How to Pass Your Exam the First Time

One question everyone asks when encountering any exam is: “How do I pass the first time?” Here is a list of our top 5 study tips, along with an entertaining short video to help drive them home. Continue reading

testOne question everyone asks when encountering any exam is: “How do I pass the first time?” Solomon Exam Prep has been helping their students pass securities exams for over a decade.  For many years Professor Karen Solomon (PhD, University of Chicago) taught and researched how the brain learns and memorizes information. Based on her research, Solomon Exam Prep has come up with some tried and true study tips that will help you pass your exam the first time.

The first thing to remember is that the over-studiers are more likely to succeed. There are many costs associated with taking these exams, so it is in your best financial interest to pass the first time. Increase your chances of passing the first time by following Solomon Exam Prep’s suggested study schedule; you will thank yourself later.

Here is a list of our top 5 study tips, along with an entertaining short video to help drive them home:

  1. Reinforce learning by engaging multiple senses. You want to learn the content, not just memorize it. Reinforce your reading by following along with the Audiobook or reading out loud to yourself. By engaging your other senses, you are more likely to remember the content. We also recommend reading your Study Guide multiple times as you do not always retain everything the first time around. The combination of repeated reading and engaging other senses is sure to drive home the material and increase memory retention.
  2. Make your own flash cards. Many other companies create and sell flash cards, but Solomon Exam Prep does not. Why? To help you better learn the material. When you actively sit down and create your own flashcards, you are more likely to recall the information. This goes along with engaging multiple senses; reading and transcribing the content you find important helps to reinforce learning.  We encourage all of our students to create their own flash cards.
  3. Take practice quizzes. Practice makes perfect! You will not know how much material you have retained until you take practice exams. We encourage our students to take quizzes after every chapter they read. Focus on learning the content and avoid memorizing the questions. Review the rationales for any incorrect answers; not everything may be in the book, so make sure you pay attention to new material in the quizzes. As you approach your exam date, you should be taking full, timed practice exams to best prepare for the actual one. We highly encourage our students to average in the mid 80’s before sitting for the exam.
  4. Take breaks and rest up. It is important to give yourself a break as you are studying. You might try setting a timer to remind yourself to take a break. (It does not help to cram.) Remember: Sleep is important! Before your exam date, make sure you get enough sleep; do not stay up all night cramming. Your brain functions much better when it is well rested.
  5. Review your Study Course and notes. If you have a recorded class, re-watch it prior to your test date; this is a great review.  If you do not have a recorded class, go over your notes and flash cards prior to your exam. You can also re-review your last full exam, taking note of any questions you might have answered incorrectly. This serves as a great final refresher before your exam.

Follow these study tips and you will increase your chances of passing the first time. Be sure to check out our study tips video:

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