ZNO or External Independent Testing is a mandatory exam you need to take when applying for the overall majority of Ukrainian universities. Here are some tips on how to prepare for exams and to get high score with minimal effort.

Choose Your Favourite Subjects

Do what you love because that is what you will do well. You will always find time and desire to do something that brings you enjoyment. Moreover, university is a far cry from high school as you can choose your major, whether it would be science, humanities or technology and keep building your knowledge in the field of your choice. Michelangelo once said: “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is not a trifle”. Everything you are learning while preparing for ZNO will save you a lot of time and trouble when first university exams will be approaching. At the same time, all your knowledge gaps will become obvious later on if you skip the preparation. If you find a university and programme that you are interested in, it will skyrocket your chances of success – we are always ready to fight for our choices.

Plan

Manage you preparation time effectively. First, it means to avoid putting everything off until the very last possible moment. You will not remember this information well anyway, the only result you get is emotional and physical exhaustion followed by several days of recovery. Make your own timetable taking into consideration your biorhythms (whether you are a morning person or a late-riser) and study most difficult material at your high energy times. After intensive studying always take a short break and do something active. If you would like to learn about improving you focus, read the article.

 

Mix and Match

Studying for the test in different ways will help you vary your study experience, get wider knowledge and always stay focused. For instance, if you use textbooks, why not to read an e-book for a change? If you have classes with a tutor, find online courses to do outside of the class. If you work with a compilation of printed tests, do also online tests in different subjects. Different ways of receiving information help remember it much better. If you would like to learn more about memory techniques, read the article.

Find Support

Create your own fan community. Let all your family and friends know that you are studying for ZNO. It will bring so many positive changes: nobody will distract you while you are studying, there will always be people to support and cheer you up when you feel down and, on top of it, they will bring you new textbooks, give useful advice and even treat you to some goodies. You can even start a blog and post daily updates on your study progress. It will motivate you to study regularly and improve your results. You can also compete with those of your friends who are taking the same ZNO tests – you will achieve more together. If you would like to learn how to pick a right study buddy, read the article «Extroverts and Introverts».

Time Yourself

Taking ZNO is like running a marathon: you practice for a while and then you run for 2 hours and there is no second chance. To avoid failure, time yourself when doing tests at home. You will learn how to concentrate on your test and also find out which tasks take longer than you expected or where knowledge gaps slow you down.

Do Loads of Tests

While preparing for ZNO you should do as many tests as possible. It will help you get the feel of the format before the test. Ukrainian school education although provides you with the knowledge necessary for the test, it does not give you a chance to get familiar with the format of the exam. To try your hand at a mock testing is always a good idea, but it is too late to improve your knowledge and skills. Online ZNO courses ПроЗНО are a great way to prepare for ZNO because they include varied test after each lesson and each module.

Get Enough of Sleep

The night before ZNO it is very important to get a good quality sleep. So go to bed a bit earlier than usual and put yourself in a good mood when you wake up. If you are interested in professional healthy sleep tips, read the article.

The key to success is to understand that it is you, but not your mum and dad, who need ZNO. ZNO is your choice, your first steps to establish adult independent life. On the day of testing there will be just you with question papers and any of your decisions – to take the test or not, to ace it or to fail it – will play a major role in what your future will look like.