Many universities are moving away from traditional in person examinations in favour of online exams which often span multiple days. Particularly if you read an essay-based subject, you may have 48- or 72-hour exams which require you to complete a number of essays by the deadline. While these exams are useful in that they assess your writing and analytical skills, rather than merely your speed and ability to memorise, they can feel quite overwhelming and exhausting. Below I offer my top tips for doing multi-day exams.
Have a designated study space
Whether you work best in the library, at home or in a cafe, particularly when doing multi-day exams it is imperative that you maintain designated study spaces away from the places you sleep and relax. This will not only help you focus and get into your zone when you sit down to work, but it will ensure you wind down and sleep better.
Pace yourself and take regular breaks.
Though your exam may be 72 hours long, you are not expected to work for 72 hours straight. Ask your lecturers how long they expect you to spend on the task during the exam window and plan regular breaks accordingly. Your exam days are going to feel intense and exhausting so make sure you get plenty of sleep, stop working at least an hour before bed, take time to exercise, go outside and speak to friends.
See also: How To Deal With Results Day Anxiety
Eat well and stay hydrated
Make sure you fuel your body and stock up your cupboards with some quick hearty meals and lots of study snacks and hot drinks, or treat yourself to a takeaway to motivate yourself.
Plan a schedule and stick strictly to your timings
Particularly if you have multiple questions to answer over your exam days, ensure you plan out how long you have to work on each one and stick to it! You can always go back and edit things when you finish the paper, but adhering strictly to a schedule will ensure you put equal effort into every question and achieve a consistent result.
Take the time to be meticulous
Don’t let stress push you to rush key parts of your exam such as reading the question, checking the word count and checking the deadline. Take the time to be meticulous, fully understand what the question means and how you need to answer and format it, and avoid making silly mistakes.
Read next: Tips To Relax Before Entering An Exam Hall
