1. Sleep well the night before – go to bed early and avoid doing any shorthand the evening before.
2. Remember to check AND DOUBLE CHECK your transcriptions before you submit your script. Oh, and write your transcriptions out clearly – many students fail not on their shorthand but on their transcriptions, so make sure the transcription can be read by an examiner!
3. Half an hour before the exam, loosen and relax your hands, fingers and neck with light stretches and joint rotations. During the exam sit with a straight, but forward-slanted back. Despite the urge, don’t hunch over with bunched up shoulders – it constricts your breathing and blood flow.
4. Breathe well and try to keep your mind clear of distractions.
5. Once the passage has been read out, read back your shorthand notes before transcribing them. Mark any outlines you are uncertain of.
6. When transcribing, leave those marked shorthand outlines out of your longhand transcription – only try filling in the blanks afterwards, when you can confidently compare your notes with what you think the word might be. Remember, the context of the piece itself might just solve the riddle.
7. Triple check your transcription for any errors which may have crept in.
8. Don’t alter shorthand notes to fit in with your transcription – have trust in your original shorthand note.