A 3 Step Plan for Acing Your Year 11 Exam Block! (Without Cramming)

Do you have an exam block coming up, perhaps your Year 11 preliminary exams? We’re talking, one to two weeks of just exam after exam… Don’t stress! 

Exam blocks can be really challenging trying to juggle time, effective study, and a healthy lifestyle.

Want to know how to study effectively and avoid cramming during an exam block?

We’ve got you covered with three simple steps — let’s jump into it! 

Step #1: Create a Plan

Step #2: Study in Reverse

Step #3: Maintain Your Energy

Step #1: Create a Plan

Put simply, if you do not have a plan, you will end up cramming. 

Start by writing down a list of all the things you need to do for all your subjects. You could make a separate list for each subject or just one huge running list. For example, check out how we recommend studying for Module B of Year 11 English Advanced to score a Band 6! 

Next, pull your diary or a calendar and schedule in Exam Prep Zones. 

‘Exam Prep Zones?’, you ask! This is allocated time throughout your day or week where you focus solely on exam preparation and personal study. This could be one hour every day after dinner, or a full day on the weekend. 

Here’s an example of how you might schedule in your exam prep zones throughout the month:

Essentially your Exam Prep Zones are a time where you pull out this to do list and check items off. This way you are gradually working through content in the lead up to the exam, and avoiding cramming! 

If you do not schedule it, you will not do it! You will likely find yourself consumed by homework and assessments, in turn, putting off exam preparation because it is later on in the term. 

So avoid cramming, make a plan, and schedule in your Exam Prep Zones! 

If part of your plan is getting some tutoring support, you should reach out to our expert tutors in Hoxton Park!

Step #2: Study in Reverse

Naturally, we study for the first exam first. While this might work for some students, what often happens is we invest so much time in the first two or three exams, and end up neglecting the later subjects.

So you will be super prepared and feel confident for the first couple exams, but then find yourself cramming for the second half of the exam block. What we then see is the results drop lower with each exam.

Instead of studying for your first exam first — study in reverse! That means studying for your last exam first. Then one or two weeks out from the exam block, you will be studying for your first exam and the content will be fresh in your mind.

Then when the later exams come, you’ve already got the foundations laid! So instead of cramming, all you need to do is refresh your memory and polish up with some past papers or practice questions. 

Learn more about the benefits of studying in reverse here!

Step #3: Maintain Your Energy

Basically, you don’t want to push way too hard and overwork yourself in your first couple exams. This is the recipe for burnout and decreased performance in the later exams!

So how do you maintain your best performance consistently throughout the exam block?

#1: Get enough sleep

If you are awake for 17 hours straight, research shows that your cognitive performance will become equivalent to being over the blood alcohol level. This means that not having enough sleep will impact your cognitive performance in a similar way to being drunk. And you would not want to go into an exam, drunk!

So getting consistent sleep is crucial! Make sure you get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night and more importantly, do not sacrifice sleep for cramming.

Discover how to maintain a healthy sleep routine here!

#2: Workout or exercise

Exercise has been shown to increase your energy levels, focus, and cognitive performance. Simply exercising two times a week is the perfect way to balance out a healthy lifestyle and effective study! 

Go for a walk with a friend, ride your bike, or take a dip and go for a swim! Any type of movement is great.

There you have it — 3 crucial steps to acing your exam block for your Year 11 preliminary exams. Have a plan, study in reverse, keep those energy levels up, and say goodbye to night-before cramming!

On the hunt for other Year 11 resources?

Check out some of our other articles and guides below:

• How to Increase Your Confidence When Starting Year 11
• The Turnaround Term: Why Year 11 Term 2 is the MOST Important Term of the Prelim HSC
• A 3 Step Plan for Acing Your Year 11 Exam Block! (Without Cramming)

Looking for some extra help with your Year 11 preliminary exams?

We pride ourselves on our inspirational coaches and mentors!

We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills! If you’re located in the Hills District, you can work directly with one of our incredible Bella Vista tutors.

To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today! 

Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on TikTok!

Nandini Dhir is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Marketing) and a Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications), as a Dalyell Scholar, at Sydney University. She enjoys covering local issues in her area and writing about current events in the media. Nandini has had one of her pieces published in an article with the Sydney Morning Herald. In her free time, Nandini loves doing calligraphy, ballet, and sewing, or is otherwise found coddling her cats.