a particular exam by taking time to read and study it as many times as possible. Let me quickly talk about the types of reading we have:

 (a) Scanning: here, you are searching for a particular thing quickly, (key words and names).

 (b) Skimming: is when you read quickly to gain a general impression as to whether the text is of use to you. You are not necessarily searching for a specific item and key words. It provides an overview of the text and it is useful to look at chapter/section headings, summaries and opening paragraphs to check relevance of text, set the scene for the more concentrated effort that is to follow, if the text is useful.

(c)Light reading: This simply means, reading for leisure and tends to be light, you read at a pace, which feels comfortable, with understanding, skipping the boring and irrelevant passages. An average light reading speed is 100-200 words per minute and does not generally require detailed concentration.

 (d) Word by word reading: is time consuming and demands a high level of concentration. Some materials are not readily understood and so requires a slow and careful analytical reading. It is majorly used for unfamiliar words and concepts, scientific formulae. It can take up to an hour just to read a few lines.

(e) Reading to study: is a method of reading for study, is generally called SQ3R2 the aim is to understand the material in some depth. The method involves five simple steps; Survey (skim through to gain an overview and not key points), Question (devise questions you hope the text will answer), Read (slowly and carefully), Recall (from memory, write down the main points made by the chapter) and Review (revisit your questions - compare these to your recall and establish how well the text has answered them; fill in any gaps by further reading and note-taking).

(f) Practice and speed-reading: Speed-reading is a skill that is acquired after much reading. I started heavily reading at the age of 10 and by the time, I was 12-13 I could speed-read flawlessly. That skill has not degraded at all over the years. I think the more you read the more your mind adapts to it, to were eventually it will pick out the most important words, naturally to were with less words you understand it as well as if you read every word or the whole sentence.

5.     DEVELOP LOVE/PASSION FOR YOUR STUDY MATERIALS: Somebody once told me this “I hate Chemistry because it’s difficult to understand”. I said but it is necessary for you to pass it therefore, you do not have any other choice than to pass it and the only way to do this is to force yourself to love it, which is the only thing that will make you study it. You can’t succeed in whatever you don’t love doing. America’s leading motivational teacher Zig Ziglar’s book “You can Reach the Top, Passion is an ingredient for Success.

6.     CONFESS SUCCESS AT ALL TIMES ESPECIALLY CONCERNING THE RESULT: “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Prov. 18: 21. Therefore, choose life that you may live. Therefore, I say confess success always and it shall be yours.Psalm 12:4, 45:1.

7.     HAVE ENOUGH REST BEFORE THE EXAMS: Lazy candidates read during exams while hardworking candidates study weeks before the exams. The truth is every necessary preparations supposed to have been done before now and it is medically advised that you sleep at least five hours every night and then revise for about two hours so as to remain fresh and prepared for the exams or else what you will be doing is mere cramming which is likely to fly off immediately you see the questions.

8.     LEARN FROM THOSE THAT HAVE DONE SIMILAR EXAMS: For Guidelines and questions/challenges, meet the experts that have excelled in such exams. I actually call them Giants of such areas.

9.     HANG AROUND WITH LIKE MINDS: Two Dummies (Olodo in Nigerian Language) cannot help themselves. Even if it is somebody, you are older than and is more knowledgeable than you are in that particular subject /course, then go close always to the person and learn. An eaglet who grows up with chicks will definitely think and act like the hen until the day the eaglet finds herself in the midst of other eagles.

10.    HAVE PLAN FOR YOUR STUDIES: Do not read anyhow or randomly, Try to follow the Brochure/Course outline sequentially, also try as much as possible to read with speed by covering one topic per day. Another thing that often helps is making a timetable for yourself in order to study a particular topic (Course) at a particular (convenient) time each day. Make sure you increase the database of your knowledge by leaning at least one new thing every day.

11.  JOIN IN GROUP DISCUSSION: Start or join group discussions concerning the exams. A particular topic discussed in a particular way by a particular person could really help your memory in an exam hall.

12.    TRY PAST QUESTIONS: Solve questions and more challenging problems, even if you cannot, meet those that can teach you/give you necessary guidelines. Challenge yourself with practice tests and give to a teacher to score you. Higher challenges/tasks get you more familiarized and much more prepared for likely exam questions. Please note you must not Cram these questions and answer but know them because cramming does not work. Malcolm Gladwell says, “Self Improvement comes with practicing much harder Tasks”. Remember Success smiles on those who go the extra mile.

13.  PRAYERS: Somebody will want to ask what concerns my prayers with the exams that I have to write. The fact still remains that, so many answer their question 100% correctly only to be told that they have missing scripts or ceased result, your answer sheet could even fall into wrong hands (an examiner who is in a very bad mood or out to extremely wicked Examiner). For all these, there is need to invest time in praying for our exams and considering the fact that the Holy Spirit is the greatest teacher and reminder even in the exam hall. He is the giver of Wisdom, understanding and Knowledge.

Bro. Joshua Umoh