In the previous article, I gave you my top tips for preparing for your foreign language oral exam. But it’s one thing to know your stuff and another thing to perform well on the day of the exam, especially if you’re shy or quiet.

To do your best in your exam and to show the examiner what you know, the most important thing is to stay calm. That way, even if you forget everything you’ve learned, you’ll be able to think clearly and come up with some good answers. Here are my tips on doing just that.

1. Remember, your examiners want you to do well.

Your examiners don’t want to sit through a really awkward experience either. They want you to do well, simply because a good exam will be more enjoyable for them than a painful one. When you feel yourself getting nervous, remind yourself that your audience is on your side

2. Remember, you’re one of many.

Your examiners have got to sit through tons of exams. Your exam is a big deal to you but it’s not to them. At the end of the day, they will go home and forget all about any mistakes you make. When you get self-conscious, tell yourself that no one else is going to remember this experience.

3. Give yourself something to look forward to.

Decide to treat yourself after your exam. Whenever you feel your stomach filling up with nerves, start thinking about your treat. Distract yourself.

4. Remember, it’s just a few minutes of your life.

When you get nervous, remind yourself that, no matter how scary it is or how badly it goes, this exam is only going to last for a few minutes of your life. In the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing. You can cope with a few minutes of uncomfortableness.

5. Listen to the questions.

Pause after each question to make sure you’ve understood. If you’re not sure you’ve understood, ask the examiner to rephrase the question. If can’t think of anything to say straight away, buy yourself time by repeating the question or using stock phrases like let me think about that.

6. Be heard.

If you’re quiet, you’ll need to make an extra effort to be heard. If your exam is being recorded, lean over the microphone. If you think it’ll be easier and you can get away with it, don’t even look at the examiner. Otherwise, lean forwards in your sit, sit on your hands so that you can’t fidget, and concentrate on pronouncing words slowly and clearly. If you find yourself talking too quickly, pause after every word or sentence. Remember, the goal is to be understood.

7. Forget the truth.

Don’t try and make your answers truthful. If you’ve got two brothers but can only remember the word for sister, pretend you’ve got a sister. Make things easier for yourself by saying only what you know you can say.

Good Luck!

Oral exams are scary but you can deal with your nerves by preparing thoroughly and by focusing on these pointers during the exam. At the end of the day, your exam will only last a few minutes and your examiners won’t remember your mistakes, so forget about them and what they think of you and instead focus on communicating as clearly as you can. Good luck!

After getting ten A*s at GCSE, four As at A Level, and a first class honours degree, Joanna L K Moore got fed up of being a shy, quiet, socially awkward geek. She decided to get herself some confidence and started Twisted Sleeve to record what she learned and to help other shy girls become confident too. You can find out more about Jo at JoannaLKMoore.com