We know, we know, it's not our favorite time of year, either.

Upcoming tests mean long nights of studying, stress and probably some nightmares that involve either sleeping through your English exam or walking into class naked.

This week on WellCast, we took another viewer suggestion, this one by Sambarsalsa on getting up to par.

We're not gonna make you sit through any statistics or studies today though,

this is just going to be three exercises, so you can put into practice how to become a better test taker. Are you ready?

Oaky, pause and print this week's tips on our handy WellCast worksheet.

Step one: Ace your essay with the Black-Red-Green method.

This exercise comes from the Royal Literary Fund, and it's a great trick to use when you're tackling a difficult essay question.

First, make sure you've got three colored pens—you guessed it, one black, one red and one green.

You're gonna use these three pens to underline different parts of the essay question.

By the end, everything will be underlined so you won't miss anything important.

Let's say this is your essay question:

"In The Great Gatsby, how does Gatsby represent the American dream in the 1920s?

Reference two quotes from the novel as well as one secondary source. Be sure to refer to specific symbolism throughout the novel, including the green light and T.J. Eckleburg."

First, take out your black pen. Black stands for Blatant instructions, something the question requires you to answer to receive full marks.

Next, take out your REd pen, this will be used for underlining any REference points you've been asked to hit.

Finally, take out your green pen. This one's easy: The green pen underlines a "green light" which is, a hint that the question gives on how to proceed.

By now, this essay question should be looking like a Christmas tree and that's how you know you've hit and understood every part of the prompt.

You're ready to rock the answer!

Step two: Mnemonic devices are your best friend.

Basically, a mnemonic device turns a long string of information into something short, interesting and above all, memorable.

The best mnemonic devices have one thing in common: They create a striking visual image in your mind.

For example, a common mnemonic device is the sentence "Each Good Bird Does Fly."

That's one way to remember the lines in a staff of music: E, G, B, D and F.

But... flying birds aren't very striking.

If you're sitting in a classroom, chewing on your pencil, a flock of birds might not pop into your head right away if you're straining to remember a musical staff.

But what about "Each Gaptoothed Billygoat Dances Fast."

Yep! That's more like it.

Step three: Give a speech.

The link between hearing something and remembering it has been proven time and time again.

Studies have found that people who have difficulty hearing in certain situations are also more likely to have memory impairment.

So, what does that mean? Well, think about it this way, you know your favorite album and how you always know what song's gonna come up next?

That's because you've listened to the thing ad nauseum and you've ingrained the information in your brain.

So, why not use this useful hack to help your remember information for a test?

The more you hear yourself saying the notes, the better you'll be at remembering them the next day.

Okay, WellCasters, let's recap: Finals week should be a breeze with WellCast on your side!

Today you learned the Black-Red-Green method for tackling an essay question, going for those helpful mnemonic devices to get you out of a stump, and we practiced a great way to memorize a lot of information out loud to get you out of a stump, and we practiced a great way to memorize a lot of information out loud to get you out of a stump,

and we practiced a great way to memorize a ton of information out loud.

We'll see you next time, WellCasters!