If you are in the process of preparing to take an entrance to your dream university, you might be considering two options: to enroll in a review center or study on your own. Either way, you have to make sure you’ll study well as both will surely consume your time, energy, and effort during your review period. Need help in preparing for your dream university’s admission test? Don’t rely on your stock knowledge. Check out these tips on how to ace your college entrance exam:

Before the exam

Plan out your review

Know the coverage of the admission test. After this, set aside time for your review. Choose the part of the day when you are most effective. While there is a range of ways to review for the exam and we all have our own learning styles, we cannot stress this enough: stick to it!

Use relevant and updated review materials

The innumerable amount of knowledge you have learned throughout high school and senior high can be overwhelming. Reviewing all of your books and old notes can consume your time and energy. What you can do instead is focus on more recent books and dive into college review materials you can find.

Master the basics

Even if you are pretty sure you understand the subjects you’ll likely encounter on the admission exams, having a firm grasp on the basics of math, grammar, and reading comprehension are critical in any college admission exam. It is a good idea to go over the basic rules for both grammar and math months before the test.

Internalize, not memorize

It’s always important to understand what you are reviewing rather than memorizing a book from cover to cover. Memorization is not the best way to pass an exam. It doesn't allow you a deep understanding of any information and only get to memorize the bare facts. However, memory tricks such as mnemonics can help you expand your working memory and access long term memory. Ang mga mnemonic devices ay ang mga memory techniques na nakatutulong sa’yo na maalala ang mga bagay.

Eat healthy, think healthy

Keep yourself healthy. Eat fruits and vegetables and avoid junk foods. Bad eating habits affect the way you process information. Remember, you study well when your body is well.

During the Entrance Exam

Relax and breathe

Don’t panic. Don’t waste your time trying to review your notes 10 minutes before the exam. Doing this will only lose your focus. Trust that your weeks, if not months, of review have prepared you well for the exam.

Follow directions and read questions carefully

Don’t jump into answering the items if you haven’t fully read the question. Read and understand each question carefully. Sometimes, you’ll find that the answers are already in the question itself. At ‘wag mo kalimutan isulat ang pangalan mo bago ipasa ang papel mo!

Manage time wisely

Make a plan of how long you’re going to spend on each part of the test, and then make sure you stick to it. Students who do well in exams come with a strategy. They know how they’re going to approach a paper, and how to portion their time so that they don’t run out. Exams will feel much less frightening when you have good strategies to handle time pressure.

Use the method of elimination and make educated guesses

If you can’t remember the answer to an item, eliminate the least possible choices to narrow down your options then choose your best answer. Even if you have no clue, always make a guess. A small chance of being right is better than no chance at all.

After the Entrance Exam

Don’t overthink

Congratulations! You just finished the most difficult part: taking the exam. So, take a deep breath in and let it out. You survived the grueling hours of your entrance exam and now all you have to do is wait. Alam naming hindi madali ang maghintay ng resulta. Normal lang kabahan. When you know you did everything you could, try your best not to worry.

Reward yourself

It’s been a tough journey. You deserve to treat yourself! After the exam, eat your favorite food or do something that makes you happy. Whatever it is, you deserve it. You worked hard for this.

Rest

You probably had your fair share of sleepless nights during your exam preparation. Now is the time to catch up on the sleep you missed out on. If you pulled a lot of all-nighters during the review period, take this time to correct your body clock .

Stay positive

It may be hours, days, weeks or even months before you get the results so it helps to have a positive mindset while waiting. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but worrying over something you can’t change will just stress you out. You’ve put in the hard work. Your results will show that.

If you’re about to take your college entrance exam, don’t sweat it! There are many ways to prepare for the big day. We hope this guide has helped you navigate your journey through entrance exam season. Join the Bukas student community and get access to exclusive content, activities, and events that can help you in your studies and beyond. Nandito ang Bukas! Kasama ka ngayon, kasama ka Bukas.

Learn more about Bukas and how we make education affordable for thousands of Filipino students like you. Apply for a Bukas student loan in your upcoming enrollment, and join our growing community for more tips and advice about all things student life. A brighter future awaits. Sa'yo ang Bukas!

Written by: Karl Nucum