You Should Take the Next Test Backwards
Even if you’ve spent weeks studying and feel ready to demonstrate your knowledge, exam day can be nerve-wracking. The average person reacts poorly to having their fate (or at least their assessment) tied to a grueling 45 minutes of regimented stress. Luckily, many of these people have found a workaround to make the test stress more manageable: simply run them in reverse.
Why is it useful to take the test backwards?
This advice is not supported by psychological research or educational theory. Instead, everyday students recommend it to each other—not just peer-to-peer, but on forums likeTikTok and Reddit .
Tests are typically several pages long and include sections with multiple choice questions, true/false questions, or short answer questions. There may be several short essays, usually included at the end. The theory goes that by starting with the most time-consuming and difficult part of the exam, you can ” eat the frog ” and be done with it, since it will be easier for you to quickly pass the tax sections if you find yourself lacking knowledge. during.
There’s also something satisfying about working from larger numbers to smaller numbers. If you start with question 1, even if you know there are 50 questions, it seems more difficult than starting with question 50 and knowing you’re moving on to question 1. (In real life, I often use variations of this method. For example, In In the gym, I always count reps backwards because I find it makes them more manageable.)
Things to consider when taking a test backwards
It’s helpful to become familiar with multiple choice and true-false questions before you move on to the section where you have to write anything. Although there are some incorrect answers, basic information about your subject will be presented in the questions and answers, which can help you find ideas about what to write about or what the professor wants you to focus on. But just because you’re starting with the end in mind doesn’t mean you can’t test out where it ends up.
So, before you take the test, review it, circling anything that seems important and writing down anything you can remember from studying in the margins. Refamiliarizing yourself with material before diving into it can help you a lot, especially when writing short essays.
If starting from the end isn’t your style, you might want to just skip ahead, starting by answering any questions you’re confident you know before moving on to the ones that give you a little more anxiety.
Regardless of how you do it, be sure to review everything briefly before taking the test to make sure you don’t accidentally miss a question or two. While it may not improve your grades if you’re unprepared, taking the test in reverse can at least ease (some of) your nerves.