Your final matric exam! The highlight of your high school education. Along with the excitement of reaching this milestone, there is also a lot of pressure to pass your exam. Knowing how to prepare for your exam will come in handy as you study for the big day.
How to Prepare for Your Matric Exam
So you’ve got every colour highlighter and cancelled all your plans. But when it comes to studying for your test, it’s going to take a little more than that. To give you peace of mind, our guidelines will teach you how to prepare for your exam:
Find a Spot to Study
With the hustle and bustle of the world around you, you need to find a quiet place to study. Whether it’s in your room or library, make sure that it is comfortable and free from distractions.
Hit the Books Early
Cramming the night before an exam is a recipe for disaster. Your studying should take place weeks, if not months before the exam. This gives you enough time to study each concept.
Make use of Your Resources
Whether it’s matric past exam papers or study notes you made in class, make use of your resources. This will help you answer questions and get familiar with the exam structure.
Stay Ahead With a Study Schedule
No need to study every minute of every day. Manage your time with a study schedule. This will help you allocate enough study time to each subject. Remember to add breaks too.
Take Some Time to Rest
As we mentioned above, you need to take breaks. It will help you remember what you’ve studied and leave you feeling energised. This is your opportunity to take a nap or go for a walk.
Stay Hydrated
Eat your veggies and snack on some fruit. We’ve heard it all before. But did you know water is important too? Not only will it help you stay hydrated, it will help you with your concentration.
Take Advantage of After School Classes
If your teacher arranges after school or weekend classes, don’t miss out. You’ll be able to ask your teacher questions on concepts that may be confusing and get the help you need.
Read to Understand
You’ve read one sentence, now it’s on to the next. But did you understand? When studying, make sure you understand what you read. If not, you won’t be able to apply it in the exam.
Explain What You Studied to Others
A great way to check if you understand what you read is to explain it to others. If they understand the topic, it means you have fully understood what you studied.

The Day Before Your Matric Exam
Your studying may be done and dusted, but now is not the time to sit back and relax. The day before your exam will help you finalise the last minute preparations for your exam. These include:
- Revising Your Work – Take this time to read over your work. Since you’ve already studied, this will help you refresh your memory.
- Getting all Your Material Ready – Avoid any hiccups by getting all the necessary material ready. This includes a calculator, pens, mathematical set, pencils, etc.
- Hitting the Snooze Button Early – Get a fresh start to your day by sleeping early. Try staying off social media and saying no to ‘one more episode’.
The Exam Day
The big day has finally arrived. All your hard work will finally pay off. But there’s still time for some final preparation. To make sure you are all set, use our last minute tips for the matric best results.
Start Your day With Breakfast
No matter how prepared you are, if you’re hungry, you will get distracted and lose focus. Remember to eat a balanced meal, giving you the energy you need.
Get to the Venue Early
Not only should you sleep early, you should get to the venue early too. This will prevent any delays like sitting in traffic and getting to the exam venue late.
Do Last Minute Revision
Don’t daydream before the exam. If allowed, try and do some last minute studying. This will give you the opportunity to go through difficult concepts.
Put Away Your Phone and Study Notes
Cheating is a serious offence, and you could end up failing matric. Turn off and put away your phone and all your study notes before you start. Preferably in your backpack.
Read Through all Questions Carefully
WAIT! Don’t just start filling in answers when you get the question paper. Read through all the questions first. This will help you check the marks allocated and what sections to answer.




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