> Exam Duas for brothers and sisters out there!

[Raied]

Asalamo ALaikum. I was studying for my exams comign up in a week INshAllah, and i was thinking if i could some good tips from Muslims.
And heres one i found. InsshAllah ill post more resources later.
InshAllah I will be coming out with some tips of my own, which fellow brothers and sisters can use and benfit from InshAllah! for now enjoy these

Thanks to Muslim-Kidz for this one!
Top 10 Homegrown Exam Tips

Before

1. Make the right niyyah (intention)

Make the intention to excel in your studies because Allah loves and blesses everything that is done with ihsaan. Muslims shouldn't aim for mediocrity or second place...make a firm decision that nothing but the best will do. Make the intention that you are studying to be a useful, contributing member of the Ummah one day, in shaa Allah.

2. Be Regular
It's not a good idea to cram facts just a couple of weeks or a month or two before an exam...you might OD or get indigestion :)

There is a reason why 'Slow and Steady wins the Race' and you'll see this for yourself during exams. Students who put in regular effort all year long retain what they learn better and are waaaaaay less confused and more confident than students who rely on last minute swotting.

3. Read, Read, Read
The more you go over your study material, the more familiar it becomes, until you can virtually recite it in your sleep, complete with page numbers...:)
It's a good idea to replace all extra curricular reads (over dinner, at bedtime etc) and TV (if you watch it) with your textbooks and notes just about a month before exams.. you'll be glad you did!

4. Review
Make fact sheets for each section of the book...write down the main learning objectives so that you save time when you revise. If you remember all the points from the fact sheet, without looking at the notes/textbook, in shaa Allah, you're good!!
5. Organise
Annotate your textbooks, make lots of notes in neat legible handwriting, file all the extra study material (mock question papers, diagrams) by section, so that it's easier to access than a pile of mussed up papers.

A night before the exam, get your exam card, clothes (including shoes/socks/scrunches) pencil box and other equipment ready so that you're not rushing about a la The White Rabbit.."I'm late..I'm late..I'm Late I'm Late I'm Late..."

6. Rest, Relax, Reach Early!
Don't press the panic button if you don't remember something or stay up all night reviewing the entire book a night before the exam.

Eat something light and have a restful night's sleep to be in good shape on the morning of the exam. The bleary eyed, zapped zombie look won't score bonus marks..quite the opposite, in fact.

Get up for Qiyaam and ask Allah for tawfeeq, for excellence, for ihsaan.

Pray Fajr and don't forget to feed the butterflies in your stomach a light breakfast , so that they don't go into overdrive :)

Reach the exam venue early, so that you're not scrabbling about for your seat while everyone else is settled in.
During

7. Clear your mind
Focus on the questions and forget about everything else...(including your mum's dire threats of how looong you'll be grounded if you don't come "first in class" )

Read the questions at least thrice so that you know exactly what is being asked.

Formulate the sequence of the answer in your mind before you start writing, if it's an essay type question.

In MCQs (multiple choice questions) check carefully for trick questions where all the answers might seem correct or all wrong...if you don't know the answer outright, try choosing an answer by elimination (rule out all the answers that cannot possibly be correct, until you come to the right one).
8. Keep an eye on the time, save the worst for the last

It's a good idea to do the easy questions that you're 100 % sure of first, and then come back to the not-so-easy/I-have-no-clue-what-this-is ones later..that way you save time. Next, tackle the not-so-easy ones , circle the ones you have absolutely no clue about and save them for the last.
9. Check your paper

If you finish the paper and still have time, re-read your answers as if you were the teacher who's eventually going to check your paper..check for spelling mistakes, missing words, incomplete answers, questions you may have marked incorrectly or left out inadvertently...ask yourself: "where can I cut marks here??" *evil grin*:)

All Along

10. Launch a Duaa Drive

Enlist as many people as possible to make lots of Duaa for you..don't believe the kids and grown ups (Allahu Musta'an) who say there are certain duaas for exams.. (especially popular when I was in med school was "Summun bukmun 'umyyun" recited under one's breath and surreptitiously "blown" in the general direction of the viva-voce examiner..that supposedly rendered them deaf and blind (to one's blunders) and speechless.. as in unable to point out one's glaring howlers)

Pray hard, work hard, and do your best for the sake of Allah.
Fatah'Allahu 'alaykum...wa laa hawlaa wa laa quwwata illaa billaah..

[Raied]

Here's something i found at HaqIslam.
Check it out. It pretty beneficial
Revision guidelines
by Ahmed
So you've got a few months left for your exams, or perhaps only a few weeks. This article aims to talk about how you can go about planning your revision and exam preparation. You may or may not agree with all, or some, of the things I say, this is ok, as you should use the method you feel comfortable with. If something different has worked for you then stick to that.

First off, check you have all the required notes to revise from. If not, start making them ASAP or get copies from friends on your course/ in your class.

If you have sheets and sheets of notes on a subject then you may want to consider trying Mind maps. (mind-map.com). Tony Buzans 'Use Your Head' is also a good book on the same subject.

Next you should draw up a calendar/ revision planner showing each day up from now until your exam/ exam week. Each day mark down what subject you have studied &/ or how many hours. This way when you have a lazy day you should be able to see it on paper and feel guilty for doing so. Doing this will also allow you to balance revision accross several subjects or modules.

If you start planning early enough, then those who tend to panic will have time to panic, calm down and then approach the task of revision in a logical and cohesive manner.

A great way to revise is by practising real past exam questions. The beauty of doing this is that you can:

1. Learn what you need to know for a particular subject/ module and do away with some of the information you don't need to know.

2. Teachers will normally be willing to take a look at any essays/ questions you have done and give you feedback on it, so use them. This way you can identify your weaknesses and the areas where your knowledge lacks.

3. Develop the unique skills needed for exam style questions. Learning a subject inside out does not mean you will breeze the exam, exam technique is too very important.

4. Get used to the time pressure you will be under in a real exam. A common complaint for exam students is running out of time. The truth is you will never have enough time for the exam, you just need to manage it better to make the most of it!

5. Realise that the amount of time spent on an exam needs to be in proportion to the marks it is worth.

E.g. In a 3 hour exam Question A is worth 50 marks, B 25 marks and C 25 marks. Spend:

A 50% x 180 mins = 90 mins
B 25% x 180 mins = 45 mins
C 25% x 180 mins = 45 mins

6. Be more time efficient as you become more familiar with the subject you are learning, especially if you are redoing the questions a 2nd time after doing them all.

Unless you are doing exam questions or mock exams don't study for more than 50-60 minutes at a time. This is because concentration lapses and the minds retention rate decreases significantly after 50/ 60 minutes. Keep taking breaks at regular intervals, even if you don't get up from your desk. You can pray tasbih during this break and gain some reward, as well as taking a break, without even moving from your seat! You can even perform wudu and pray 2 rakah Nafl prayer, this will not only get you reward but also freshen you up and calm your mind.

Identify your strong and weak subjects and mix them up on your study plan. You don't want to become de-motivated by lumping the difficult ones together or overconfident by putting all the easier ones together.

I had a tendency myself to take the relax last minute type approach for exams.
Only when I saw the biggest dosser on my course staying behind late at the library to revise 3 months in advance for final exams that I realised it was time to act. I wrote out the dates for the next 3 months on an A4 sheet of paper and next to them I put the number of days left to my first exam. Realising that time is shorter than I had thought I set about revising daily and I would start after Fajr, studying 50 minutes and then a 10-minute break. By midday I had done 6 sessions. I would take a reasonably long break for lunch and Zuhr and then would sit down again. The evenings I would spend for my own time to relax. Using this technique and by the grace of Allah (without whom nothing would be possible) I managed to get a upper second class degree while most of the others on my course got a lower second class degree.

Despite adopting the means one must recognise that only Almighty Allah can grant success and in your duahs to Him this should be acknowledged.


if the asker is not sincere in asking then how can he expect to receive that what he asks?

My last final piece of advice but the most important 'NEVER NEGLECT YOUR FARDH' no matter how important anything else may seem. The success of any part of your life will be of no consequence or benefit in the hereafter if it is pursued or obtained at the expense of the Fara'idh being neglected.

May Allah swt grant you success in this life and, more importantly, in the hereafter.
Ameen

[Raied]

Here's one by Sheikh Muhammed Salih

Praise be to Allah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger and upon his family and companions.

The Muslim student puts his trust in Allah when facing the tests of this world, and he seeks His help whilst following the prescribed means, in accordance with the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The strong believer is better and is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to attain that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless." (Saheeh Muslim, hadeeth no. 2664)

Among those means are the following:

- Turning to Allah by making du'aa' in any way that is prescribed in Islam, such as saying, "Rabbiy ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri (O my Lord, expand my chest and make things easy for me)."

- Getting used to sleeping early and going to exams on time.

- Preparing all required or permitted equipment such as pens, rulers and setsquares, calculators and watches, because being well prepared helps one to answer questions.

- Reciting the du'aa' for leaving the house: "Bismillaah, tawakkaltu 'ala Allah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah. Allahumma inni a'oodhu bika an adilla aw udalla, aw azilla aw uzalla, aw azlima aw uzlama, aw ajhala aw yujhala 'alayya (In the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah, and there is no strength and no power except with Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge with You lest I should stray or be led astray, lest I slip (commit a sin unintentionally) or be tripped, lest I oppress or be oppressed, lest I behave foolishly or be treated foolishly)." Do not forget to seek your parents' approval, for their du'aa' for you will be answered.

- Mention the name of Allah before you start, for mentioning the name of Allah is prescribed when beginning any permissible action; this brings blessing, and seeking the help of Allah is one of the means of strength.

- Fear Allah with regard to your classmates, and do not be affected by their anxiety or fear just before the exam, for anxiety is a contagious disease. Instead, make them feel optimistic by saying good words as prescribed in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was optimistic when he heard the name of Suhayl (which means "easy") and he said: "Things have been made easy for you." He used to like to hear the words 'Yaa Raashid, when he went out for any purpose. So be optimistic that you and your brothers will pass this exam.

- Remembering Allah (dhikr) dispels anxiety and tension. If something is too difficult for you, then pray to Allah to make it easy for you. Whenever Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) found something too difficult to understand, he would say, "O You Who taught Ibraaheem, teach me; O You Who caused Sulaymaan to understand, cause me to understand."

- Choose a good place to sit during the exam, if you can. Keep your back straight, and sit on the chair in a healthy manner.

- Look over the exam first. Studies advise spending 10% of the exam time in reading the questions carefully, noting the important words and dividing one's time between the questions.

- Plan to answer the easy questions first, then the difficult ones. Whilst reading the questions, write notes and ideas which you can use in your answers later.

- Answer questions according to importance.

- Start by answering the easy questions which you know. Then move on to the questions which carry high marks, and leave till the end the questions to which you do not know the answers, or which you think will take a long time to produce an answer or which do not carry such high marks.

- Take your time to answer, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Deliberation is from Allah and haste is from the Shaytaan." (A hasan hadeeth. Saheeh al-Jaami, 3011).

- Think carefully about the answer and choose the right answer when answering multiple-choice questions. Deal with them in the following manner. If you are sure that you have chosen the right answer, then beware of waswasah (insinuating whispers from the Shaytaan). If you are not sure, then start by eliminating the wrong or unlikely answers, then choose the correct answer based on what you think is most likely to be correct. If you guessed at a correct answer then do not change it unless you are sure that it is wrong – especially if you will lose marks for a wrong answer. Research indicates that the correct answer is usually that which the student thinks of first.

- In written exams, collect your thoughts before you start to answer. Write an outline for your answer with some words which will indicate the ideas which you want to discuss. Then number the ideas in the sequence in which you want to present them.

- Write the main points of your answer at the beginning of the line, because this is what the examiner is looking for, and he may not see what he is looking for if it is in the middle of the page and he is in a hurry.

- Devote 10% of the time for reviewing your answers. Take your time in reviewing, especially in mathematical problems and writing numbers. Resist the desire to hand in the exam papers quickly, and do not let the fact that some people are leaving early bother you. They may be among the people who have handed in their papers too early.

- If you discover after the exam that you answered some questions incorrectly, then take that as a lesson in the importance of being well prepared in the future, and not rushing to answer questions. Accept the will and decree of Allah and do not fall prey to frustration and despair. Remember the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "If anything befalls you, do not say, 'If only I had done such and such.' Rather say, 'Qadar Allah wa maa sha'a kaan (the decree of Allah and what He wills happened),' for saying 'if only' opens the door for the Shaytaan." (Saheeh Muslim, and the first part of this hadeeth was mentioned above).

- Note that cheating is haraam whether it is in foreign language tests or any other tests. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever cheats is not one of us." It is wrongdoing and it is a haraam means of attaining a degree or certificate, etc., that you have no right to. The consensus is that cheating is a kind of cooperation in sin and transgression. So do without that which is haraam, and Allah will suffice you from His bounty. Reject all offers of haraam things that come to you from others. Whoever gives up a thing for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better. You have to denounce and resist evil, and tell the authorities about any such thing that you see during the exam, or before or after it. This is not the forbidden kind of slander rather it is denouncing evil which is obligatory.

Advise those who buy or sell questions or post them on the Internet etc., or who prepare cheat notes. Tell them to fear Allah, and tell them of the ruling on what they are doing and on the money they earn from that. Tell them that the time they are spending in preparing these haraam things, if they spent it in studying, or answering previous exams, or helping one another to understand the subject before the exam, that would be better for them than doing these haraam things.

- Remember what you have prepared for the Hereafter, and the questions of the examination in the grave, and how to be saved on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is saved from the Fire and admitted to Paradise will indeed have succeeded.

We ask Allah to make us succeed in this world and cause us to be among those who are victorious and saved in the Hereafter, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayer.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

[Raied]

Exam Dua

[Exquisite]

Wa-alaykum salam

Wow mashaAllah a great set of posts you got there bro, inshaAllah we all benefit from these, especially with exams nearing for many of us.

JazakAllah khair for the insightful post.

[God is all merciful]

Many thanks for you.Jazak Allah Khair.

[Tayel]

My God reward you brother. ^_^
Great post.

[Musmat786]

Hi there,

I am very glad to participate here. Really you have to doing a good job....


Many Thanks,