Exam Prep
What to Do the Night Before an Exam
By Dr Ayesha Khan · · 4 min read
Quick answer
Do light review only — skim summaries, run through a few recall questions, then stop. Pack everything you need, set two alarms, and sleep properly. Cramming new material the night before adds little and costs the sleep that consolidates what you already know, which is a poor trade.
Accept what tonight can and can't do
The night before cannot teach you a topic you never learned. It can consolidate what you already know, settle your nerves, and make sure you arrive functional. Trying to do more than that usually makes things worse.
Students who spend the evening panicking through untouched topics arrive tired and anxious with a thin layer of new material that mostly evaporates.
Light review, then stop
Forty-five minutes to an hour of skimming your summary notes, running a few recall questions, or looking over your error log is plenty. Choose material you mostly know — the aim is confidence and consolidation, not new learning.
Then stop deliberately. Set a finishing time in advance, because without one, revision expands to fill the evening and bleeds into your sleep.
Prepare everything physically
Pack your bag: pens, spares, calculator with working batteries, ruler, ID, water, exam-board-permitted equipment, and your entry details. Lay out what you will wear. Check the exam time, the room and how long the journey takes.
This sounds trivial and it removes an entire category of morning panic, which is worth more than another half hour of notes.
Protect your sleep
Go to bed at your normal time rather than unusually early — lying awake for two hours is not restful and increases anxiety. Keep the phone out of the bedroom and avoid caffeine after the afternoon.
If you cannot sleep, do not lie there fighting it. Get up briefly, do something dull and non-stimulating in low light, and return when you feel sleepy.
Manage the anxiety honestly
Some nerves are normal and even helpful. If your mind is racing, writing down what you are worried about — on paper, specifically — reliably reduces its intensity, as does slow breathing with a longer out-breath than in-breath.
Avoid comparing notes with classmates who are panicking. Anxiety is contagious, and the group chat the night before an exam is rarely a calm place.
In the morning
Eat something, even if you do not feel like it. Arrive with time to spare but not so early that you stand around absorbing other people's nerves. Do not attempt to learn anything new in the final hour.
One last skim of your one-page summary is fine. Anything more is anxiety pretending to be revision.
Frequently asked questions
Should I revise at all the night before?+
Light review only — an hour at most, on material you already know. It consolidates and reassures. Learning new topics at that point rarely survives to the exam and costs you sleep.
Is it better to sleep or cram?+
Sleep, clearly. Sleep is when memory consolidates, and tiredness impairs exactly the attention and working memory the exam tests. All-nighters are the least efficient option available.
What should I eat before an exam?+
Something you normally eat, with some protein and slow-release carbohydrate. Exam morning is not the time to experiment, skip breakfast, or rely on energy drinks that will drop you mid-paper.
What if I can't sleep at all?+
One poor night is manageable — people perform adequately on limited sleep for a single day. Do not add panic about sleeping to the exam anxiety; rest quietly even if you are not sleeping, and eat properly in the morning.
Should I look at my notes on the way to the exam?+
A one-page summary is fine if it calms you. Detailed notes usually increase anxiety by reminding you of things you have not covered, with no time left to act on them.
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