By Asma’u Yusuf – the teacher with the loud voice.
Let’s be honest
Many Nigerian teens don’t fail exams because they didn’t read.
They fail because the exam system quietly demands skills nobody ever taught them — executive functioning skills.
You can know the work and still struggle in the hall.
You can attend lessons, read overnight, pray, and still blank out.
You can be intelligent and still underperform.
This is where executive functioning enters the conversation.
First: What exams really test (beyond knowledge)
WAEC, NECO and JAMB are not only testing what you know. They also test whether you can:
manage time under pressure
stay focused for long periods
follow multi-step instructions
switch between questions quickly
control anxiety
plan answers
pace yourself
avoid careless mistakes
remember information when stressed
organize your thoughts clearly
persist when a question looks hard
All of these fall under executive functioning.
So yes — exams are partly about brain management, not just intelligence.
How executive functioning difficulties show up in exams
Here’s how it usually looks in real life:
- I knew it at home, but forgot everything in the exam hall
That’s not stupidity.
That’s working memory + stress.
When anxiety rises, your brain’s ‘retrieval system’ can temporarily shut down. The information is still there — it’s just harder to access.
- Running out of time even when you know the answers
This often comes from:
poor time estimation
spending too long on one question
difficulty shifting tasks
perfectionism
You’re not slow — your internal clock just doesn’t sync easily under pressure.
- Careless mistakes that make teachers sigh
You know this one:
missed instructions
wrong question number
forgetting to shade properly
skipping parts
mixing formulas
That’s attention regulation, not lack of intelligence.
- Freezing or panicking during exams
Your brain enters survival mode. Logic reduces. Memory access drops. Your body thinks it’s in danger.
This is emotional regulation — another executive function skill.
- Difficulty starting essays or structuring answers
You stare at the question. You know something. But how do you begin?
That’s a planning and organization challenge.
The truth nobody tells you
Many top-performing students aren’t smarter — they’re better supported.
They were taught:
how to break questions down
how to plan answers
how to manage time
how to revise strategically
how to calm their nervous system
These are learnable skills.
You were never lazy. You were under-equipped.
Practical ways to support executive function during exams
- Learn exam thinking, not just content
Before answering, train yourself to ask:
What is this question really asking?
How many marks?
How much time should I spend?
Even 10 seconds of planning saves marks.
- Use anchors in the exam hall
Simple grounding tricks:
Deep breath before starting
Read instructions twice
Start with questions you know
Circle key words
Write short outlines before essays
These calm your nervous system.
- Time chunking
Instead of thinking:
I have 2 hours
Think:
30 minutes Section A
45 minutes Section B
30 minutes Section C
15 minutes review
Your brain likes structure.
- Practice under realistic conditions
Not endless reading — practice recall:
timed past questions
quiet environment
limited breaks
This trains executive functioning directly.
- Reduce mental overload
Before exams:
prepare materials early
sleep (seriously)
eat
limit last-minute panic scrolling
simplify your revision plan
A calm brain performs better than a stressed one.
How to explain this to teachers (respectfully)
You can say:
I understand the work, but I struggle with managing time and pressure during exams. I’m working on strategies, and I’d appreciate guidance on how to improve.
Or:
Sometimes I panic and forget what I know. I’m learning ways to manage this better.
This is maturity, not excuse-making.