When you’re taking a high-stakes exam (whether that’s actuarial exams, the GRE, GMAT, LSAT or college finals), it’s not just about how well you know the material. It’s about how well you can apply that knowledge the day of the exam.

I wrote this article to help you improve your memory, focus and exam-day performance by feeding your brain the right nutrients to perform at full capacity.

I spent the last 7+ years researching and testing supplements throughout college and my actuarial exams, and I’m excited to share the results.

A few ground rules before jumping in:

• I don’t recommend any supplements that I haven’t personally tested. There are dozens that didn’t make the cut, either from a lack of scientific research or poor anecdotal results.
• I’m not a doctor, so you should consult a medical professional before taking nutritional supplements.

Why you should take supplements for your exam

You’re studying for a high-stakes exam.

You’ve studied countless hours, and one question can be the difference between pass or fail.

You would be crazy not to do everything in your power to maximize your chances on exam day.

It’s not just about how much you know going into the test; it’s about how well you can apply that information on one particular day. It’s all about one performance.

This is like a professional athlete training for the Olympics. Months (or years) of training all come down to a single day of competition. Performing at 99% capacity vs. 95% makes all the difference.

Professional athletes understand the importance of nutrition and stress management for peak performance. Exam-takers should follow suit.

Nutrition and supplementation are just as critical for cognitive function as they are for physical performance. Just think of how you feel after eating a heavy lunch full of refined carbs – you don’t get any quality work done.

I’m sure you’ve had days where you experienced “brain fog”, and other days where you felt “in the zone” and information flowed easily.

Supplements are useful to ensure you can tap into the latter flow state when you need it most. By definition, they are just supplemental – they aren’t a magic fix if you haven’t studied hard.

But again, when one question can make the difference in your score, I don’t know why you would overlook the chance to improve your focus, memory, and stress response.

Top 3 Supplements for Studying and Exam Performance

Supplement Cheat Sheet:

Recommended supplements for studying:

1. Caffeine + L-theanine (taken 30 minutes prior to exam or study session)
2. Bacopa monnieri (taken once daily)
3. L-tyrosine (taken 30 minutes prior to exam)

OR, the all-in-one solution:

Mind Lab Pro (taken once daily, add caffeine when needed)

1. Caffeine + L-theanine – Improved Focus

Notable features:

• Safe & well-researched
• Immediate results – you notice the effect the first time you try it
• Synergistic – the benefits of caffeine and l-theanine complement each other well

You’re probably familiar with using caffeine to increase focus while studying. However, people sometimes dislike caffeine for its potential to cause jitteriness and anxiety, especially on exam day when nerves are already high.

That’s where L-theanine comes in. L-theanine promotes relaxation without causing sleepiness. When combined with caffeine, people typically describe the effect as a calm, smooth focus.

Some people even use L-theanine on its own to reduce anxiety before public speaking events or other high-stress environments. L-theanine and caffeine are naturally found in green tea, but the dosage is relatively small and the proportion isn’t optimal.

Optimal Dosage:

Everyone has varying caffeine tolerances and sensitivities, so it is difficult to give a blanket recommendation for optimal dosage. However, you can aim for an L-theanine ratio that is 1-2x that of your caffeine amount (e.g. 200 mg of L-theanine for a 100 mg cup of coffee).

I consume caffeine relatively infrequently, so 100 mg of caffeine + 200 mg of L-theanine has a strong effect. I ramp this up to 200 mg of caffeine and 300-400 mg of L-theanine on exam day for extra focus.

Especially on exam day when anxiety is high, L-theanine is a great addition to keep you calm and focused. Caffeine and L-theanine can be consumed in a variety of forms, but I typically use the following supplement pills for controlled dosages and ease of consumption:

Caffeine + L-theanine combined supplement (50mg caffeine + 100mg L-theanine)

Or, purchased separately:

L-theanine – 200 mg & Caffeine pills – 100mg

If you try just one supplement from this article, you will be most satisfied with the L-theanine + caffeine combo due to the immediate effects and low cost. You can also use this combination for other high-stress situations that require high focus, such as interviews or work presentations.

2. Bacopa monnieri – Improved Memory and Attention

Notable features:

• Safe & well-researched (more studies than any other supplement on this page)
• Sustainability – you don’t build up a tolerance, so you can take it daily. Becomes more effective over time.
• Robust history of usage in Ayurveda medicine

Unlike the caffeine + L-theanine combo, Bacopa monnieri does not have an immediate effect; it improves memory after sustained usage (effects are realized after a month or two of consistent supplementation). Think of this like taking a multi-vitamin; you don’t feel different immediately after taking the supplement, but you become healthier from regular consumption.

This may not sound as fun as the instant gratification of caffeine, but it has a significant advantage: sustainability. You build up a tolerance to caffeine, so you can’t keep taking it every study session for improved focus. However, you won’t build up a tolerance with Bacopa monnieri, so you can sustain the improved memory over the long-haul (which is especially important since our actuarial exam process spans several years). If this supplement can potentially save me a few hours of reviewing forgotten concepts, I find it a worthwhile investment.

Bacopa monnieri can be supplemented in either pill or powder form, but I recommend the pill form to avoid the unpleasant taste of the powder. Below is the brand I’ve been using for the last two years:

Bacopa monnieri 

3. L-tyrosine – Improved Stress Response

Notable features:

• Safe and well-researched
• Useful for exam day – improves cognition under stressful conditions

L-tyrosine has been shown to improve cognitive performance under stressful conditions, but not under normal daily conditions. This limits the usage of L-tyrosine for exam circumstances when your acute stress is high.

We don’t recommend taking it for the first time on your exam day (or any other supplement for that matter), but you can simulate exam-day conditions with your practice exams to test this supplement and gauge your response. For people with high test anxiety, L-tyrosine may be especially useful to improve your cognitive response under stressful conditions.

L-tyrosine has typically been tested at dosages around 500-2000 mg about 30 minutes prior to exposure to the acute stressor (i.e. take it 30 minutes before your practice/actual exam). You may want to start on the lower end of that dosage and work your way up after ensuring you don’t have a negative response. Below is the L-tyrosine supplement I’ve used for my past two exams:

L-tyrosine

The All-In-One Solution

If the information above is overwhelming, or if you’re looking to go the extra mile with optimizing performance, there’s a simple solution:

Mind Lab Pro

Mind Lab Pro combines the top supplements above (l-theanine, bacopa monnieri, and l-tyrosine) into a single product.

You receive the same benefits – improved focus, attention, memory, and stress response – without the hassle of buying separate supplements and taking so many pills.

Plus, you get the benefit from additional ingredients like Rhodiola Rosea that just missed my Top 3 list, but that I take regularly.

I’ve tried and researched over 15 different products like Mind Lab Pro, but this one wins out for a few reasons:

• High-quality ingredients
• Appropriate doses of key ingredients (many other products put a small amount just to claim the benefit)
• Sustainability – this product doesn’t contain caffeine or other habit-forming substances, so it can be taken safely on a daily basis
• Well-researched and safe ingredients – check out www.examine.com to look at the science behind each ingredient.

If you’re looking for a single supplement with the highest payoff, Mind Lab Pro is your best bet.

You can add in a coffee or caffeine pill on occasion for the synergistic benefits mentioned above.

Implementing Supplements into your Study Routine

I would like to reemphasize the following points about using nutritional supplements for studying:

• Don’t introduce a new supplement the day of your exam (test them out on a practice exam first)
• Start with relatively small doses to gauge initial reactions
• Do your own research to make a sound judgment on whether or not to try a supplement (I always use www.examine.com for supplement research)

Good luck on your exam, and I hope these supplements help you take your performance to the next level!

Study Smart, Pass Fast, Live Life

Mike & Roy

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