The Secret Exam Strategy Top Scorers Actually Use (That No One Talks About)
Everyone tells you to "do past papers" or "study hard" for externals.
But let's get real:
That advice is generic. Surface-level.
And it's not what separates the 90s from the 99.95s.
Here's what actually works --- and what the top scorers are really doing behind the scenes.
This is the strategy I used. It's how my cofounder and I cracked med.
And it's how you can dominate externals, too.
🔑 Start Where Everyone Else Doesn't: With the Objectives
Here's the truth nobody tells you:
The entire exam is literally built off your subject's objectives.
They're not just vague curriculum points.
They're the blueprint.
Every multiple choice. Every short answer. Every extended response.
It all comes back to:
- What are you being assessed on?
- Can you prove you know it?
And if you haven't studied directly from those objectives --- you're already playing catch-up.
🧠 Step 1: Turn Objectives Into Obsessions
Don't just read the syllabus --- dissect it.
- Take every dot point.
- Turn it into a question.
- Answer it in your own words.
- Use examples, links, diagrams, whatever helps it stick.
Make your notes a mirror of the marking guide.
This isn't about writing pretty. It's about writing powerfully.
Your goal?
To walk into that exam knowing there's nothing they could throw at you that you haven't already tackled.
✍️ Step 2: Practice Questions, Not Just Past Papers
Before you jump into exams, you need to master the micro-skills.
This means:
- Topic-by-topic practice questions
- Short answer drills
- Multiple choice strategy
- Extended response scaffolds
Why?
Because jumping into full papers too early just builds bad habits.
You end up brute-forcing your way through instead of truly understanding.
Study smart. Build foundations first.
📝 Step 3: Then Do Full Past Papers
Once you've built depth?
Now it's time to layer in application.
Do full exams --- under non-timed conditions.
Treat them like open-book assessments.
- Stop after each question and check your response.
- Figure out what you missed.
- Go back to your notes and refine.
This is your "training phase."
You're not trying to beat the clock yet --- you're training for accuracy.
⏱️ Step 4: Then Do Timed Exams
This is the final form.
Once your knowledge is locked in and your accuracy is clean --- it's time to go full pressure.
Set the timer.
Sit the exam.
Mark yourself strictly.
Figure out where you:
- Struggled for time
- Misread the question
- Flopped the format
- Froze under pressure
Then fix it.
This is how you bulletproof your performance.
No surprises. No panic. Just execution.
🤯 Why Most Students Skip This
Because it's hard.
It's uncomfortable.
It takes real focus and honesty.
Most students:
- Take notes from the textbook (not the objectives)
- Cram by re-reading highlights
- Do past papers without ever reviewing them properly
- Hope for the best
That's not how top scorers work.
We engineer results.
We plan the win.
🚀 How ActivATAR Helps Every Step of the Way
ActivATAR was built by students who actually lived this --- and designed it so you don't have to figure it out the hard way.
🔎 Learn with Purpose
We break your curriculum down by objective --- so you always know exactly what you're meant to understand, and why it matters.
🎯 Practise Strategically
We give you curated topic-based questions to drill every concept.
Our AI feedback shows you where you're going wrong --- and how to fix it.
🧪 Train Like It's Game Day
Access full past exams, timed exam modes, and adaptive challenges that replicate the real pressure.
Build stamina. Test strategy. Sharpen your speed.
🔥 Stay Motivated Through It All
Leaderboards. XP. Daily challenges. Study streaks.
We make study feel like a game --- because you're not just preparing for an exam, you're leveling up.
💬 Final Words From a 99.95 Scorer
Here's the truth:
There is no shortcut. But there is a strategy.
It's not about working the longest.
It's about working the smartest --- and doing what no one else is willing to do.
Start with the objectives.
Study with intention.
Master your content before you rush into practice papers.
Then build pressure until the exam is the easy part.
That's how we did it.
That's how you can, too.
And with ActivATAR?
You're not doing it alone.
Let's dominate these externals.