Preparing for the exams is a tough process for the majority of students but creating and using a study guide promises a meaningful and deep understanding of the exam material. This is because a study guide can improve exam scores. According to research, applying strategic approaches to exam preparation helps students increase their exam scores by 1/3^rd. 

However, many students think that study guides are a collection of class or lecture notes, but it’s different – it’s actually a personalized study tool that’s curated to adapt to your studying routine as well as your learning style. So, if you are ready to create a study guide and include an online test bank in your exam preparation, we are sharing the right way with you!

Tips to Create A Study Guide 

Here are some of the most beneficial tips which will help you to create a good study guide 

Organize Your Notes 

First of all, you’ve to start the process by organizing the notes and information – make sure you organize the information in a way that makes sense. The most suitable option is to create a summary sheet, which involves organizing the notes on a conceptual basis. To create the summary sheet, follow the below-mentioned steps;

• First of all, you have to divide the paper sheet into two different columns – the right column should have more space as compared to the left column. 
• List the essential terms and concepts from every chapter on the right side (you can consult your textbook to outline the terms and concepts). Under every topic name or concept, you have to add a summary and don’t forget to include a few words that will help you recall the information. 
• Now, write down the cue questions on the left side – the questions must correspond to concepts or summaries on the right side. Once done, you’ve to cover the paper’s right side and see if you will be able to answer the cue questions. 

This sheet will motivate you to review the notes as you start transcribing the answers into the study guide. This is because it will help you remember the information. You will be able to test yourself with cue questions from the left side and see if you can recall the terms and concepts. The right way of creating the summary sheet also depends on the subject. 

That’s because if you are creating the sheet for your history exam, the orders must be categorized chronologically because it helps create the event timeline – you will be able to understand the context of different historical events. 

Keep Practicing The Essay Questions 

The accounting test bank and other test banks from Etestbank are designed with multiple essay questions – these are long questions. Keep in mind that practicing these long-form questions will help you attempt them quickly during the exams. In addition, it makes sure that you are aware of the entire answer when it appears on the exam. 

It’s recommended that you get the questions from the test banks and past papers, or you can get the review questions from your textbook (the textbook has review questions from the end of the chapter). Also, practicing the long-form questions will make sure you know the right way to write down the answer. 

Create The Vocabulary Section 

If your exam has a vocabulary section, we recommend that you dedicate a specific portion of the study guide to definitions and terms. Keep in mind that it’s essential to understand and memorize the definitions and key terms, so you can write them down during the exam. Memorizing the vocabulary will ensure that you are comfortable and know the correct way of writing the terms in answers. 

Using the right vocabulary will show the examiner that you are fully prepared and have a strong grasp of the learning material. In case you prefer visual learning, you can opt for concept maps. To design the concept maps, you’ve to draw shapes around definitions or key terms and draw arrows to establish the relationship of different key terms. It’s a great way of memorizing the entire definitions as well. 

Handwrite The Answers 

Many students don’t pay heed to it, but it’s essential that you handwrite the study guide rather than typing down the details. It’s needless to say that typing something on a computer is more convenient and faster, but handwriting will help you memorize the information. In addition, you will have the time to transcribe the information. 

Handwriting the answers will help you absorb the information while creating the study guide. On the contrary, if you’ve to type the study guide, you have to print the guide and read it (use the hard copy). This is because reading the information on the screen will negatively impact your ability to retain the information, and you will be vulnerable to internet-based distractions, such as notifications from social media. 

Create A Personal Guide 

Creating your own study guide is one of the best ways of learning, as you’ll be able to tailor the information according to your learning style. We recommend that you choose your learning style – the common styles include kinesthetic, visual, reading, auditory, and writing. Reading and writing styles are more traditional, and you can create a summary sheet. 

On the other hand, visual learners can opt for concept maps and color coding to create easy-to-understand and meaningful connections between different concepts, terms, and definitions.

Tips To Ace Your Exam Preparation 

Now that we have already added the tips to create a study guide, we are sharing a few more tips to ace your exam preparation, such as;

• Make sure you add the correct cue questions in the summary sheet, and don’t forget to consider the exam format while creating the questions. 
• Ensure you sit down with all the notes, pens, and other learning aids to eliminate distractions. 
• Always create a list of topics that you will cover in a specific period of time and stick to the schedule. 
• Start your preparation with the most important topics because you’ve to prioritize your preparation. 

The Bottom Line 

The concluding note is that a study guide is great for your learning experience – it spruces up the learning outcomes in a short time. However, don’t forget to revise and consult your textbooks to cover every important topic and attempt the test bank to test your knowledge!