For students of any age or
academic orientation, taking exams can be stressful. The additional stress of not
getting the exam results you want or expect, often makes coping more
difficult. It becomes a question of properly understanding your anticipated
success or failure.
“I failed. I cannot believe
it!” You may say, feeling stunned and frustrated, or angry and disillusioned, knowing
that you tried your best. Somehow, what you did was not good enough.
“It can also be tough if you
feel as if you didn't meet the expectations
of others, such as family members or teachers.”
Learning how to cope with low
marks or academic failure is important.
Be aware that every student,
regardless of age or academic orientation has to deal with low, exam marks at
one time or another. Remember that any degree of failure when taking exams can
be one of the most difficult things a student has to cope with during his or
her academic career. Failure can have an adverse effect on one’s ego.
Become proactive academically,
immediately.
Instead of focusing on your
personal disappointment, wasting your time and energy on getting angry,
internalizing your sense of failure or magnifying your shortcomings with
respect to this exam, take a more proactive, positive and constructive approach
to your studies. In other words, do something about it. Any exam is worth taking, it
was worth doing well on.
Focus on the exam and
examiner’s expectations.
Ask yourself why you received such a low mark or
failed. What did you do that caused you to fail this exam? Begin to focus on
what the expectations were for this exam. Find the root of your problem, if
possible. You may need tutelage or assistance from your teacher. Perhaps others
have the same problem, so talk to your classmates about it.
Did you read the exam questions
correctly?
Find out whether you read or
understood your exam, the exam questions or the exam requirements, because
there is the possibility that while you were under the pressure and stress of
writing an exam, you may have misread or misunderstood something. The answers
you gave might have been brilliant, or correct in their own way, but perhaps
they were not the answers necessary to obtain the passing mark or a high mark.
Did you learn the definitions?
Are you being honest with
yourself?
Your integrity as a student is
one of the most important factors with respect to taking exams. Did you really
prepare for this exam properly, or just think you did? Was there something you
thought you knew that you did not know? Were you procrastinating?
Perhaps you omitted something important or merely glanced over it. Maybe you
expected to ace your exam without doing any work. It happens.
What were your strengths and
your weaknesses in this particular exam?
It is always important to find
out what the key aspects of an exam are, prior to writing an exam and to focus
on developing them further, when you are studying for the exam. In doing
so, you will likely discover your strong or weak points.
Were there trick questions on
the exam?
Some exams include trick
questions to see how well you read your exam instructions and whether you know
your exam material. Trick questions serve to weed out students who are
not serious about their academic studies.
Was the teacher fair in marking
your exam?
Teachers are fair with students
and have reputable marking systems. Exams can be placed on a bell curve when
the majority of students have low, exam marks. Taking the time to talk to a
teacher about the exam and your own work can help to reassure you in that
respect.
What can you do better next time,
in order to succeed?
Every time you write an exam,
you can likely do better. Find out immediately if you can upgrade or whether
there will be room for re-writes or future exams. Do not just let your
unexpected, low mark prevent you from furthering your academic career.
Persist and you will succeed.
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