In this article I would like to present you a selection of the most useful free android apps:

1. RealCalc – This app is probably the best android calculator as of today. The calculator app is actually a scientific calculator and has amazing full screen mode. Don’t waste your money on expensive scientific calculators – just download this useful app from the app store and your RealCalc will be with you everywhere. You can never forget this calculator because it is on your phone and you never forget your phone:)

2. InkPad – This is a nice notepad app that lets you take notes on the fly. There is a premium version that has no ads, but I am quite happy with the free one. You will never take a paper note again with this app. You have all important notes stored safely on your android smartphone – easily searchable and editable. My favorite feature is interactive to do list that you can create in seconds.

3. Winamp – You think that this is only for PCs… think again. The guys from Nullsoft have developed the Ultimate Android Media Player. You can Play, Sync and manage audio files like a breeze. Check a video demo here. Why is that good for students? Well, of course you can use that to listen to your favorite music but you can also listen to audio books when you are on the bus or when you go to the gym. I have read so many book using this method that I would have never have read the normal way. Where do you get audio books? You can buy them or you can make voice recording of your own voice when you read some important concepts freo your study manual and then listen to them whenever you feel like. Tell me something… what is your favorite song. Just recall your favorite song in your head right now. Do you now the lyrics? Of course you do. Why? Because you have listened to that song many times. Same principle can be applied with your textbook. This is explained in greater detail in our ebook as well as many other useful tips and tricks.

4. CamScanner – This amazing android app turns your phone into a portable scanner. How good is that?! Remember those old spy movies with the spy gadgets… well this is more powerful. Any business card, class note, page from a text book, leaflet etc. is scanned through the camera of your phone and then automatically adjusted and stored. Instead of going to the library every time or bring the text books at home if you have a costly scanner at all you can do it with your android phone. I could’t believe when i first used it. It saves the scan in .pdf which you can share.

5. Moon+ Reader is a powerful ebook reader app for android that enables you to read you favorite ebooks in .epub and .mobi formats. Tons of features and settings. I am using the free version and I am quite happy. Most of the books sooner or later will be digital so why wait. Depending on the screen size of your device this could be a very handy feature booster. My screen is  4,2 inches and i find reading a book quite a pleasant experience. For smaller screens I recommend listening to an audio book.

We all remember all those sleepless nights full of boring revision. Have you ever asked yourself this question… “Is there an easier way to study for the finals? Who could give you some study tips that work?Something more structured and less stressful?” In this article you will read our tips on how to prepare for your final exams in the most optimal way. Please, note that it is not possible to pass your finals without touching a book, BUT it is very realistic to pass with focused revision and positive attitude during preparation.

Tip#1 Do not panic! Study tips are real

There is no point to do things that won’t help you – panicing before the finals is one of these activities. Let my illustrate this by the following example. Imagine that you play some sort of ball game e.g. basketball and a player throws the ball at your face with great speed. Ok now there are generally two types of people; first type will panic and freeze, their eyeballs will widen at the sight of the flying ball towards their face and will probably close their eyes in the hope that the flying ball will miss them; some people however will maintain eye contact with the ball as it rapidly comes towards them, and even though they will experience some tension, they will do their best to step aside so that the flying object does not hit them. The second type of behavior is the one you should aim for when studying for your finals.

Tip#2 Study tips: Evaluate EV

Make sure that you  establish the exam variables (EV) and other important details. These include, but are not limited to: Type of exam, exam dates, how much time do you have, duration of the exam, pass mark, scope, what is allowed/what is not allowed, Main book for preparation, past questions, names of people who passed the exam. When you establish these details you know what you are up against. Fear of the unknown disappears.

Tip#3 Study tips: Read the Contents page

Final exams are usually at the end of specific educational phase. Normally the scope (things that you have to know for the exam) is big. You are supposed to revise rather than study during the preparation. Always start by reading the contents page of the main book (the manual approved by the teacher to help you prepare for the exam). This gives you a valuable overview of the topics you will be tested on. This is one of the best study tips you will read.

Tip#4 Study tips: Isolate core revision topics

Take a sheet of paper and a pen. You have read the main book and its contents. Think for a moment… Answer yourself the following question – What i need to know to barely pass the finals. Say you are studying Marketing… that would be… ahmm… Definition of Marketing, 4Ps of Marketing etc. etc. Then go over each chapter and jot down the major bullet points ( I mean really the main concepts) At the end of this exercise you will see that there is nothing to worry about. (This tip does not apply to Mathematics and Law for example but works very well with many “narrative” subjects)

Tip#5 Study tips: Open questions or multiple choice questions

Generally speaking open questions exams are more difficult because you have to deliver essay-like answer to open questions. Good news is that most final exams are multiple choice exams. You don’t have to worry about your handwriting, logical structure of the answers, grammar, time etc. All you need to do is to circle the correct answer. Important! Stydying for open question exams is different from studying for multiple choice test exams.

Do you know more study tips? Please, do not hesitate to tell me what are your study tips.

Written exams
The good old bad written exams are the most wide spread type of examination. They come in a variety of lengths and difficulty levels. It could be anything from 30-minute test to 4 hours open question type of exam. This is a common way to test knowledge in schools and universities.  Teachers seem to love this way of examination because they can test a lot of people simultaneously. I am 100% sure that you have experienced these types of exams. The 2 general types of written exams are Tests and Open questions.

Verbal exams
With verbal exams you are asked an open question (sometimes you are allowed to prepare for 15 min) and you have to answer to the examiner. After you finish, the examiner asks you additional questions. Verbal exams are a bit more difficult because you don’t have too much time to think. Some written exams have verbal component attached to them.

Practical Skills exams
Any examination that involves practical check of skills i.e. driving license test.

All exams in your life will fall in one of these three categories… easy isn’t it. It will be either one of these or a combination of these i.e. written exam with verbal component. If you master the specific TTT for each type of exam you will be okay.

You will frequently hear exam terminators using the expression “Determine Exam Variables or simply EV” It means establishing the following elements for specific exam:

1.Exam type (ET) – written, verbal, mixed, skill test

2.Evaluation criteria and scoring system – This means how you will be evaluated. Different teachers and schools around the World use different evaluation criteria. Some of the most frequent that I have seen are – “Any four out of eight open questions each question carries 25%”. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to completely understand what is the evaluation system.

3.Scope – What will be examined.

4.Main book – (MB) – Which is the main book

5.Date, time, place, duration: Simply answer the questions When, At what time, Where, How long?

Stop complaining how difficult exams are, how you are afraid of the maths exam and how bad certain teacher is. Stop doing it and go grab a cup of coffee or tea. This is the end of the first step. The exam terminator is not a set of tips that guarantee exam success – it is way of thinking and acting. It is a skill set that will help you pass any exam if you take the time to master it. The method is not that important – you are in the driving seat it is all up to you.

Q: How long it takes to become pro exam taker or Exam Terminator?
A: How long it takes to learn how to drive a car?

Q: How to prepare for a difficult exam?
A: There is no such thing as difficult exam! All exams are designed to be passed. Period.

Q: Can I apply the skills of the Exam Terminator later on in life?
A: Exam Terminators are people that pass exams. They pass any exam, any test and any certification exam.

Every subject has its own terms. Here we explain some of the abbreviations used in our exam passing methodology:

1. AFC – Average Frustrated Chump – A person that is scared and nervous before an exam.
2. ET – Exam Terminator – Experienced exam taker, one that passes every time.
3. TTT – Tactics, Techniques and Tricks.
4. SEP – Speed Exam Passing.
5. ET – Exam Type – written, verbal or skill check
6. MB – Main Book – The main book or manual for particular subject; usually known well in advance.
7. EV – Exam Variables – Exam type, Evaluation criteria & Scoring system, Scope, Main Book, Date-Time-Place-Duration

Becoming an exam terminator (ET) is a long and exciting process. You will need to develop skills in several areas and to sit a lot of exams. First steps towards becoming an exam terminator involve overcoming you fear from exams. Exams are designed to be passed – always remember that. A group of teachers, aka Board of examiners, gather together and spend long time developing exams and tests; these guys actually design exam papers so that they can be passed.

Every exam can be passed because it was originally been designed to be passed. Your job is to establish what needs to be done to pass. How you do that will be discussed later. This is all you need to know for now. Remember – A great amount of time is spent during the design of almost any exam so that it can be passed

You just found the first truth about exams. Lets now look at the student-teacher relationship. Teachers evaluate exams and they determine your grade. It is of utmost importance to understand teachers before you pass their exams. Bear in mind that this is not easy. Generally speaking the fight between teacher and a student is one of unequal power:

1. Teachers know their subject better than you – never confront with a teacher on a subject matter issue
2. Teachers have more social experience – they talk better infront of public and have more confidence
3. Teachers are a clique – they support each other and in most of the cases solve “problems” together but in the same time rate students against each other and prohibit teamwork in class.

Never enter into a direct conflict with a teacher. You don’t stand the chance. There are some advanced techniques that we will discuss but for beginners this is not recommended.

On a separate note passing your exams with good grades is ever so important. Consider these trends. More and more employers are looking for specific professional certificates like PMP, ACCA, CCNA etc. These certificates are nothing more than expensive exams. A lot of people are struggling to pass them and land a good paying job. The mania for standardization of skills and knowledge means only one thing. In the future there will be exams, tests and certification exams for anything. Exams to be passed if you want to be successful.