All praise is for Allah. May peace and blessings be upon the beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, and his companions.
When Muslim students face any exam in this world, they rely on Allah. They know that the Prophet ﷺ said,
And so, successful students are those who, according to this hadith, continuously seek Allah’s help to pass any exam and follow lawful means to achieve their goals. To be successful like them, follow the tips below. For example:
Tips-1
Deepen your relationship with Allah, which will help you turn to Allah by removing yourself from all other things. For this, pray to Allah a lot. You can pray the dua of Musa (peace be upon him), which is:
O my Lord, expand my chest for me and ease my task for me.
Tips-2
Sleep early the night before the exam and arrive at the exam hall on time.
Tips-3
Organize all permitted necessary items such as pens, pencils, calculators, and watches beforehand.
Tips-4
Read the following dua when leaving the house:
In the name of Allah, I rely upon Allah. There is no power or strength except with Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from going astray or being led astray, from slipping or causing others to slip, from wronging others or being wronged, and from acting ignorantly or being treated ignorantly.
Tips-5
Seek dua from your parents before leaving, and take their permission. Remember that parents’ prayers for their children are accepted by Allah.
Tips-6
Before starting to write in the exam, remember Allah’s name and begin in His name. Starting a lawful task with Allah’s name increases its blessing and strength.
Tips-7
Fear Allah regarding your classmates. If a classmate starts to fear the exam, do not panic but reassure them that there is nothing to fear. Encourage them to become hopeful. Everything should be taken calmly, which will remove fear. When the Prophet ﷺ heard the name Suhail (easy), he became hopeful and said,
Tips-8
If any question seems very difficult, pray to Allah in your heart to make it easy for you. Regarding this, consider the practice of Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), who would pray when he had difficulty understanding something:
Tips-9
If seats are not assigned in the exam hall, choose a good position to sit. Sit in a healthy way and always keep your back straight.
Tips-10
First, read the entire question paper carefully. Note the important words. Then, divide the total time according to the needs. Spending one-tenth of the total time on these three tasks is not a problem
Tips-11
Answer the easy questions first. Then move to the difficult ones. Try to answer questions with more marks first. Answer questions that take a lot of time and have fewer marks later.
Tips-12
Answer any question slowly and with full attention. Do not rush. Remember the Prophet ﷺ said,
Tips-13
When answering multiple-choice questions, carefully choose the correct answer. Be cautious of Satan’s whispers until you select the correct answer. If you do not know the correct answer, try to eliminate the wrong ones. Choose the answer that seems most likely to be correct.
Tips-14
If you have chosen an answer, do not change it unless you are sure it is wrong. Research shows that the first answer students think of is usually correct.
Tips-15
When answering essay questions, think about the answer first. Outline the topics to discuss in the answer before writing
Tips-16
Write the main points of an answer at the beginning. Examiners usually read the first few lines carefully. If the main points are not there, they may quickly move to the end. If the main points are in the middle, the examiner might miss them.
Tips-17
Finish writing all the answers with one-tenth of the total time remaining. Use the remaining time to revise. Especially revise answers to mathematical problems.
Tips-18
Be patient when submitting the answer sheet. Do not worry about others submitting theirs before you.
Tips-19
If after leaving the exam hall you realize you missed a question you knew, do not be disappointed. Firmly believe that this is Allah’s will and destiny. Always remember the hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said,
"If something happens, do not say, 'If I had done such and such, then such and such would have happened.' Instead, say, 'Allah decreed and what He willed happened.' Because the word 'if' opens the door to Satan's work." (Sahih Muslim)
Learn from such incidents to avoid mistakes in the future.
Tips-20
Remember that cheating in any exam is haram. The Prophet ﷺ said,
Therefore, reject any proposal of haram work related to exams. If someone abandons something for Allah’s pleasure, Allah will give them something better. Report any illegal activity before, during, or after the exam to the authorities. Advising against buying or selling exam papers, posting them online, or making copies is not backbiting but a duty. Advise those involved about the haram nature of their earnings and encourage solving past questions and helping others understand answers instead.
Above all, prepare for the Hereafter, thinking about answering questions in the grave and achieving salvation on the Day of Judgment.
We pray to Allah, the All-Hearing, that He grants us success in this world and includes us among the saved on the Day of Judgment.
