A study of 447 people found that students who take water into the examination hall may improve their grades.

The study from the universities of East London and Westminster, also noted that older students were more likely to bring in water to exam halls.

The researchers observed 447 psychology students at the University of East London – 71 were in their foundation year, 225 were first years and 151 were in their second year. Just 25% of the students entered the exam hall with a bottle of water.

According to one of the lead researchers Dr Mark Gardner from the University of Westminster, “Supplementing with water is a really cheap way students and educators can help get better results.”

Of the study, second year students were more likely to bring in water to the exam hall with them – 31% did so compared with 21% of the foundation and first year students.

After taking students’ academic ability into account by looking at coursework grades and previous exam results, the researchers found foundation students who drank water could expect to see grades be improved by up to 10%. This improvement was 5% for first year students and 2% for second years.  

Across the 447 students, the improvement in marks was 4.8% for water drinking exam candidates.

Therefore the research shows the importance of highlighting how key staying hydrated during exams can be and the effect that it could have on people’s exam results. Which is why all students should bring in a bottle of water to the exam hall.

According to Dr Chris Pawson, from the University of East London, consuming water may also have a physiological effect on thinking functions and cognitive processes that lead to improved exam performance.

According to Dr Pawson one of the other benefits of drinking water during an exam, is that it may also alleviate anxiety, which is known to negatively affect individual’s performance during examinations.

Based on the findings of these results I would suggest all students should bring in a bottle of water with them as not only has it been suggested to improve exam results, but research also indicates that it will help you to reduce your nerves and anxiety, which will help improve your performance in the exam.

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