Stay at speed until you are in the exit lane
Pick your exit at least half a mile in advance. Move into the rightmost lane early. When the exit lane opens, signal right and steer smoothly into it without braking. Once you are clearly in the deceleration lane, then begin to slow down to the posted ramp speed.
Watch the ramp speed
Exit ramps post their own advisory speed, often dramatically lower than the freeway speed. A posted 25 mph on a sharp downhill ramp is not a suggestion — it is calibrated for a heavily loaded vehicle and you should be near it well before the curve.
Right shoulder is not a passing lane
When the exit lane backs up, do not pass on the right shoulder. The shoulder is reserved for emergencies, and using it for shortcut passing is illegal in every state.