Estonian Basic-School Mathematics Exam exam-day guide

Switch from learning new material to consolidating. Re-read your notes on the topics you find hardest, then do one full past-style paper under timed conditions without notes. Mark it honestly and list the three error types that cost you most marks - for example careless arithmetic, misread questions, or a forgotten formula. Spend the remaining days on those three, not on everything.

Rebuild your formula sheet from memory, then check it against your notes. Cover the core basics: rectangle, triangle, parallelogram and circle area; cuboid and cylinder volume; the Pythagorean theorem; the sum of angles in a triangle; percentage increase and decrease; mean, median and mode; and unit conversions such as 1 m = 100 cm and 1 litre = 1000 cm³. Being able to recall these quickly saves minutes in the exam.

Do a second timed paper or a set of mixed tasks, focusing on showing your working clearly. Practise writing intermediate steps so a marker can follow your reasoning and award method marks even when the final number is wrong. Check your geometry equipment works: the compass draws a clean circle, the protractor markings are readable.

Do light revision only: skim your error list, the formula sheet and a few worked examples. Do not start a new topic or sit a full paper the evening before. Pack your bag - ID, pens, pencils, eraser, ruler, set square, protractor, compass, watch, water - and put it by the door. Confirm the start time, room and travel plan.

Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy screen use and late-night cramming, and go to bed at your usual time. Set two alarms. If you feel anxious, write down your three main exam-day reminders (for example: read each question twice; show working; check units) on a small card to look at before entering.

Eat breakfast, arrive 20–30 minutes early, and avoid comparing notes with classmates right before the door opens - it raises anxiety. Once seated, read the whole paper during any reading time, note the mark value of each task, and decide your order. Start with a task you can do confidently to settle your nerves.

Work through the paper doing the tasks you find straightforward, keeping an eye on the clock. Allocate roughly one minute per mark as a rough guide, but confirm the paper's structure with your teacher beforehand. If a task stalls for more than a few minutes, mark it and move on; return later.

Return to the skipped tasks and write down whatever you can: the formula you would use, a diagram, or a partial calculation. Method marks are often available even without a final answer. For geometry, draw a clear sketch, label given values, and state the formula before substituting.

Check that every task has an answer, that units are written (cm², m³, €, %), and that arithmetic in the final line is correct. Re-read questions that asked for a specific form (for example 'rounded to one decimal place' or 'in simplest form'). Make sure your name and any required details are on the answer sheet.