We often hear about preparing before an exam, but what about after? One of the most overlooked yet powerful academic tools is the exam debrief—a structured reflection of what happened during your test, and how to learn from it.
Once your exam is over and the stress has settled, take 20-30 minutes to reflect. Write down everything you remember: the topics that came up, how you managed your time, where you felt confident, and where you stumbled. This isn’t about self-criticism, it’s about collecting data on your habits and performance.
Did you rush through questions at the beginning and run out of steam? Did you forget something you revised just yesterday? Did a curveball question throw you off track? These are valuable insights that can help you tailor your revision techniques and avoid repeating mistakes. It also helps you realize what actually worked, maybe you remember a diagram better than written notes, or your group discussion helped lock in key concepts.
The best part? Debriefs don’t just help with one exam, they build long-term exam strategy skills. You’ll begin to notice patterns in your behavior, and that awareness can lead to smarter, more personalized revision.
And if you get your paper back with feedback or marks? Go beyond the score. Look at the phrasing of your answers, the structure of your responses, and how you handled command words like “discuss,” “compare,” or “evaluate.” This step is crucial if you’re working toward academic improvement, not just survival.
So next time you finish an exam, before you toss your notes in relief or dive headfirst into the next thing, pause. Reflect. Debrief. It might just be your best revision session yet.