Exam study guides are a great way to help students prepare for exams. They can assist with review, retention, and test-taking skills. It’s a great way to get an overall picture of the subject, and it helps you understand what you’re studying. Most importantly, you already know how to use your notes. Just take your existing notes, and add headings and subheadings and extra instructions, so they’re easier to read and understand in a hurry.

What is an exam study guide?

Exam study guides contain information about what will be on the test and how to prepare for it. They also have practice questions that help you become familiar with question types and formats so that it feels like second nature when you take your exam. While finding free exam study guides online is easy, creating one yourself can be more useful for your learning. You can ensure that your study guide focuses on what you need to know for the test, rather than just what someone else thinks you need to know. It also allows you to review topics that may not have been covered in class.

Here’s how you can make an inclusive exam study guide for your class:

Choose the subject to be covered

This is important as it will determine what information needs to be included in your guide. You can choose to cover all of the material, but it is usually better to focus on topics that are more likely to be tested on exams.

Understand the exam format

Many certification exams have a multiple choice format, but some may also include other types of questions. For example, Cisco certification exams have both multiple choice and scenario questions. Other exams might ask you to write a response in essay format or design a solution to a problem. Be sure to read the exam details carefully to know what to expect and design the study guide quizlet accordingly.

Study the exam blueprint

The exam blueprint is a document that provides important information about your exam, such as how many questions it contains and how long it takes to complete. It also lists the topics covered on each exam. You can download the blueprint for your papers from the certification website or review it once you’re inside an online test center.

Decide the format of your guide

The next step to creating an exam study guide is to decide on the format you want your guide to take. Will it be a list of facts, or will it be more like a textbook? If you’re using a published book as your source material, you’ll probably want to format your study guide like a textbook. This way, students can continue to refer back to their textbooks as they study for their exams. If you’re creating your study material from scratch or the notes were taken during a lecture, create an outline that breaks down each exam topic into key points.

Determine key concepts within each topic

The next step is to write notes for each topic in your exam study guide. This will include definitions for key terms and examples of how to use those terms when answering questions about that topic. For example, suppose you’re studying for an accounting exam. In that case, you might write out definitions for different types of accounts (general ledger account, balance sheet account, income statement account) and then provide examples of how businesses or individuals would use each type during their day-to-day operations.

Summarize key concepts into notes or diagrams
The most important thing is ensuring you understand how the concepts interconnect. Write down the definitions of key terms and draw diagrams to illustrate complex relationships between concepts, such as how two processes work together or how two different types of components and concepts interact.

Make sure that your notes are clear and easy to read. If you can’t understand what you wrote, then your study guide won’t be of any help on the exam. Use simple language, avoid technical jargon and write in a way that makes sense to someone who has never been exposed to this topic before.

Another important point to keep in mind is that it is advisable to use contrasting colored pens for different topics. If you’re making digital notes, use visual cues wherever possible to make the notes more appealing, this will also help you retain the information written more easily.

Wrapping up

Exam study guides can be a great way to study for a test. They can provide all the information and strategies you need to succeed on your test, saving you hours of stress-filled memorization and panicky cramming sessions. Ensure that your study guide covers all relevant exam materials, but not so much that it is overwhelming. Before you leap into creating your guide, we suggest following a few simple steps such as the ones mentioned above. The guidelines will help you create an organized, effective exam guide in no time at all. If you haven’t had the time to create as detailed a guide as you would like, you can also check out free exam study guides online.