Racing Minds and Slippery Time: Navigating Exam Revision with ADHD

Imagine your brain as a high-performance race car—powerful, loud, and built for speed. This is how Dr Edward Hallowell describes the ADHD mind: like a Ferrari engine. It races ahead at break-neck speed, sparking creativity and leaving millions of ingenious ideas in its wake. The problem comes when we try to harness its power; we have bicycle brakes, and our attempts to slow down have us skidding out of control. Cue the feeling of dissatisfaction and wasted potential.

This is a particular challenge when preparing for exams. The mind will race ahead, fall down rabbit holes, and hyperfocus on details that capture attention, while the ability to pause, prioritise, and stay on track remains elusive.In this article, I will delve into the intricacies of the ADHD mind during exam preparation, exploring why conventional strategies might not work and offering tailored approaches to harness the strengths of the ‘race car brain’ while compensating for its bicycle brakes.

The Challenges of ADHD

The ADHD brain does not process information like a neurotypical brain. This is its greatest strength and its biggest curse. Executive dysfunction makes it difficult to break tasks into steps, decide where to begin, and stay focused once we’ve started.

Additionally, people with ADHD have difficulty with task initiation; the brain literally cannot activate until something becomes urgently important or interesting. This is particularly challenging when it comes to revision, since the deadline is the exam itself. ‘Preparedness’ is intangible and can feel unachievable.

One of the greatest myths surrounding ADHD is the belief that attention is somehow in ‘deficit’; when in fact, there is an abundance of attention—we just don’t know where to direct it. This means we can hyperfocus on irrelevant details that capture attention.

When entering an exam, the anxiety is not, “I haven’t worked hard enough”, but “I’ve worked too hard on the wrong thing.”

For example, an intention to sit down and explore one of the themes of totalitarianism in the novel The Handmaid’s Tale can quickly escalate into a deep dive into the history of the Soviet Union. You now know more about the history and motivations of Lenin than will ever be required for an exam about The Handmaid’s Tale.(This is a true story—based on a girl who sat down with the intention of writing an article about exams and ADHD, and now knows the exacting details of Lenin’s death in January 1924.)

You sit down to revise with the best will in the world; today is the day you will revise The Handmaid’s Tale. But time is slippery, and the task feels too big. Nonetheless, you plough on, setting yourself the ambition to have ‘re-read’ the entire book in one day.

Cue dissatisfaction—the belief that if you had just tried a little harder and focused a little more, it might be achievable.And objectively speaking, you realise that reading a meaty book like The Handmaid’s Tale in one day is not possible—but anything less doesn’t feel enough. It’s all or nothing.

Hyperfocus is unrelenting: no matter how hard you try, you will never achieve the unrealistic expectation you have placed upon yourself.

To the neurotypical brain, ADHD survival strategies may appear counterintuitive and laborious. They might offer well-meaning advice about how to be more efficient, but this will only cause more problems. People with ADHD may also experience perfectionism and rejection sensitivity, so constantly being told that their way is not ‘good’ can make them feel helpless.

The challenge of neurodiversity is often not the neurodiversity itself, but the pressure to fit in with neurotypical norms. And believe me, we’re sick of being told to use a planner, a timer, or take a movement break.

Below, I will break down some tried and tested ADHD-friendly study techniques that can help to calm a ‘race car brain.’

ADHD-Friendly Revision Strategies

• The Bucket Method This involves breaking down tasks into categories that match your energy levels. While this method may appear time-consuming at first, it will help you identify when your brain works best and how to utilise the inevitable ‘fuzzy brain’ periods—making you more productive over time.

It is particularly useful for exam revision because it helps you choose the best time to study specific subjects. For example, I wouldn’t consider taking on The Handmaid’s Tale during a high-energy period. The bicycle brakes wouldn’t be able to slow down the many tangents my brain would inevitably follow. I would opt to take on a difficult subject that doesn’t capture my interest in quite the same way. For me, this would be maths.

The beauty of this method is that it’s entirely flexible and allows for spontaneity—in-the-moment planning while promoting self-reflection and awareness.👉 Learn more about the Bucket Method

• Free Writing to Declutter the Mind Free writing allows thoughts to flow freely without concern for form, structure, or correctness. This is particularly effective for mental clarity and task paralysis, which in turn helps to clear the mental fog and improve concentration.

It can also help prioritise revision topics and highlight any gaps in your knowledge. To use free writing effectively, set a timer (maximum 15 minutes), choose a study topic, and write continuously. This is a great way to set the tone for your revision session.

Regular practice will help you embrace imperfection, reducing anxiety related to exam stress.

• Incorporate Novelty through Environment, Music, or Stationery People with ADHD have an interest-based nervous system, meaning we are more likely to engage in activities that are novel, challenging, or urgent.

A simple change of scenery can make a monotonous task feel more engaging. Take your revision outside, to a local park or a coffee shop. Wake up early or study late at night. Set the scene with a scented candle and calming music. Write with a brand new pen or use brightly coloured highlighters.

There is also research suggesting that individuals with ADHD benefit from starting with a task they enjoy. This creates a dopamine kick that helps build momentum to tackle more tedious tasks.

• Create Visually Appealing, Colour-Coded MaterialsSince the ADHD brain craves stimulation, a beautifully decorated poster, mind map, or infographic can satisfy the need for novelty and help sustain attention.

Working memory can be a challenge for people with ADHD, so a colour-coded breakdown of information can serve as a reference point for later recall, combatting overwhelm.

Creating beautiful resources is also a great task to place in your low-energy bucket as a calming yet productive revision activity—or can be used as an introductory ‘dopamine kick’ to start a study session.

• Use Background MusicResearch has shown that background noise can improve concentration. White, brown, or pink noise helps mask distracting sounds:

• White noise is best for intense focus and heavy sensory masking.

• Brown noise is ideal for deep, consistent concentration.

• Pink noise is warm and gentle, making it great for low-energy tasks.

Natural sounds, such as rain or birdsong, can also calm the nervous system, improving focus. Match the background sounds to your energy levels for best results.

• Trust in Your Subconscious AbilitiesBelieve it or not, everything you’ve ever learned is stored somewhere in your subconscious memory. Information is encoded through your senses—sights, sounds, smells, and emotions.

You can strengthen memory recall by creating sensory anchors. For example, inhaling a specific essential oil during revision and again during the exam can trigger memory recall. The same can be done using bright visual prompts or even rhymes and songs.

Conclusion

Navigating exam revision with ADHD is less about forcing your brain into a one-size-fits-all study mould, and more about embracing your brain’s high-speed, creative strengths.

By using tailored strategies—such as the Bucket Method to match tasks to energy levels, free writing to unclog overwhelming thoughts, and introducing novelty through your environment or tools—you can transform chaotic energy into purposeful focus.

When supported by sensory anchors and the right background sounds, your brain stays more engaged, calm, and clear.

Ultimately, preparing for exams isn’t about suppressing your ADHD tendencies—it’s about harnessing them. Build a revision system that respects your unique wiring, and you can turn what often feels like a race car slipping on bicycle brakes into a finely tuned engine, ready to cross the finish line.