Exam-study Posts

Clare McIlwraith
Mar 16, 2023
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Hi there,

For convenience, below are links to all of the articles I have written about exams; everything from preparing for exams to having an exam-day strategy.

As always, if you want more help you can get in touch with me anytime, or jump into the comments sections where we can talk it out.

Thanks so much for reading, it means a lot.

Clare

Cram Lab is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Every exam technique your teen needs for upcoming exams

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Every exam technique your teen needs for upcoming exams
Hi Everyone, As foreshadowed a couple of days ago, today I am pouring out everything I know about how to sit exams. With exams imminent for many Northern Hemisphere students, I want to make sure that your teen maximises their chances of getting the best grade possible on exam day. (Even if your teen doesn’t have exams right now, this is going to be a hand…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

Favourite exam technique: Reading through the exam paper

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Favourite exam technique: Reading through the exam paper
I would never say that getting good grades at high school is easy — it takes a lot of work; a lot of time sitting at your desk putting in the hard yards; a lot of focus and determination. BUT — what your teen needs to do when they're IN THE ACTUAL EXAM, to get the most out of all of the hard work they have put in, is often simple…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

Mayday! How to still do well in exams when your teen has left studying until the last minute

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Mayday! How to still do well in exams when your teen has left studying until the last minute
You told yourself this semester would be different. You told yourself, this semester I'm going to keep up with my school work and start studying for exams super early. So relatable right? We all procrastinate. So many students start off the year with the best of intentions, but before they know it, exams are a few weeks away and there's SO MUCH to study …
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

5 tips to start acing multi-choice (MCQs) tests and exams

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5 tips to start acing multi-choice (MCQs) tests and exams
Hi there, As the title suggests this post is to give your teen a strategy for tackling multi-choice tests and exams, or MCQs for short. MCQs masquerade as being simple. Oh cool I don’t have to write anything I just circle an answer. But, they can be just as difficult as a written exam…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

Is there still value in traditional study methods in the Tik Tok era?

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Is there still value in traditional study methods in the Tik Tok era?
I have been thinking about how different the world is for teenagers since I was at high school. When I was a braces-wearing fashion sense-deprived teen we didn’t have cell phones. Friends (and mortifyingly, boyfriends) still had to call your landline. I was lucky enough to get my own laptop in my second to last year of high school and plugged it in to th…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

Getting exam ready: The essential elements of being well prepared for exams

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Getting exam ready: The essential elements of being well prepared for exams
Hi there, When exams are only a couple of months away, it’s a good idea to start strategising how you’re going to get the best grades possible. To that end, I want to make sure that your teen understands the essentials of effective exam study, so here are what I think are the 4 big-ticket elements of exam study, and the techniques that I strongly attribu…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

Getting Exam-Ready: Free Subject Map Template

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Getting Exam-Ready: Free Subject Map Template
Your teen’s exams are soon. Cue the panic and fear. Two of the biggest paralysing thoughts for many teens are, how am I going to get through everything and where do I start?! Today I am dishing out a brand new free printable to help combat these fears, and help your teen stay on track during their exam study…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

More free stuff: Exam Study Timetable Template

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More free stuff: Exam Study Timetable Template
Hi there Parents, With so many teens about to sit exams, like, literally this week in NZ, and over the next couple of months, I thought it was high time I added a free Exam Study Timetable printout to the free stuff at cramlab.org. If you’re in a hurry…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

The Exam Study Process: An Overview for the Struggling Teen

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The Exam Study Process: An Overview for the Struggling Teen
Hi there, I hope you and your teen are going okay. Somehow, it’s October?! This means your teen is coming up to the last 100 metres of the lead up to their exams. It also means, many teens (perhaps including yours?) will be staring into the void; the prospect of studying for multiple exams too daunting to face head on…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

How to help your teen prepare for January exams amid holiday chaos

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How to help your teen prepare for January exams amid holiday chaos
As if the holiday season didn’t involve enough organisation, perhaps your teen has exams in early January and you are desperate to help them get through their exams in one piece. Today I want to offer up some practical suggestions to help your teen make sure they at least…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

How to be as ready as possible for 2022 exams

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How to be as ready as possible for 2022 exams
Hi there, If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, your teen has just started the new school year; if you’re down in the Southern with me, your teen is coming up to the crucial last 100m of the school year. Either way, exams are not terribly far away at all. Here in NZ Aotearoa NCEA exams start in less than two months’ time. Eek…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

How to make an exam study plan for a 15 year old with upcoming exams (Parent Q&A - paying subscribers only)

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How to make an exam study plan for a 15 year old with upcoming exams
Adrienne, Mum — Hi Clare, Can you help me put a study plan/routine for my 15 yr old. School break has just started and his dad and I would like for him to use this time to study for his upcoming NCEA Level 1 which is after the school break. He has not done as well as we would have liked and would like to try to get him back on track but can you give me an…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

GCSE's start in 10 days please help urgently! (Parent Q&A - paying subscribers only)

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GCSE's start in 10 days please help urgently!
Emma, GCSE student — Hi there! I've just signed up as I took the learning styles quiz and was very interested in more motivation! My GCSEs start in 10 days. Any advice? I do Maths, English, RS, Spanish, ICT, Physics, Chemistry and Biology — my mocks went terribly! The quiz said I am a kinaesthetic learner and gave some GREAT tips on different revision tec…
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2 years ago · Clare McIlwraith | Cram Lab

Cram Lab is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.