How important are exams?

How important are exams? Next week is going to be an important one for all of our British International School Hanoi students. All students in the school will be presenting for either internal or external exams. There will be lots of revision sessions taking place this weekend but students need to keep a sense of perspective and manage their wellbeing, too.

Dear Parents

Next week is going to be an important one for all of our British International School Hanoi students. All students in the school will be presenting for either internal or external exams. For Year 12 IB students, there is a final opportunity to demonstrate the progress they have made in their six IB options. The Year 10 IGCSE students will be able to demonstrate that they have learned from the errors made in the spring PCT (progress check test). Lower down the school, students in Year 7, 8 and 9 will present for internal exams in English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography and Vietnamese (nationals only). There will be lots of revision sessions taking place this weekend but students need to keep a sense of perspective and manage their wellbeing, too.

Handling Exam Pressure

Like all challenges, exams have an impact on our emotions. We want to do well, and that creates pressure.

Here are a few tips students can follow to help manage their nerves:

1. Be prepared. Place your equipment for each exam in a clear plastic wallet. Don’t forget to pack a spare pen. Each evening and morning, check the bag to see that you have the right equipment.

2. Arrive at the exam room early.  Rushing into the room at the last minute raises your heartbeat and increases your nerve levels.

3. Breathe deeply and slowly before starting the exam.  This will calm you down and bring oxygen to the brain.

4. If you begin to panic in the exam room, try this mental exercise. Close your eyes and think of a colour, a place or person that makes you happy. Focus on that mental image for a few seconds, imagining sights, sounds and smells associated with it. Once you have calmed down, go back to the exam question; you will be surprised how clear a task becomes, when you are calm.

5. Bring a clear plastic water bottle to the exam room.  Drinking water and staying hydrated will help you perform at your best and help prevent mental fatigue.

6. Stay focused in the exam and try your best on each question in every exam, as every mark counts. 

...and a final thought for students (and their parents)

Retain a sense of perspective. A single exam week will never define you. A  positive relationship with your friends and family, and the aide memoire values you display every day, are more important than your exam performance next week.  

Tim Webb , Head of Secondary.