There are some specific tools that should be taken into consideration during reviewing for a test. If you want to improve your test results pay attention to this basic strategy which works for all courses.

1. Make a list of the key topics for the whole course or just for the chapters you will be tested in. Examine all of your textbooks, notes, case studies and other assignments.

2. Make your own short summary or an outline for each topic or chapter. It can be also a good idea to create a map of the main concepts. Find a connection between topics and concepts.

3. Plan your time consciously. Keep in mind that easy topics require less time for reviewing than those which are less familiar for you. The more difficult is the topic the more time it requires. So, if you face some difficulties with a certain topic in an accounting class, there will be a need for you to work a couple of practical problems until you have mustered the concept. Try to plan your study time correspondingly.  

4. There is a concept of “space review”. This concept implies that you are not studying between midnight and 6 a.m. on the day of the test. To study during that time is useless as you may remember some parts of the material, but it is very light possibility that you will be able to recall that material in future. It is better to study a small amount over a period of time. “Spaced review” brings better results as you are encountering the topic repeatedly which increases retention.

5. Try to think like a teacher. Develop possible test questions. Remember, there are questions which require remembering definitions, but now it is more popular among instructors to make up such questions which imply diagrams and pictures as an answer.

6. Make flashcards. Put concepts on one side of the card and answers on another. These cards can check either you can retrieve information from scratch.