The moment is finally here. Instead of panicking, read over these 5 things to do before your exam starts. Soon you’ll be well prepared for the big day.

1. Breathe
I know how hard it is to relax on the big day, but hyperventilating won’t help anybody. Just try to remain calm. If you’re very nervous, call someone you know for comforting words.

2. Leave house extra early
Get to the exam hall early. You never know what traffic or weather will be like on the day, so leave enough time for the worst case scenario. What if your bus is overcrowded so you need to wait for the next one? What if it snows and traffic slows to a crawl? What if the exam will be held in a new location? There are so many what ifs, but leaving early will prevent you from losing out if the worst happens.

3. Final run through
Look over everything one last time, but not in depth like you did while revising. You should know it all by now. Try not to focus too much on particular areas, just glance over everything to refresh your memory from the past couple of weeks. Do not panic if you see something you don’t remember- final run throughs are there to remind you. The information is in your head but you forgot because you have learnt so much, but it IS there.

4. Mobile phones and music players
I advise that you remove the battery before you leave the house, just in case you forget in the exam hall. I know it is extreme, but I prefer it over turning the phone off or putting it on vibrate. My old phone used to bleep when the battery was dying, so putting it on vibrate would not have helped and I would’ve been disqualified. Remember that something in your bag could nudge your music player’s buttons, and then music playing will get you disqualified. If you don’t want to turn them off, leave them at home. You don’t need them where you’re going.

If you have a watch, remember to turn off the hourly bleeping and any alarms set. Don’t assume this has already been done. It only takes a few seconds to check, and those few seconds could save you from disturbing others during the exam.

5. Check exam information
You should know this already, but check again on the official boards outside of the exam hall. Check when the exam starts and begins, you’re in the right place, sitting the right paper, have materials allowed in the hall, and know your student, the exam papers’ numbers. If any of this is different from what you expected, don’t panic! Just ask an exam invigilator (people supervising exams, looking out for cheaters, explaining exam conditions, etc) for help.

That is all you need. Next, go over your revision notes before you enter the exam hall. Keep the first point (Breathe) in mind at all times. Deep breathing is meditative, so any anxiety will be exhaled away within seconds. You’ll be all right. Good luck! Here’s what to do in the exam…