Professional exam apps can provide a huge boost for those pursuing specialized degrees or certifications. Whether you’re taking a professional exam immediately after graduating from college or seeking to move ahead in your career, these tests are designed to be challenging. Nearly all of them will require a lot of preparation, but what’s the best path forward?
While there are formal preparation programs for many professional exams, those resources aren’t always ideal for studying on the go. Most of us would prefer to keep our daily routines while brushing up on specific areas of weakness. Luckily, there are plenty of apps that can make studying simpler and help you stay on top of the process no matter what life throws your way. Here are a few hints to help you level up.
Recall Information In A Flash
Flashcards are a student staple and for good reason. Flashcards encourage repetition, break down ideas into smaller concepts, and are easy to use. You can hand them to a friend, run them yourself, or take them with you on your morning commute. Just the act of creating flashcards helps you review and systematize important information. Using today’s technology, though, you can take your flashcards to the next level by downloading a flashcard app like Quizlet or Brainscape. These easy-to-use study apps can be used to reinforce learning for any topic. Some popular apps even include premade flashcard sets for popular topics.
Next-Level Notetaking
If you’re studying a lot of material independently or reviewing extensive content areas using a program such as Wiley’s CPA exam prep, notetaking is a must. You’ll likely need to jot down a flurry of fresh notes to keep up, but pen and paper notetaking has gone the way of the cassette player. Instead, complement your test prep using high-tech notetaking software. Programs such as Evernote are particularly popular with students, as is Microsoft’s OneNote program, which comes preinstalled on many of their products. With some systemization on the front end, your notes can be perfectly organized, multi-colored works of art.
Linking and Mapping Creative Concepts
It’s often easier to learn concepts in isolation, but sometimes you need to see how important information is connected in order to really understand a topic. If that’s the case, you may feel like you need room to spread out different ideas and draw those connections. Using the XMind app, you can create concept maps, charts, and more. Even better, XMind exports directly to Evernote. If you’re also using that app to take notes, you’ll have everything in one place.
Create Space for Study by Blocking Everything Else Out
If you’re going to make room for all of this new information in your head, you aren’t going to have much room for social media or phone games. Distractions are everywhere. That’s why you should consider upgrading your ability to focus using an app like SelfControl or Forest. SelfControl allows you to select apps and websites and then blocks you from accessing them during set periods of time. You can’t circumvent the restrictions by restarting your device or deleting the app, either. Forest requires a little more self-motivation. If you try to use other apps on your phone while running Forest, you’ll kill your tree.
Studying for professional exams is demanding and time-consuming. It’s important to keep your eyes on the prize. If you want to take the next step in your career, you’ll need to ace your exams. Even if you’re just seeking to add some new skills, diligence will be required. By identifying personal study habits that need to be shored up, enhanced learning apps can help you do just that.
