HELP! Fluctuating exam scores

[Coolgalbornin03Lo]

My trial exam is tommorow at school so I’m just now shedding tears about failing that tommorow. ANYWAY:

I improved from 50 to 60 to low 70s on company exams. I was really happy about this so decided to do a VCAA 2017 sample exam to actually see how I was going as I know company exams are often harder or out of scope. I got 80% and was pleased.

But on the two VCAA exams after that from 2011 and 2013 I got 58% on both- and yes after removing all the irrelevant questions. I don’t know how to stop making mistakes like reading the questions. It’s not like I can’t do it. But on certain days I just seem to do better? I guess those last 2 exams were done after school or on the weekend and I was tired from school, instead of during the holidays -but I don’t really have a choice. I know people who get 40s in chem are full marking all the VCAA exams so I’m so concerned right now I basically failed two in a row- although  I’m not usually too sad about the score I’m mostly just working on the mistakes and revising- but in these instances there was nothing to revise, just silly mistakes.

Has anyone got any tips on how to stop small mistakes like this? It’s just annoying that it’s not my Chem knowledge it’s just me being stupid in general 

I.e something asks for 2 correct statements but I give two yayyyy. Or in combustion writing the state of water as liquid rather than aqueous (can someone confirm which is better).

My brain also sometimes mixes up endothermic reactions and exothermic reactions during interpretations. I know exo releases heat and everything but then I think that means a temperature decrease but NO it’s a temperature increase! And endothermic absorbs heat which I thought Meant temperature increase but for the surroundings that’s a decrease! So in chem does that mean temperature is always talking about the environment not the reactants themselves?

Thanks!

[The Cat In The Hat]

Advice I have heard is to keep a list of your common errors and check each exam whether you've made them. That way you'll maybe get sick of seeing them and remember to make things right?