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Why do I do bad on exams when I study hard and have an above average intelligence?

Why do I do bad on exams when I study hard and have an above average intelligence?

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What do you mean by above average intelligence? How are you so sure of that.
could be poor exam technique
you gotta read examiners reports and know mark schemes
when you study prioritise your weaknesses but don't forget to recap your strengths
also consistency is key. never underestimate anyone. it doesn't matter how 'dumb' or 'smart' you are, the only way you get through it is by learning how to master exams.

if it's humanities utilise your teachers effectively
for other subjects it's mostly just practice. watch videos. space out your revision more often.
(edited 5 years ago)
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Anonymous #1
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Original post by ZombieTheWolf
What do you mean by above average intelligence? How are you so sure of that.

I've always considered myself smart, I've done a few iq tests as well and scored above average, pbut I'm bad at exams because I can't think out of the box and I overanalyze and second guess myself alot
exams dont correlate with inteligence. Its about whether you can memorise info and write answers according to what the markscheme wants...
Original post by Anonymous
I've always considered myself smart, I've done a few iq tests as well and scored above average, pbut I'm bad at exams because I can't think out of the box and I overanalyze and second guess myself alot



We usually over or under estimate ourselves, I wouldn't use your own judgement on how smart you are because it can be a little misleading.
Also, IQ tests don't accurately reflect intelligence. They can be revised for just as easily as the exams you have at school :tongue: so they aren't very good haha!

But as above mentioned, poor exam technique.
Also, because you consider yourself smart, you may be interpreting what your teacher tells you differently to suit your own level of knowledge... which isn't good. So when you over analyse things, usually make a choice and at the end when you have time go back and think on it again you will find that you might want to change it and find your intial answer incorrect (this saves times as it also gives your mind some time and space to prevent over-thinking) or if you can't decide between two options... go with your first.


PS I am not saying you are stupid at all, I know people who think they are smart and cocky and they don't like to do things conventionally. Everyone will answer the question as per the mark scheme but they will find some long-winded and inaccurate way to find an answer instead of just sticking to their teacher's advice.
(edited 5 years ago)
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Anonymous #1
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Bruh?
Original post by Anonymous
I've always considered myself smart, I've done a few iq tests as well and scored above average, pbut I'm bad at exams because I can't think out of the box and I overanalyze and second guess myself alot

If IQ tests are anything to go by then I’m smarter than Stephen Hawking and Isaac Newton. In reality I’m not half as smart as them.
Reply 8
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iodo345
20
Good grades in exams + a degree does not make you intelligent. Some of the smartest people I know got average grades.
Original post by ZombieTheWolf

PS I am not saying you are stupid at all, I know people who think they are smart and cocky and they don't like to do things conventionally. Everyone will answer the question as per the mark scheme but they will find some long-winded and inaccurate way to find an answer instead of just sticking to their teacher's advice.


In math, it occurred to me quite frequently that I did not like the teacher's method back in school lel so I often used different methods. What is interesting in my case is that they are as fast if not faster than the teacher's.

But then again I only disliked their method because I could tell that the method is slow (and often tedious while I am too lazy for that :P).

However I have evidence to believe my case is very rare (and did not use in A level exams as they'd still cut me off marks even if correct because it's not on the mark scheme).
Original post by TheTroll73
In math, it occurred to me quite frequently that I did not like the teacher's method back in school lel so I often used different methods. What is interesting in my case is that they are as fast if not faster than the teacher's.

But then again I only disliked their method because I could tell that the method is slow (and often tedious while I am too lazy for that :P).

However I have evidence to believe my case is very rare (and did not use in A level exams as they'd still cut me off marks even if correct because it's not on the mark scheme).


Sure, there are people who genuinely pull it off well. But there are people who do it, and are wrong and their ego is crushed everytime :-P
(edited 5 years ago)
yk lemme tell you something

exams test how good you are to take exams, not how good you are at the subject. In this sense all exams are flawed and should be permanently abolished, but for now we have to deal with them.

exams want you to memorize lots of info and regurgitate it in sometime "unfamiliar context" (that mostly being an excuse to unnecessarily confuse students)

exams want you to memorize methods to answer questions and stick to them. Use another method (even if more efficient) will risk you losing many method marks because examiner (which the exams have reduced them to robots) cannot bother understanding your method as they have many many more papers to mark.

pretty much rn I could probably program some AI to take an exam lol.
Original post by ZombieTheWolf
Sure, there are people who genuinely pull it off well. But there are people who do it, and are wrong and their ego is crushed everytime :-P


ah yes one of my past classmates was like that lol
Original post by iodo345
Good grades in exams + a degree does not make you intelligent. Some of the smartest people I know got average grades.

And our understanding that these people you know are smart, relies on your assessment of them being accurate. Meaning we have to first accept you are smart and would recognise smart. This is not yet proven.

Normally the people harping on about bright people with poor academics are just people with poor academics trying to boost their ego and status in life. Studying a degree tends to require some intelligence. Better grades also tends to involve greater intelligence. This is just the way it is.
Original post by Notoriety
And our understanding that these people you know are smart, relies on your assessment of them being accurate. Meaning we have to first accept you are smart and would recognise smart. This is not yet proven.

Normally the people harping on about bright people with poor academics are just people with poor academics trying to boost their ego and status in life. Studying a degree tends to require some intelligence. Better grades also tends to involve greater intelligence. This is just the way it is.

Disagree, alot of smart people are bad at exams
It's your note taking.
Original post by Anonymous
Why do I do bad on exams when I study hard and have an above average intelligence?


I'll assume you're familiar with neither petitio principii nor the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Original post by Anonymous
Disagree, alot of smart people are bad at exams


Original post by Profesh
I'll assume you're familiar with neither petitio principii nor the Dunning-Kruger effect.


Ha.
Studying hard means nothing. You could be studying hard on basic things and you wouldn't be getting any smarter, but it's still classed as studying hard. Try pushing yourself up to a point of questions you cannot do, then reverse slightly to do questions which are similar but not as difficult before attempting it again.

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