When it comes to maths, many students simply sit back and panic. And this is not just the preserve of higher-level students - ordinary and foundation level students may also let fear taint their exam performance.

Teacher John Evans says students often express the worry that their mind will go blank on the day.

He is reassuring: "No, it won't. You know more maths than you think. Believe it or not, the examiner has made up the questions to help you show what you know. (This isn't official optimism, I genuinely believe there has been a quiet revolution in the manner in which maths has been examined.)

"Get familiar with the exam paper. Think of it as a road map. What kind of stuff will be asked on Question 1 on Paper 1, Question 2 on Paper 1 etc etc. There can be some change from year to year, but, for example, if Question 3 on Higher Paper 1 is not about matrices and complex numbers, I will be very surprised."

Another fear often expressed by students is that they won't recognise the question as something they have covered.

John Evans says: "This can happen, but it depends upon what you mean by `recognise'. You are unlikely to have done exactly the same question as each question on the exam paper. Don't expect that. However, most of the part (a) and part (b) questions should be of a pretty familiar type, if you have been doing your work, especially at going backwards and forwards, up and down and around our old friends, the past papers."

Revision often poses problems for students. They have accumulated pages of notes and it all seems impossible. Evans suggests students use the past papers to organise their studies.

What happens if I know how to do it in class, but then I forget?, wonder some students. "This can happen. You're probably trying to do too much at once," says Evans. Slow down, take a little time to collect your thoughts.

An oft-heard refrain from students is whether the course will be finished on time. Evans suggests you leave that to the teacher to deal with. "You're suffering from `the grass is greener' syndrome (or rather, `the topic we didn't do is easier' syndrome). The questions on the exam papers are pretty much of the same standard of difficulty. Concentrate on what you understand and try to deepen that by practice," he says.

Do students need to choose the questions before they go into the exam? Evans says: "It depends. To detect and exploit any differences in difficulty between the questions, you really would need to have a mastery of the whole course, in which case you are going to do well anyway. If you need a sensible way to organise your revision time, you could decide to concentrate on the topics you like and that you can do."

Some students are still worried about which level maths exam they should tackle. "If you have not already done so, talk to your teacher about this. If the teacher is experienced and is familiar with your work from mocks, class tests, homework, and how you respond in class, she or he will have a fair idea of what level will be most productive of points for you, at your present state of preparation. "I mention points here without a blush because this is what the Leaving Certificate examination is about. Hopefully, you will have gotten more out of studying the course than just the points which the exam brings. In short, the educational phase is finishing, and the business of acquiring points is beginning. Students (especially boys, if I may say so) should be wary of the `death or glory' approach to these exams, and should look for the best strategy to maximise your points in the time available."

You should remember that maths is an essential subject for almost every higher education course. Guidance counsellor and Irish Times helpline counsellor Vivian Cassells says students should be open to changing from higher to ordinary level if it means that they will definitely fulfill the basic subject requirements.

Each autumn, he answers calls from distraught students who have got the points for a particular course but who failed the subject requirement. You need to assess your ability honestly.

Above all, when it comes to the maths exams on June 8th and 9th, John Evan advises that you "be sensible, calm, and rational (just like all the adults you know!)".

If you would like to put a question about exam technique or a particular mathematical topic to John Evans, then e-mail or post it to reach us before 4 p.m. on May 15th. And, remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question - don't be afraid to ask, there are probably lots of students out there with similar queries who will benefit from the answer to your question.