Look after your physical needs. Get a good night's sleep, avoiding the temptation to cram last-minute revision far into the night. Eat a carbohydrate rich breakfast, or lunch if the exam is in the afternoon. Take some boiled sweets to suck on when your energy flags.
Read all instructions twice before you begin. When reading the questions, underline key words such as 'not' and 'except'.
Budget your time. Divide the total number of questions by the allotted number of minutes to determine how long to spend on each question. If you find you're taking too long on one, leave it and go on to the next.
If you can make an 'educated guess' between two or three choices on a multiple-choice question, do so; the odds favour you-even if the exam has a penalty for incorrect answers. But if you haven't a clue, don't guess wildly between five or six choices.
Begin with the easiest essay questions. If you don't have time to complete an essay, try writing an outline adding the explanation 'Ran out of time'.