Five exam preparation tips to help build student confidence

 

Five exam preparation tips to help build student confidence

1. Give your students manageable goals

• What are my students’ learning needs? (Relevant)

• What do I want my students to achieve this year/term/class? (Specific and Time-bound)

• Is this level-appropriate and what support do I need to give them? (Achievable)

• How will I/they know they are making progress? (Measurable)

Example SMART goals

2. Use checklists to help support your students
Goals checklist

4. Check in with students regularly
Traffic light cards

• Green = Okay, I understand!

• Amber = I might need a little help.

• Red = Stop! I need some help.

Exit tickets

English language exams are stepping stones to bigger and better things. Exams give students something to aim for and help them develop the skills they need in their lives, education and the workplace.

Teachers everywhere want to see their students do well. So how can you motivate them to get started and support them as they approach exam day?

In this article, we’ll guide you through five exam preparation tips to help your students build their confidence and ensure they feel fully prepared.

SMART goals help students make progress by being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. They help students imagine what they want to achieve and – by breaking down objectives into steps – help them understand how they are progressing. Cambridge English Qualifications are designed with this in mind, and the regular goals motivate students to improve their skills step by step.

In addition, these goals are useful when thinking about short, medium and long-term objectives – and can be used throughout individual classes, each term and the academic year.

Here are some questions to answer when planning your curriculum and preparing your classes:

Short term: By the end of the lesson, I will be able to ask and answer basic questions about what I like doing.

Medium term: By the end of the term, I will have improved my test scores in the Reading and Writing sections of A2 Key for Schools.

Long term: By the end of the year, I will have passed A2 Key for Schools and started preparing for B1 Preliminary for Schools.

Following on from SMART goals, it’s important to help your students take ownership of their learning and give them the tools they need to track their own progress.

For young learners, a goals checklist can be an effective way to help them focus on their goals, remember what they have done and reflect on their progress. In the example below, students simply need to tick off what they’ve achieved.

For lower levels, it might be helpful to write the goals and instructions in the students’ first language

It’s always a good idea to find out how well your students are getting on with the activities you are doing in class. There are a number of simple resources you can use to help students feel supported and confident.

Traffic light cards give students of all ages an opportunity to show you how they feel about their progress in any given lesson. Provide students with green, amber and red cards.

You can either ask students to hold them up during the lesson at specific times – this allows you to assess how well they are doing – or you can have them hold up their cards whenever they need help. You can also ask learners to display them on their tables during group work – this will help you see who needs the most help while you are monitoring.

For older or more advanced students try exit tickets. Near the end of the lesson, hand out the tickets and give the students a few minutes to reflect on the lesson. These will help you measure individual and whole-class progress. You’ll know what students are confident with and what they need to work on, which can help you with your planning. It’s also a good chance for shyer students to ask for support without drawing attention to themselves.