The Formula for Improving Exam Results: 1 + 3 = 13

Did you know that a 2022 study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that over half of students admit to feeling very anxious about exams even when they’re well prepared?   

We live in an extremely competitive education landscape. It’s so easy for parents and teenagers to develop a hyper-fixation of marks and results, which could quickly lead to an immeasurable amount of pressure and underperformance during exams.  

Believe it or not, low exam results often aren’t really due to a lack of your child’s effort. Signs of procrastination or low motivation that often appear to look like often mask much deeper issues.  

Like the fact most students do not know exactly how to prepare for exams— what are the steps, how long will it take, what marks can they expect to get?  

There’s a huge difference between underachieving students and those who rank above their cohort. 

And it all comes down to this: 1 + 1 = 13.  

Wondering how we got to that Math? Keep reading as we unpack the simple theorem behind the success of our Kalibrate-Ed students who pulled their 60s or 70s marks up to 90+ fast.  

Underachieving student vs. student who gets the ideal marks  

When it comes to exams and getting high marks, students who underachieve usually fall down in one crucial aspect of learning: exam mastery.  

A student with exam mastery doesn’t struggle to get good marks because they’ve fully grasped the skills necessary to tackle any exam question with confidence. Bea’s marks shot up not only because she knew what to do — but she was very good at it AND she knew what to expect once she got into the exam.  

When it comes to helping your child with exam mastery, the theorem is 1 + 3 = 13.     

The ONE represents the key difference between an underachieving student and a student: QUALITY.  

Then, there are THREE domains to focus on:  

1. Awareness: Does your child know what’s required?  
2. Completion: Do they get it done?  
3. Advanced-readiness. Is your child ready?  

Exam mastery is composed of these domains and can be divided into 13 Stages of Exam Preparation. These stages go beyond memorising content – they involve strategies for early planning, long-term information retention and stress management during exams.  

It’s simple: the higher your child’s mastery, the higher the marks.  

The gap is that most students are only aware of five out of these 13 stages. Meanwhile, the majority of students scoring below 70% only satisfactorily complete up to two or three stages of exam preparation. 

If you want to help your child improve their exam results and performance this term, it’s crucial to complete all the necessary stages of exam preparation and achieve full exam mastery. 13 stages may seem intimidating and a lot, but you and your child don’t have to go through them on your own.  

Our education strategists can help you if you’re not sure which exam preparation steps your child might be missing. We’re committed to understanding how each child thinks and helping them create that perfect response without feeling overwhelmed or underprepared for exams. 

But if you’re looking for something more specific, particularly for Year 11 and 12 parents who want to set their child up for a high ATAR so they don’t miss out on the best future opportunities, you can join our live sessions to ask questions and get practical tips.  

Here’s what parents of Year 7 to 12 students from our last event said at the most recent workshop:  

If this is something you want to take advantage of, make sure you join the next free online expert session on Wednesday 25th September at 7:00 PM on Zoom. It’s going to be bigger and there will be a recording and other exclusive resources for registered attendees.  

Check out the event details and register here: https://studyresources.com.au/your-choice-of-university.