Online exams have now become an important part of modern education, especially as technology has integrated into traditional education. Although these exams are considered to be the most accessible option for most students, however, managing online exams is definitely not easy. Without a physical instructor students need to be more disciplined in how to manage these online assessments.
Time management is an important part of the strategic approach to be taken to do well in online exam. Poor time management can therefore, lead to unanswered questions, or wrong answers which eventually lead to lower scores. In this blog, we will discuss some important time management tips you can opt to do well in your online exam.
Why Time Management Matters During Online Exams?
Before digging into the strategies to manage time during your online exam, it is important to know actually why time management matters during online exams. As we all know the importance of time management if we dedicate time slots for each section of our paper we can avoid the last-minute hassle that usually leads to wrong answers. Managing your time can significantly transform your test results.
Risks of Poor Time Management
If you don’t manage your time well, you may hurry through portions, forget to answer questions, or lose track of time completely. A common mistake made by students is to devote too much time to difficult questions at the cost of simpler ones.
Pros of Better Time Management
Effective time management not only raises your chances of answering every question but also boosts your confidence. You may be able to perform your best as a result of improved attention and less anxiousness.
Pre-Exam Preparation Strategies for Better Time Use
Preparation is an essential part of time management especially when it comes to effective time management. Implementing strategic pre-exam preparation can drastically change your way of doing an online exam. Here are some tips you can follow:
Get Familiar With The Format
Getting acquainted with the exam’s format is the first step toward efficient time management. Your test-taking plan will be well-founded if you are aware of the sections, the kinds of questions, and the overall time.
For instance, you can plan your time appropriately if you are aware that your exam will have both objective and essay questions. You can get familiar with the format by using Google or asking your teacher. The benefits of knowing the format in advance are that:
- You can decide in advance how much time you will dedicate to the objective and how much to the subjective portion of the paper.
- You may create a strategic plan that reduces confusion and increases efficiency throughout the test by being aware of the format beforehand.
Set a Realistic Exam Timer Plan
Effective time management requires creating a realistic exam timing strategy. You can make a timer plan manually or even use online resources to make a time plan for you. However, manually making a timer plan is most beneficial.
- To start, divide the exam’s overall length by the number of sections. This computation gives you an accurate idea of how much time you can devote to each component.
- A buffer period should also be included for going over finished responses to identify any errors.
- Establishing a well-defined timer strategy helps you stay focused during the test and avoid last-minute scrambling.
- Be flexible and make adjustments according to your progress and level of difficulty.
Gather All Required Things
Preparation does not involve mastering all the information, gathering the information also matters. It’s essential to prepare the required resources ahead of time to maximize your time management.
- Gathering all the important things not only means gathering the information but also the things you would necessarily need during your paper, like your calculator, stationary, and water bottle.
- You should also be physically and mentally prepared, don’t ever stress out before appearing for the exam.
- Try to use mental exercises to ease your mind and make sure to complete your sleep or else your brain can get shut down during the exam.
Use Practice Tests to Improve Speed
One of the best ways to get ready for the actual exam situation is to incorporate time-limited online practice exams into your study schedule. You can get free practice tests from sites such as Do My Online Exam, or you can also ask your online teacher for it.
- You may get used to the format and pressure of answering questions under predetermined time limitations by practicing with these practice tests.
- By practicing your capacity to think fast and prioritize tasks, you may improve your ability to answer different kinds of questions in a timed environment.
- Frequent practice in this manner helps you identify areas where you might need to improve while also boosting your confidence.
- You may improve your time management techniques and perform better on test day by modeling the exam experience.
In-Exam Techniques to Stay on Track and Finish On Time
Exam day is the actual nerve-wracking experience for the student. The online exam, however, provides accessibility but the stress level is approximately the same. Students need to know some in-exam techniques so that they can better manage their time while taking online exams.
Read Instructions
Spend some time reading the instructions carefully yet quickly before starting to answer the questions. Specific instructions on navigation, question forms, and submission procedures are frequently included in online tests.
By following these guidelines, you can avoid expensive errors and save time in the future. Keep an eye out for any time restrictions on any sections or question categories that could need extra care.
Break Down Each Section by Time
First review the complete paper in 2 minutes, and then allot time to each section according to the timer plan you’ve made earlier.
- Start your online test by responding to questions that are simpler or more known to you in order to gain confidence and momentum. This tactic lowers tension while enabling you to easily secure points.
- You may approach more difficult problems with greater clarity after finishing the simpler ones since you will know that you have already made progress.
Watch Your Time
Regular clock monitoring is necessary for efficient time management during an online test. Utilize the timer that is displayed on the majority of internet sites. Compare your progress to the time allocation schedule you established before the test. In order to complete on time, focus on answering the remaining questions and change your speed if you see that you’re lagging behind.
Common Time-Wasting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Effective time management is really important, and students can do their best to maintain a strategic approach but still, they encounter some time-wasting mistakes, they don’t know how to deal with. Here are some common mistakes you can also make while taking your online exam:
Over-reading Same Question
A lot of test takers read and reread questions for too long, which causes delays and confusion. If you don’t get the question in first three attempts, move to the next one.
Stuck on Same Question
If you spend too much time on difficult questions, you may neglect to answer easy ones, which will lower your final score.
Ignoring the Passing Time
If you don’t keep track of your time, you may hurry through questions or leave some unanswered at the conclusion of the test.
Lack of Preparation
As you attempt to remember facts, you may spend more time on each question due to a lack of clarity on the subject.
Unorganized Workstation
A disorganized physical or digital workstation can cause confusion and distractions, squandering important test time.
How to Avoid Distractions During Online Exams?
Use efficient reading strategies to prevent reading too many questions and becoming overwhelmed by challenging content. Make sure you comprehend the question without needless rereading by concentrating on important phrases and terms that offer crucial context. Put in place a system for marking challenging questions for subsequent review as well. This will enable you to keep up your pace by swiftly completing simpler questions and going back to more difficult ones once you’ve had more time to think.
To maintain your overall time allocation, set mini-deadlines for yourself. To determine how much time you have left, check the timer frequently and modify your pace accordingly. Don’t stress yourself and overdo it if you can’t ace your exam, it’s not the end. Relax your mind and re-try at the end if you are stuck at something!
Conclusion
In conclusion, success on online exams depends on understanding frequent time-wasting errors not catering to them. You may improve your efficiency and attention by putting methods in place to prevent these traps, such as practicing time management, marking difficult questions, and using efficient reading techniques. Because it increases confidence and lowers uncertainty throughout the test, preparation is essential. It is important to keep in mind that a methodical strategy and careful execution may greatly enhance your performance, enabling you to finish the test with composure and efficiency and optimizing your chances of success.
| Pre-Exam Preparation | Exam-Day Preparation | Avoiding the Mistakes |
| Know the Format | Read The Paper | Avoid over reading |
| Make Timer Plan | Make Use of Your Timer Plan | Set mini-deadlines |
| Make Use of Practice Tests | Don’t Repeat Things | Reduce Distractions |
| Do Your Complete Preparation | Watch your Time | Revise your paper at the end |
