Effective Revision

Revision doesn’t necessarily mean sitting alone in your room reading endless books and study notes. Often, studying in shorter sessions with breaks and revising different subjects in different ways, is far more effective. What works best for maths revision will be different from revision for essay based subjects. Below are some helpful revision tips to support your success.

1.CREATE A PLAN

A revision timetable helps you focus on what needs to be done and when, which is very useful as exams approach. Breaking down what you must learn into smaller chunks and deciding when you are going to revise each section will make the task seem less daunting. Having everything you need to cover written down in front of you will ensure nothing gets overlooked and gives you a starting point to work from.

2.SET MANAGEABLE GOALS

For each revision session you do, give yourself an aim for the end of the session. This will give you a sense of achievement when you complete it and will help keep you motivated.

3.READ THE EXAMINERS’ REPORTS

Ask your teachers where to find these! Each year, the exam board write a document that shows how candidates performed on each question. It gives example answers and feedback on how the answer has been marked. This is a really useful document for learning how the examiners award marks.

4.PRACTICE EXAM PAPERS

Practice is key when preparing for any big event – an exam, a marathon or a performance. Make sure you are familiar with the questions you may get asked and how you could answer them. Use the mark schemes too to see how the examiners award marks.

5.EXPERIMENT WITH REVISION METHODS

There is no one revision method which suits everyone and ensures knowledge is retained successfully. One of the most common revision techniques students use is reading notes. Whilst it may be a logical place to start, this is a passive technique and isn’t always an effective way to memorise information. ‘Active’ revision can be a much more efficient form of studying and can include things such as writing summaries of a topic through revision notes, creating flash cards or revision cards to distil information and then test your memory, and drawing mind maps to organise information visually.

6.FACTOR IN TIME TO RELAX

Whilst it’s important to put in the study time, it’s just as important to take time out to relax your brain in between revision sessions, otherwise you’ll most likely find it hard to concentrate and really absorb information. Whether it’s going for a walk, watching a film, or catching up with friends, make sure you schedule time to relax every day.

The Learning Scientists

The Learning Scientists’ website is an excellent resource that can help students in their exam preparation, independent study and revision.

The website has been written by a group of psychologists who specialise in education. They have created an array of resources to help students use their study time effectively, based on research investigating the most productive ways to study. Their approach focuses on six strategies for effective learning.

ELABORATION

Explain and describe ideas with many details.

RETRIEVAL PRACTICE

Practice bringing information to mind.

SPACED PRACTICE

Space out your studying over time.

DUAL CODING

Combine words and visuals.

INTERLEAVING

Switch between ideas while you study.

CONCRETE EXAMPLES

Use specific examples to understand abstract ideas.