Tips to use previous sample papers during exam preparation

Sample papers or previous year question papers are the best resource to practice for any examination. Solving the mock version of the real question paper not only gives you ample practice but also familiarizes you with the exam pattern, which eventually increases confidence.

Studying pastpapers are a valuable part of exam preparation and help keep revision focused on important themes whilst practicing exam style questions.

BE REGULAR

The most important thing while practicing or revising for any exam is that you should be regular in practice. Solve at least two papers in a day; after studying any topic try to solve the exercise question below every chapter because that’s the best revision one could get. There are several distractions while solving mock papers, since you know it is not the real exam. But one should be focused and make it a point to complete the given paper within the stipulated time frame. Solving papers will improve your problem solving speed, ability and accuracy.

BE SERIOUS

Sample papers are prepared keeping in mind the actual paper. Hence, they should be dealt with utmost seriousness. When you take up the paper, give it your best shot. By solving the paper you’ll realize your preparation level, and your strengths & weaknesses.

KNOW THE SYLLABUS

One of the most important points that students should keep in mind while solving the sample paper is they should know the entire syllabus. Without knowing the course you won’t be able to do complete justice the test paper, because the paper is based on the entire course. If you don’t know the syllabus thoroughly you won’t be able to solve the paper correctly.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

After every attempt at a sample paper, make sure you have had enough revision. It also means you have made mistakes and learn from it. It will help you revise and strengthen those topics, which you were not sure of. This will ensure you are well-prepared for your next attempt.

WORK ON YOUR TIME IN EACH ATTEMPT

If you are thorough with the topics and every concept, it’s time to work on your timings i.e. the time taken in completing the test each time. This will help you know how much you’ll need to complete each question type and how much you can attempt in one attempt.