• Websites.
All the major examination boards have websites these days, usually with sample papers and examiners’ reports that you can download. These sites are well worth a visit as they may offer a lot of sound advice. The examiners’ report, for instance, can give you an idea of exactly what it is that they are looking for.

• Take Spares.
Take spare pens and pencils just in case the one you are using stops working.

• On time not In time.
Allow for problems, hold-ups and traffic jams on the way and make sure you arrive with time to spare so that you can go in calmly rather than in a frantic rush.

• It may sound stupid, but …
Don’t forget to read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. You should go into the exam well aware of what is expected of you, but you should always check. Don’t, however, waste a lot of time on this.

• Honesty – 1.
A language exam is not a test of honesty and you will not be penalized if you tell the examiners that you are CANCER rather than SAGITTARIUS in a written question simply because you are sure of how to spell it. Language Tests are quite simply that; they are designed to test your language and not your honesty- don’t worry about lying or being economical with the truth in order to show off your accurate language use.

• Zzzzz.
Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before any exam.

• Hangovers.
Try to avoid alcohol the night before an exam, especially in quantity, as a bad hangover is among the very worst things to be suffering from in an exam room.