Entrance exams are nerve wracking to sit through and they are challenging to crack, due to the heavy competition. It is an undeniable fact that students are often stressed out about securing their place in their desired school by acing their entrance exams.
There are tuition agencies in Singapore that have now started offering coaching classes and tuition sessions for students who wish to train themselves to make the cut for important. One such entrance exam is the AEIS (Admissions Exercise for International Students) exam held in Singapore.
For all the anxious students out there, here are some tips and tricks that you can follow to ace your entrance exams!
KNOW WHAT YOU WILL BE TESTED ON
Being aware of what you will be tested on is the first thing to take note of. It is important to be aware of the material that will be tested and also be aware of the expectations that examiners would have. You need to be well-informed of the aim of the exam and also keep in mind that it will be challenging.
By knowing what you will be tested on, you will be able to better prepare yourself for the exam. Tuition teachers will also provide the necessary materials, tuition assignments, and guidance to master the content in order to excel in the entrance exams. For example, the AEIS exam generally follows the Singapore education system’s syllabus, thus it is a wise choice for an international student to seek the help of a tutor, rather than to struggle all alone.
LEARNING GAPS
The biggest mistake that students often do is to practice mindlessly. Every practice paper and mock exam should be written and reviewed with a purpose. With each practice, students need to be able to identify what they are aware and unaware of for the concepts that they have learnt. The smart way to study would be to identify and isolate your weaknesses, list them out and work on mastering them one by one.
A helpful tip would be to,
- write down the formulas you forget (Math and Physics have tons of formulas to keep in mind)
- the details you have difficulty recalling (Biology is a subject with heavy content and fine details)
- the misconceptions that confuse you (This is a problem encountered in almost all subjects)
- and the definitions that you need to regurgitate word by word (Science subjects have loads of definitions that need to be memorised)
This can be done for every subject and for your final revision, it will be sufficient to review this piece of paper because these are what could likely cause you to lose marks in an examination.
TIME MANAGEMENT & PRECISION
These two words don’t go so well during an examination; students often make undue careless mistakes due to poor time management during examinations. Under a restricted time-frame and a pressurising exam environment, it is challenging to think and present an answer neatly with accuracy and precision. This comes with plenty of practice and patience.
Tuition teachers encourage students to train themselves at home by doing practice papers with a timer. By timing themselves, they will be able to figure out where they stand. Initially, it may seem almost impossible to think and write with such speed. However, with every round of practice, students will realise that this becomes easier. After all, the cliché phrase that practice makes perfect is always true.
DON’T STRESS YOURSELF
An entrance exam may seem like a make or break. While it is absolutely important to perform well in it, being chronically stressed about it will result in poor performance. Students need to take care of their body and mind in order to be exam-ready, Sufficient sleep, a healthy diet, regular breaks, and physical exercise will go a long way in making sure that students can concentrate during study sessions and be focused during the actual exam!