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It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous the day before big exams. I’m sure you’ve taken many exams in your professional lives and you know that feeling only too well.
If you’re getting ready for an English proficiency exam like TOEFL or IELTS, then how you prepare in the last couple of days before your exam can definitely affect the outcome.
This is because English proficiency exams are skill based exams. They aren’t like maths or science exams where you try remember all the facts you’ve been taught and then apply them to the questions asked.
In a skill based exam, you have to demonstrate your skills to the required level of proficiency. For example in a speaking exam, you need to remember particular pronunciation rules and demonstrate that pronunciation for the examiner.
That’s why it’s important to prepare in a slightly different way for these kinds of exams.
Here then are my suggestions of what to do the day before to prepare for your skill based English proficiency exam. They based on my own exam experience, as well as strategies and tips I've gathered during the ten years I’ve spent tutoring exam candidates.
The day before your exam is NOT the time to start learning long lists of vocabulary (that’s never a good idea anyway!) or to change the structure of all your speaking responses.
❌ DON'T be tempted to start searching for new advice and resources.
🟠 They won’t help and they will probably confuse you.
❌ DON'T try to cover all the material and resources you’ve gathered from your lessons.
🟠 You won’t have time and it will only frustrate you.
✅ DO be selective about what you’re going to achieve today.
🌟 Focus on the things that will make a difference to you 🌟
Make sure you do some of these practice exercises.
For example, you could:
🔹 Practise reading something quickly and make sure you understand it.
🔹 Listen to something and recall the main points.
🔹 Think of your opinions on different topics for the writing questions.
🔹 Practise typing long academic words.
🔹 Review any grammar structures you find confusing.
🔸 Practise any individual pronunciation sounds that cause you problems.
🔸 Speak whole sentences to practise linking sounds, pauses and word stress.
🔸 Pay attention to your fossilized errors and repeat phrases containing them to build confidence.
🔸 Practise any standard phrases that you can use in your responses.
🔸 Review some of your old practice questions and repeat them.
In both TOEFL and IELTS, explaining is an integral part of the speaking and writing sections so you should definitely practise this the day before your exam
🔹 Explain your opinions on a range of current subjects. Focus on ‘why’ you think that way.
🔹 Explain a sequence of events using the correct transition words.
🔹 Explain an outcome that was either positive or negative (like getting lost but exploring a new part of a city, or getting lost and missing your train).
🔹 Explain a process. Pretend you are telling someone how to do something new.
🔹 Practise using transition words so you can use them with fluency in your speaking.
🔹 Practise telling stories as this will be helpful for both speaking sections. Make sure you get to the point quickly!
🔸 Do a few warm up questions for reading and listening.
▪ Decide your answer quickly.
▪ Don’t second guess yourself.
▪ Have confidence in your abilities.
🔸 Look at the main topics for speaking and writing for your exam.
▪ Pick a few and think of what you could say or write for each one.
▪ You don’t have to do a speaking or writing response. This is just a thinking exercise.
🔹 If you’re going to an exam centre, practise focusing.
🔹 Exam rooms are noisy places and you will be disturbed.
🔹 You can cope with disturbance if you expect it.
🔹 Work out strategies that will help you focus.
When you get to the point where you think you’ve done enough reviewing, then stop. Give yourself permission to rest and relax. Don’t keep going back to your notes. It won’t help.
Allow your brain to focus on something different. it will still be processing what you’ve done in the background and it’s this sub-conscious processing that will help you the most.
🟢 Make sure you know the route to the exam centre and how you’re going to get there.
🟢 Check the parking arrangements if you’re driving.
🟢 Gather your keys, your ID, your wallet, and anything else you need to take.
🌟 In the morning when you wake up, start speaking in English. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have anyone to talk to, just speak out loud. 🌟
It’s really important to activate the English speaking part of your brain before you get into your exam. Speaking out loud in English will help with this.
Then finally, and this is something I did all the time for my accountancy exams, on your journey listen to positive songs that make you feel happy.
Be confident and then when you arrive at the exam centre you'll be in the best position to succeed.
Header photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash