The school holidays are over and its back to our short-term and important goals. It is never too early to start thinking about your end of year Matric exams. In fact, Universities take your June and September results into account more so than you final results. But the Final Year-End Mark is just as important as the rest.

It is very important to study and do well throughout the year so that you are well prepared for tertiary education. You also must ensure that you are well prepared for the final exam so that you can apply all the things you`ve learned throughout the year. These exams will also help determine your pathway in life. The better you do in them, the more immediate opportunities you will have.

How can you ensure that you will pass your exams with flying colours though? Well there are study techniques which help a lot, there are tricks to remaining calm whilst writing which will be of great benefit if you are a person who stresses easily and there is practise, practise, practise.

How does one practise for exams? The simplest and easiest way is to go and redo past papers, all of them. Do every single exam for the subjects you are doing on every possible grade.

As you finish a section in class, go practise the exam questions pertaining to that section. Once you have completed the syllabus, go do the entire exam. Do all of them, change some of the questions and ask your teacher for more questions. In time you will find answering the questions easier. You will be studying the work and learning how to apply the knowledge you have gained in an exam setting.

If you practise continuously by the time you reach your Finals, you will be relaxed and mentally prepared. The exams will be easier and you will be able to pass them easier.

Look for past exam papers here:

• WCED

Page Updated: 19 July 2011