By Katie Ong | Granada Hills Charter DECA, CA
As the school year comes to an end, DECA Districts and State Career Development Conferences begin to approach. Winter break becomes a great opportunity to prepare for these competitions, especially cluster exams.
Here are four steps you can take to excel in these tests:
Take Full-Length Practice Exams
Winter break opens large blocks of free time, making it the perfect time to take 90-minute full-length cluster exams. Sample exams can be found on both DECA.org and DECA+.
To make the most of these exams, practice simulating the real testing environment by timing yourself, printing out the exam on paper and completing the test in a quiet space. Treating the tests like a real competition can enable you to feel more comfortable during the official moment.
Review Your Mistakes
Simply taking tests is not enough; the best way to improve your scores is by reviewing mistakes. Specifically, take advantage of the official DECA answer keys attached to each exam, which explain the business concepts behind each choice.
To reinforce your review process, create flashcards that you can easily reference and review. Not only can you make physical flashcards with index cards, but you can also use websites such as Quizlet or Knowt for online versions. By creating these flashcards, you will need to process the information as you transfer it from the answer keys to the cards. Moreover, flashcards enable you to easily review exam material in 10 to 15-minute intervals, which can be crucial during the busy school year once winter break ends.
Track Your Performance
While reviewing your mistakes, ensure that you track your performance to identify any trends that may emerge across multiple exams. Keep in mind what instructional area you are making mistakes in. Instructional areas are represented by a short acronym (e.g., EI stands for Emotional Intelligence), which can be found along with the answers to each question.
Noting these concepts can help demonstrate trends beyond your raw score and show precisely what areas within your cluster you need to improve. By examining these areas, you can identify detailed trends between your practices and clearly see if you are improving in a specific area or if you are still struggling in another aspect.
Create a Consistent Schedule
With 2 to 3 weeks worth of free time, it is important to create a consistent schedule to maximize your preparation. Constant practice is often what makes the difference between high scorers and the average performer on these cluster exams. By using scheduling apps like Google Calendar or Notion, you can create quick schedules to plan your cluster exam preparation. For example, you could decide to take an exam twice a week and review for 30 minutes every weekday. Setting a schedule ensures that you stay on task and review key business knowledge on a routine basis.
With these four tips, you can really Go The Extra this holiday season with your Cluster Exams!
