Revising for any exam can be a very daunting task, especially trying to recall information you would have learnt months ago. However, it is quite simple to revise efficiently and give yourself the best possible chance of success in all your exams. Here are a few simple tips to help you:
- Firstly, assess your strengths and weaknesses in all your subjects. Consider what aspects of the course you are familiar with and which parts you need to concentrate on. Try to maintain what you are doing well and improve on what you are falling slightly below. Speak to your teachers or lecturers for advice on this.
- Secondly, look at the specification of your chosen course and look back on all the notes you have been given in lessons and all the text books. Reread these and summarise them on a few pieces of paper (10 pages maximum). Try to recite what you have summarised without looking at your notes, to see if you can remember. Ask your friends and family to test you. Do this as often as necessary.
- After this, condense your summarised notes on one A3 or two A4 pieces of paper. The point of this exercise is to have mind maps or bullet points of your whole course on a single piece of paper. This will enable you to remember things well because you can see all the information in one page and looking at this page constantly will make sure you know all the aspects of your course. This should be the last thing you look at before your exam.
- Read around your subject as well to see different points of view or ways to approach a particular problem. Borrow books from the library or research on the internet to see different versions of the same thing. It helps you remember as your brain will be working to link this new information to the old one and that means the old information will be more grounded. It is also helpful as you cannot remember everything in your exam, but if you know more than you need to know, you will have an answer for each and every question.
- Try to make links in your course. Find a link between one aspect of the course and another, so in remembering that link you can remember those two parts of the course.
- Cramming can work, but more often than not, it doesn’t. This is simply because cramming is like forcing a chain of information into your brain and in bringing out that chain, if you forget one link, you lose the rest of the chain; this ends in failure. Work systematically towards your exam. Don’t start too late, break the revision into sections, maybe one section a week.
- Do not stay awake till past 12midnight into the day of your exam. It is scientifically proven that sleeping at night helps the brain relax and sets the neurons at ease ready to work the next day. Have a good night’s sleep which means sleeping latest 10:30 pm.
On the day of your exam, set your alarm to wake up 1 extra hour before you usually get ready for school or college. When you wake:
- Firstly, read your condensed notes and focus on them for about 15 minutes, saying them aloud and when reading it over again, you will find that you know almost exactly what is on that one A3 or those two A4 pieces of paper.
- Then read your summarised notes, the 10 page ones, for about 30 minutes doing the same thing.
- Then go back to your condensed notes for the remaining 15 minutes.
- Do not panic if you can’t remember certain things. Just breathe and rest for a few minutes before reading again.
- Eat in the morning and give your body (and brain) food as it needs energy to work in the exam hall.
- If you are a religious person then it could be helpful to say a quick prayer to help relax yourself before entering the exam.
Hopefully, these tips are helpful and spur you on to success in your exams. Always aim for the best in everything because you can do anything you put your mind to.
It worked for me I achieved …
6 A*’s and 4A’s in my GCSEs
A* History, A* Literature, A* Language, A* Religious Education, A* Maths, A* Statistics, A Double Science, A French