It is natural for students to feel pressured when taking an exam. However, when the pressure is too much that it leads to many mistakes, that’s when things must change. This is true especially when the mistakes students make are those that can be easily avoided, or are repeated from the past. In this article, we will be discussing the most common mistakes students make when taking A Level Chemistry exams and how to avoid them.

Top 3 Mistakes Students Make When Taking A Level Chemistry Exams

With so much preparation that comes into taking A Level Chemistry exams, it would be such a waste to commit mistakes that could have been easily avoided. However, if you familiarise yourself with these, you can be sure to avoid some mistakes come exam time. 

  1. No Proper Time Management

For every exam, it is vital that students take note of the allotted time. This is not only to ensure that each item is answered, but that it is answered correctly. While some students may accidentally leave some items blank, there are others who answer for the sake of doing so. However, this does not necessarily mean it’s the correct answer.

When you are able to properly allocate your time to accommodate all items on the exam, you reduce the risk of not finishing or making careless mistakes. This can be done by identifying which items are easy and which are difficult. By knowing which questions you’ll struggle with, you can make sure to dedicate more time to them.

2. Not Understanding the Questions

Not taking the time and effort to fully understand what the questions are asking of you will also make you prone to making mistakes. When you aren’t sure of the question requirements, there is a big chance your answers will be wrong. Because of this, you should always make sure to read each exam question carefully and at least twice. This also has a lot to do with your time management, as lesser time will leave you rushing through each item. Additionally, analyzing each part of the exam question will help you understand exactly what the examiner is asking of you. Underlining the keywords will help as well. Whether they’re looking for a short, specific answer or want you to provide your entire solution, you can ensure maximum points for all the items.

3. Failing to Stay Calm

There are times when the pressure from an exam gets to you. Whether you’ve prepared well or not, when a student doesn’t feel confident, it will be hard to excel. This is because you’ll be unable to focus on the exam and potentially start to doubt all your answers and make mistakes. One way to effectively deal with your anxiety is by calming your nerves. Taking a few moments to take a deep breath to compose yourself is the key to resetting your mind.

Another way is by giving ample time for yourself to study. Backed by the knowledge you’ve gained from reviewing, you are sure to commit little to no mistakes. Along with this, it is important to trust in all the material you absorbed. In fact, all the information you’ve gathered will prove useless unless you believe in your capability to provide the correct answers. There is no point doubting or second-guessing because not only will you take more time, but you are also more likely to be wrong when you hesitate.  

Avoid A Level Chemistry Exam Mistakes and Ace Them Instead with Focus Chemistry

Nothing is more frustrating than when all our hard work and effort don’t contribute to our desired results. Despite the long hours of studying and discipline, there are still times when we become careless and slip up. With that, mistakes build up, eventually bringing your entire exam score down. At Focus Chemistry, we train our students to not only be smart in their studies and preparation but to adopt good exam techniques. We aim to leave no room for mistakes, especially those that can be easily avoided. Contact us via @dion.khoo@nexusconsutancy.org or call us at +65 9616 1651 today to get an insight on how to dodge exam mistakes and ace your exams!