VCE Exam Day Strategies: Performing Your Best When It Counts

After months of preparation, exam day has arrived. How you approach the exam itself can significantly impact your performance. This guide covers essential strategies for the day of your VCE exams, helping you perform at your best when it matters most.

The Night Before

Your exam day actually begins the night before. What you do in the final hours before the exam can set you up for success or sabotage your performance.

Avoid last-minute cramming: By the night before, you've either learned the material or you haven't. Last-minute cramming creates anxiety and can actually interfere with memory retrieval the next day. At most, do a light review of key points or formulas.

Prepare everything in advance: Pack your bag the night before with everything you'll need: multiple pens and pencils, calculator (with fresh batteries), student ID, water bottle, and any permitted reference materials. Don't leave this until the morning when you might be stressed or forgetful.

Get adequate sleep: Sleep is crucial for cognitive function. Aim for 8 hours and avoid screens in the hour before bed. If you struggle to sleep due to nerves, try relaxation techniques like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.

Morning Routine

Give yourself plenty of time on exam morning. Rushing creates stress and can leave you flustered before you even start.

Eat a proper breakfast: Your brain needs fuel to perform. Eat a balanced breakfast with protein and complex carbohydrates. Avoid excessive caffeine or sugar, which can cause energy crashes during the exam.

Arrive early: Plan to arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the exam starts. This gives you time to find your seat, settle in, and compose yourself. Rushing in at the last minute creates unnecessary anxiety.

Avoid pre-exam discussions: Talking to other students about what might be on the exam often creates more anxiety than reassurance. If others are discussing the exam, politely excuse yourself and find a quiet space to prepare mentally.

Reading Time

Most VCE exams include reading time at the beginning. Use this time strategically—it's not just a waiting period before you can start writing.

Read through the entire exam paper first. Get an overview of what you're facing, noting the number of questions, mark allocations, and any choice questions. This helps you plan your approach and allocate time appropriately.

Identify questions you feel confident about and those that seem more challenging. Plan your order of attack—many students prefer to start with easier questions to build confidence before tackling harder ones.

For essay or extended response questions, use reading time to start planning. You can't write, but you can think about your argument structure and key points you want to make.

Time Management During the Exam

Poor time management is one of the biggest reasons students underperform in exams. Plan your time based on mark allocations before you start writing.

A simple rule of thumb: if the exam is 2 hours (120 minutes) for 100 marks, each mark is worth about 1.2 minutes. A 10-mark question should take about 12 minutes; a 20-mark question about 24 minutes. Adjust this slightly to account for thinking time.

Set checkpoints during the exam. At the halfway point, you should have completed roughly half the marks. If you're running behind, you need to pick up the pace or consider moving on from questions you're stuck on.

Never spend excessive time on any single question. If you're stuck, write what you can, move on, and return later if time permits. It's better to attempt all questions partially than to perfect some while leaving others blank.

Answering Strategies

Read questions carefully: Many marks are lost by students who answer a different question than what was asked. Pay attention to command words like "describe," "explain," "evaluate," or "compare." Each requires a different type of response.

Plan before writing: For extended responses, take a minute to jot down key points before you start writing. This helps organize your thoughts and ensures you don't forget important ideas mid-response.

Answer directly: Get to the point quickly. Don't waste time with lengthy introductions or padding. Examiners are looking for evidence that you know the content, not your ability to write filler.

Show your working: In mathematics and science, show all steps in your calculations. You can often earn partial marks for correct methods even if your final answer is wrong due to a small error.

Use the marks as a guide: If a question is worth 4 marks, you probably need to make 4 distinct points or complete 4 significant steps. A 1-mark question needs a brief response; a 10-mark question requires substantial depth.

Managing Exam Anxiety

Some anxiety is normal and can even enhance performance. However, if anxiety becomes overwhelming, it can interfere with your ability to think clearly.

Breathe: If you feel panic rising, pause and take several slow, deep breaths. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system and helps calm your body.

Use positive self-talk: Instead of "I can't do this," tell yourself "I've prepared for this" or "I'll do my best on each question." Your inner dialogue affects your emotional state.

Focus on the present: Don't think about the final result or what others are doing. Concentrate only on the current question. Take the exam one question at a time.

If you blank: It happens to everyone occasionally. Skip the question, work on others, and return later. Often, working on other material triggers recall of the forgotten content.

The Final Minutes

Leave time at the end to review your work. Check that you've attempted all required questions and haven't misread any instructions. Review your answers for obvious errors or opportunities to add relevant points.

For multiple-choice sections, ensure every question has an answer. Never leave blanks—a guess has some chance of being correct, while a blank is guaranteed to be zero marks.

Make sure your name and student number are on all booklets. Check that your writing is legible—examiners can't give marks for responses they can't read.

After the Exam

Once the exam is over, let it go. Avoid post-exam analysis with friends, which often creates unnecessary stress about answers you can't change. What's done is done—focus on your next exam or enjoy the break.

Take care of yourself between exams. Rest, exercise, eat well, and maintain social connections. The exam period is a marathon, not a sprint, and self-care helps maintain performance across all your exams.

After all your exams are complete, use our Study Score Calculatorto estimate your results. But remember, whatever happens, you've done your best, and many paths lead to success.