The 5 SPM Study Tips You Need To Ace Your Exams

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Ever stared at your exam timetable, knowing deep down, that you won’t have time to finish studying? You’re not alone!

We’re often given plenty of tips for SPM on what to study, but rarely ever on how to study. Figuring out the how of studying is important, it's your key to the tired saying: study smarter, not harder.

Some students are early birds, some are night owls. Some study in groups and others fly solo. No two students have the same learning style.

That’s why we’ve searched the internet for exam study tips that have helped students ace their exams, regardless of their study style.

SPM Study Tip #1: Pull info out, not in.

Science tells us that cramming just doesn’t work. Contrary to popular belief, to remember something, you have to pull out, not push in. 

We relate recalling information with exams, but it’s actually a powerful tool for learning. Psychologists call it “retrieval practice”, and it is to remember a piece of information you have previously read, heard or seen.

The act of trying to remember something will strengthen your memory of that information, making it easier to remember it later.

So instead of taking in info by reading and making notes, focus on pulling information out of memory. Here’s how you can put retrieval practice into action: 

• Blank Paper Retrieval

After reading over a topic or learning something new in class, grab a blank piece of paper and scribble down everything you can remember. Once this is done, go over your notes and add in any missing details in a different coloured pen. Aim to reduce the number of missing details as you repeat this exercise.

• Flashcards 

Made for ‘retrieval practice’, flashcards work when they are concise and clear. Remember not to glance at your cards before testing yourself – that’s cheating!

• SPM Past Papers 

Jumping right into answering exam questions is a trusted SPM study tip. Beyond retrieval, completing the past papers will also help you identify the patterns of topics tested and how to answer them. Ultimately, this helps build your confidence.

SPM Study Tip #2: Space out your studying.

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We’re sorry about this exam study tip, last-minute learners. It’s not us – it's the science!

Research from as early as the 1940s shows us that studying in short bursts over a period of time will create stronger memories than cramming (studying a lot in a short period).

What this means is that simply re-studying your SPM material over a few months or weeks will help you remember much more, much longer. Here’s an example of what this looks like:  

Repetition 1: If your History lesson is on Monday, take some time on Tuesday to review what you learned the day before. We’d opt for blank page retrieval (we talked about this in SPM Study Tip #1).

Repetition 2: Test yourself again the following day.

Repetition 3: Test yourself a third time at the end of the week.

SPM Study Tip 1 & 2 go together like roti canai and curry. Separately they’re good, but together they’re magical! If the subject you’re studying involves memorising – whether it’s formulas and facts or vocabulary and diagrams – it’s best to test your memory over time. 

SPM Study Tip #3: Simplify it.

Another study trick from the 1940s is the Feynman Technique; a method introduced by an award-winning physicist, Richard Feynman.

This SPM study tip boils down to one key idea: If you want to understand something well, try to explain it simply. 

All this means is that you are likely to understand a concept or idea quicker when you try to explain it in your own words. Anyone can make a subject complicated, but only someone who understands can make it simple.

Here’s how it works: 

Step 1: Write down everything you know about the topic on a sheet of paper. Once you’ve understood the topic, you’re ready for step 2.

Step 2: Using your sheet as a reference, try explaining the topic as you would to a 10-year-old. This means removing complex words and instead, using words only a child would understand.  

Step 3: This alone will help you identify the gaps in your knowledge; the bits that you don’t understand as well as you thought you did. Go back to your notes and fill these gaps.  

This technique isn’t just great for learning new ideas, it’s also one of our favourite last-minute study tips!

SPM Study Tip #4: Study before snoozing.

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A new study shows that sleeping after processing new info is most effective. But before you start falling asleep in class, let us explain. 

Sleep is important for your brain to function – this includes memorisation and learning. Dr Cairney from the University of York explained, "When you are awake you learn new things, but when you are asleep you refine them, making it easier to [remember] them and apply them correctly when you need them the most. This is important for how we learn but also for how we might help [maintain] healthy brain functions."

Simply put, your brain organises your memories when you’re asleep. So instead of pulling an all-nighter, our SPM tip is to study for a few hours before you to sleep then go over what you studied in the morning. In some sense, studying before bed is like ‘telling’ the sleeping brain what to organise.

SPM Study Tip #5: Ask for help.

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Learning differs for each student as it does for each subject. How you learn Maths won’t work for other subjects like History or Physics. As students, understanding how you learn best involves a bit of experimenting – which can sometimes take a bit of time. That’s why it never hurts to ask for help!