Ten Top Tips for Studying for an Exam

In less than a month, a number of students studying for the Level 2 Certificate in Recruitment Resourcing, Level 3 Certificate in Recruitment Practice and the Level 4 Diploma in Recruitment Management will be sitting their exams. 5 May is D-Day.

We know it can be overwhelming and stressful studying for an exam, and even more so when you’re trying to balance it with your high intensity job!

To help you out, we’ve put together our 10 top study tips:

1. Make a study plan. Your time is so precious, and you don’t want to be that person pulling an all-nighter, desperately trying to cram in all the course knowledge the night before your exam. Mark up a wall planner with important dates – coursework submission and exam dates – and plan you study backwards from this.

2. Be mindful about where you study. Make sure you have enough space to spread out your units and notes, get rid of distractions if possible and make yourself comfortable so you’ll be able to focus. We’re all different – one person may love complete order and silence when studying, and another may like background music and a bit of clutter. Find out what works for you.

3. Use the IRP Student Hub. This is your lifeline throughout your learning process – it’s where you can find your learning log, relevant syllabus, coursework requirements, revision webinar, past exam papers and FAQs. It should be your first stop.

4. Make to-do lists. Sitting down to study and having the entire syllabus in front of you can be overwhelming – break it down into manageable chunks and write out what you’re going to achieve each study session. If you’re overwhelmed, you’re more likely to lose focus.

5. Use flow charts and diagrams. Learning visually can be an effective way of taking in information when studying. Colour code each unit and mark page references as you go so you can easily refer back to sections that need more time to cover than others. A good activity is to write down everything you already know within whichever unit you’re studying, and then highlight where the gaps are. Highlighters are your friend.

6. Print off the past exam paper. As you read through the units, have it with you and answer the questions assigned to that unit as you’re going through. It’s a great way to review your progress and to make sure you’ve been taking the information in.

7. Watch the IRP revision webinar. Try and do this a couple of weeks before your exam, so you have the time to back through your notes and revisit any areas you need to. At this point, it’s helpful to condense your notes down onto one large piece of paper per unit so they’re easier to review.

8. Make postcards with brief bullets. Try and do this a week before the exam, condensing your large sheets down to remind you of the key points in each unit. You can use these to quickly reference before you go into the exam.

9. Do the past exam paper in full, timing yourself. Make sure you take the time, again about a week before your exam, to do a real practice run through. Set yourself up in exam conditions, and once you’re done, go through your answers and review anything you struggled with.

10. Call your Study Coach during the revision period. They’re there for you to discuss anything you’re unsure about, and you can practice scenario based questions with them on the phone, another useful way to learn.

We’re all different, and have different learning styles and studying techniques, so it’s just important to find what works for you.

If you follow our ten tips, you’ll be on the right path. You can access the Student Hub here, and you can learn more about our qualifications here.