Exams are frustrating. If the preparation for your English examination seems daunting right now, you're not the only one. Many people feel dread when their English exams are creeping closer. Thankfully, there are some exam tips that can not only make this easier for you, but will also boost your chances of success. That being said, here are 5 ways to prepare for English exam as a pro.

1. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help

English exams are not easy to study for. For most examinations, you need to prepare different skills including speaking, reading, listening and writing. If you are struggling with this or feel a lack of confidence about your skills, don't be afraid to ask for help.
Your best option is, of course, to get one-on-one tutoring sessions with an actual professional. Thanks to websites like Preply, people have continuous access to affordable, quality tutoring whenever they need it. This will allow you to sharpen your skills, get advice and speaking practice before the exam day.

There are many options for students who need to prepare for such exams. You can join a study group with friends who need to pass the same examination. You can practice with a native speaker or even converse in English with everyone in your family (provided that they know the language).

2. Organize Your Schedule Properly

The first thing you should do when preparing for an exam, whether it is a TOEFL, IETLS, or any other language testing, is to create a study schedule. Procrastination is your worst enemy when you have exams coming. If you leave things for the last minute, nothing can turn back time and give you enough to go through the material and prep.

To avoid this, make a study schedule or a timetable. Decide how you'll study the material, when you'll practice the language, and when you'll take your breaks. Once you do this, you need to organize your habits accordingly.

A schedule won't work unless you follow it.

3. Pick the Perfect Studying Surrounding

Where and when you study is extremely important. Distractions can prolong your study time, not to mention ruin your productivity and motivation. Poor lighting or bad room temperature will make you lose focus and definitely make you frustrated.
There is no golden rule as to where you should study for the best results – or when. Some people are most productive at night. Others are at their best in the mornings. Some like to study in the library because it is quiet, while others are bothered even with the turning of pages, so they need absolute silence. There are also the ones who need some noise to study.

Since everyone is different, you need to test different options to find your perfect study space. Wherever you feel comfortable, use it to practice the language and study up for the examination.

4. Take Breaks when You Need Them

The brain needs its rest to function properly. Studying long hours is never a good idea. When your brain gets tired, it cannot process information as effectively. It will have issues with focus and memory, not to mention how bad this is for your overall mental health.

You can study much more effectively when rested than when you are tired. In fact, if you get a good night's sleep, your brain can process more information in less time when you wake up.

5. Take Good Care of Yourself

Your physical health is as important as your mental health, especially when you're constantly stressed over the exams. People often get so carried away with the studies that they forget to take care of themselves. What do they do? They live on junk food from a vending machine, drink a dozen cups of tea to stay away from the study table, smoke cigarettes because of the stress, and forget to drink water.

All of this is bad for the brain and the body and because of it, it is bad for your studying, too. If you want your brain to work at full energy and get ready for the exam faster, you need to take better care of yourself.

Instead of snacking those unhealthy foods, why not try some brain foods like nuts, dark chocolate, fruits and vegetables? These are good for you and can boost both your memory and concentration.

Forget about alcohol and cigarettes – they are bad for you. Instead, make sure to drink plenty of water, take the time to exercise, and replace some of your coffee intake with tea.

A lot of the time, people who study for English exams focus so hard on the practice tests and questions that they forget about the most important things – taking good care of themselves.