It’s the start of October, and before you know it prelims will be just around the corner. These can be a daunting experience; they cover fewer topics than the full-sized exam while still having the same number of marks. Therefore, they often delve into a level of detail which will not be matched by the main exam in July. Do not fear, as with some intelligent studying they can (almost!) become an enjoyable experience.

It’s important to see them for what they are. They give you a perfect excuse to get to grips with the first few units of your course early in the year. It should be easier to study when you have less volume of information to go through.

You may have noticed that the bulk of the prelim questions come straight from old past papers. It would be a good idea to get to grips with the old Higher papers early, which then allows you to focus on the questions you can do when the real exam is just around the corner.

‘But how do I know what questions are still relevant?!’ – The majority of the concepts in the Sciences, English and Maths, for example, are the same. If you don’t know the answer to a question, check the marking scheme. If still unsure, check your notes! It might seem like a bit of a faff, but you’ll nearly quadruple the available past paper questions to you!

If you did not do as well as you hoped, then do not be too discouraged. A lot can change between December and May, and nothing gives you a kick up the backside like a poor prelim performance!