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https://www.brightredbooks.net/subjects/

Exam revision tips

(pick up a leaflet from the Library or Pupil Support)

Plan ahead

Spread your revision over time.  Cramming just before exams is much less effective.

Make a revision plan.  This will give you control over your studying and reduce stress.

1. Break up your subjects

 First, mark the date for each exam.  Then look at what you need to cover.  Break each subject into small manageable pieces, and make a list topic by topic.

2. Prioritise

 It’s worth preparing in more detail for exams which carry a higher percentage of your total mark.  You may also want to spend extra time on your weaker areas or where you need to fill gaps.

3. Be realistic

 Create a revision plan that will work for you.  It has to be achievable and something that you can stick to.  Allow for rest breaks and relaxation time.

4. Expect the unexpected

 Plan for some free study time each week.  You may find you need more time on a certain subject.

5. Make a study plan

 Draw up a revision plan (example below).  Mark in your exam dates and subjects.  Divide your list of topics across each week. Allocate fewer topics nearer the exam dates to allow for general review sessions.

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Monday	Maths and Physics	English and History	PE	Maths and physics	English and History
Tuesday	English	PE	Maths	English	PE
Wednesday	Football	Football	Football	Football	Football
Thursday	History	Maths	English	History	Maths
Friday	PE		Physics	PE
Saturday	Work	Work	Work	Work	Work
Sunday		Physics	History		Physics

Review

Organise your material.

Make notes of key points from your books, notebooks etc

Think what works best for you.  What kind of learner are you?

1.     You learn best through words:

Keep writing and rewriting your notes
Reword main ideas to gain deeper understanding
Read important passages aloud
Organise diagrams, charts etc into statements
Record yourself reading or talking aloud
Make up mnemonics

Mnemonic example:

Order of taxonomy in biology:
(Kingdom, Phylum, Class,
Order, Family, Genus, Species)

2.     You learn best through movement and action:

Don’t just sit and read through your notes—be an active learner
Writing and drawing diagrams are physical activities
Use flashcards to help you memorise information (you can touch them and move them around)

3.     You learn best through images:

Use images, pictures, colour and other visual media to help you learn
Highlight important passages
Redraw your pages from memory
Use mind maps, diagrams and posters. Display them in prominent places—in your bedroom, next to the computer, TV etc

 

 4.     You learn best with others:

Aim to work with others as much as possible. Try to study with others at a similar level. Try some of the above techniques in a social setting, talking each other through key concepts and work with the feedback from others.

 

Remember

Commit information to long term memory

Just looking at your notes won’t help you learn them. You need to organise the information in some way.

• Try to think about how it relates to other material.
• Use key words to prompt your brain to remember background information.
• Make notes of your notes; add pointers to other
  material that is connected to what you’re studying.
• Keep checking what you remember from previous
  sessions. Note the things you don’t remember (maybe keep a list of ‘Things to Learn’) and review them as you go.
• Come back to your study regularly and check what you remember after one week, one month etc.

Look/Cover/Write/Check

• Look over notes you want to learn—recite it over and over or write it out several times—this commits it to memory.
• Cover your work so you can’t see it.
• Write out or recite what you can remember.
• Check what you have got correct and take note of what you missed out or got wrong—re-learn it and check again in a few days to see if you remember it.

Recall

Practise retrieving information

Memorising information is not enough.
Writing exam answers is a skill that needs to be practised.

• Test yourself
• Time your answers
• Use the correct vocabulary
• Try to do as many practice papers as possible. You can find them on the SQA website http://www.sqa.org.uk
• The library also has a good selection of study guides and past papers
• Use interactive online study resources such as:

BBC Bitesize
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/levels/z6gw2hv

Bright Red Digital Zone
http://www.brightredbooks.net/subjects/

Some extra tips…..

Recognise when you are at your most productive
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Study the most difficult
topics at the most effective time of your day. Plan shorter study blocks for those times during the day when you find it hard to concentrate.

Know your distractions
All those little things that creep up on you and take up oodles of your time….. The secret is to build your routine around your distractions. Set fixed times to check your phone or social media accounts and stay offline when you’re working.

Review your progress
Review your revision plan to ensure you’re making the most of your time. You may find a topic more tricky than you thought and need more study time or find you have finished a topic with time to spare. Prioritise whatever time you have left. Tick things off as you go and set mini-goals—that can help you stay motivated.

Avoid burnout
Pace yourself—you can’t work effectively 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Make sure you have time to rest and do things you enjoy.