Creating the Perfect Exam ‘Cheat’ Sheet

A cheat sheet is a single piece of paper containing written information relevant to your studies. It has become increasingly common for instructors to allow their students to create a cheat sheet and use it during a test or quiz. However, you should only use a cheat sheet during a test when your teacher has given you permission to. Anyone who is enrolled in a class can create a cheat sheet, but your opportunity to use one will completely depend on what your teacher allows.

WARNING: You should only use a cheat sheet on an exam if your instructor has specifically stated that you are allowed to.

When created effectively, cheat sheets can not only be used as a reference tool during a test, but also as a study tool. Please note that cheat sheets do not guarantee academic success. Your success as a student will still largely depend on your ability to absorb the information presented to you. However, creating one may aid you in achieving higher scores and retaining the necessary knowledge. Throughout this instructable, I will share my detailed process to creating them.

A Sharpened Pencil and Eraser - Be prepared to write small and make a few mistakes along the way! Being able to erase your mistakes will save you a lot of time.

A Blank Sheet of Printer Paper (8.5 inches x 11.0 inches) - This is where you will write down your information!

A Textbook, Notes you have taken, Past Assignments, etc. - Any source of course information that you are using to study for your upcoming test!

Begin to ask yourself questions about your course materials which will guide the way that you design your cheat sheet.

What resources do you need to use in order to simply study for your exam? In other words, if you were not creating a cheat sheet, what would you be using to prepare for this exam? Answers will vary drastically. For example, some classes have textbooks, whereas others do not. Perhaps, you are studying for a math exam, and the only resource that you have to create your cheat sheet are notes taken in class.

If you are confused about what content will be present on your exam, this is also the best time to ask your teacher. If your teacher tells you that content from past assignments, book readings, and your lecture notes will be present on the exam, plan to use all of these things when you create your cheat sheet. Once you have determined where the test material will come from, view these resources and start thinking about what you do and do not understand.

For most, it is easy to run out of space on a cheat sheet if you write in the same size that you normally do. For this reason, and others, it is important to think about the size of our writing before moving on.

Writing small will save us the stress of running out of space on our paper. However, if we write too small, we may be unable to read our cheat sheet while test taking. Write in a size that is still legible. As a result, we may also be left with a lot of extra space on our paper, allowing us to fit more information than we originally expected.

Keep in mind that it is very difficult to predict how much space you will use on your cheat sheet if you do not acknowledge how much information you would like to include. Going back to the previous step, make sure you are aware of how many chapters, lessons, or pages worth of information you are trying to condense onto a single piece of paper, as well as what you are already familiar with.

Writing smaller requires a great deal more focus than writing in a normal size. As a result, you will be more focused on what you are writing down, and there is a greater chance that you will remember writing it down during your exam. Do not concern yourself with being unable to find information when necessary, as this is an organizational matter that will be addressed in the next step. It is more important that you are actively studying the material as you draft your cheat sheet.

In the next couple steps, there are many different ways to break down the information that you will need for your exam. However, the most practical way is to write down information chapter by chapter, or lesson by lesson. You may feel anxious to begin writing down the information that you perceive as the most challenging, but it is best to write all aspects of what you are learning so that you grasp the big picture concepts.

You should organize the information on your cheat sheet according to the way that it was presented to you. For instance, information from chapter 1 should be written closely together. This will help you to understand and remember what concepts belong together.

Draw a box around related concepts to divide them from other concepts on the page. When you scan your cheat sheet for the information on your test, your eyes will be drawn to each box containing information!

Finally, in order to stay even more organized, avoid writing sentences that span the entire 8.5 inch width of the page. Try to wrap your sentences underneath each other, as it will also prevent you from having too much unused space on your cheat sheet.

Centered at the top of the page, in a normal handwriting size, write a title for your cheat sheet that is meaningful and describes what course and exam it is being created for. This will not only help you to stay organized, but also help you to remember what content it covers. I typically title my cheat sheets with the name of the course, followed by the exam or quiz number.

Example: POL 140 Exam 1

Using the information from the previous steps and the resources that you gathered, it is time to start creating your cheat sheet! Remember to assemble your cheat sheet chapter by chapter, or lesson by lesson in order to avoid leaving out any valuable information.

Definitions or formulas should be a heavy focus of your cheat sheet. If you feel unsure that you will remember a definition or formula, you should include it on your cheat sheet. You may not use this definition during the exam, but it will still give you a sense of security and solidify this information in your memory.

Of course, remember to write down what you feel is hardest to remember in each section. You may also include examples of difficult concepts if your instructor allows you to do so. These examples may help you to better understand a question if they are well written!

Star any concepts that you would like to further review prior to the exam. One of the hidden benefits of creating a cheat sheet is that it shows you what you do and do not know, giving you the opportunity to prepare more for your test or quiz!

Once you have finished creating your cheat sheet, read the next step in order to prepare for how to use your cheat sheet!

After you finish creating your cheat sheet, it is important to know how to use it during your exam. Visualize how you have organized your cheat sheet, and remember the key terms and content that belong to each chapter or lesson.

Some questions may be easily answered and not require you to use your cheat sheet! Don’t focus on using your cheat sheet for every question if you understand the content. Trust your gut and only rely on your cheat sheet when you see necessary.

Short Answer Questions: Rely on any examples that you may have included for certain concepts. When using definitions in your short answers, prove that you understand the true meaning of the definition by paraphrasing.

Multiple Choice Questions: Initially, answer the question without using your cheat sheet, using what you know. Then, if you are feeling unsure, use your cheat sheet to evaluate your answer before moving on. Does your answer make sense in the context of the question? If it does not, check if your cheat sheet contains information on any of the other possible answers and ask yourself the same question for each.

Lastly, before taking your exam, be sure to review your cheat sheet! This will help you to navigate it effectively. Happy test taking!