A and A* students... Share your revision tips
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Original post by Harriet : )
Ah fair enough, I'm not sure how similar our exam boards are to be honest! 
so yours is OCR?
well, for CIE, we have to study tort, els and contract.
Original post by sreeking
so yours is OCR?
well, for CIE, we have to study tort, els and contract.
well, for CIE, we have to study tort, els and contract.
We do, ELS and sources of law ( stuff like precedent, delegated legislation etc) at AS then for A2 you chose either criminal, tort or contract
Any help with IGCSE business studies? I started a past paper and slept - in which i had a nightmare that i failed the exam lol! I'm so tired , i've worked so hard learning it! My teacher's a douche... he'll do anything to make us fail. Any tips? I need to work up my B "mock grade" to an A*. I couldn't be bothered to start a thread cause no gives a useful answer. This looks like the perfect thread to find people who'd give advice..
OP, i am in your same position and i cant say anything up here that hasnt been said... Sorry if i wasnt too helpful!
OP, i am in your same position and i cant say anything up here that hasnt been said... Sorry if i wasnt too helpful!
OK, here are the best tips you will ever get, honestly:
1. Make notes, but make them SHORT - trigger words only.
2. Don't spend too much time making notes, in themselves they won't get you any marks
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!
4. Make mind maps - no-one likes them, but if you make a good, simple one with everything on it, and memorise it, then draw it on your exam paper, you have your notes in the exam! Your mind remembers pictures better than words!
5. Use colour! Your memory lobe is on the left and right side of your brain, your left side responds to colour and pictures etc, so use both sides!
6. Do LOADS of past papers and GET THEM MARKED - there's no point otherwise!
7. Identify where you're going wrong and FIX IT! Ask your teacher for help.
8. Revise from the syllabus where applicable - they can't ask you it if it's not on there!
9. Be relaxed, stress inhibits your ability to think clearly.
10. Only revise for max. 1 hour slots at a time and have at least ten minute breaks between, otherwise your effectiveness drops.
11. For essay subjects and languages, learn the general mark scheme, the exam board usually publishes them - that way you can give them what they want on a plate without having to actually know everything, so you get full marks by manipulating what you do know to suit them
I've never dropped a grade in an exam, external or internal and that's how.
1. Make notes, but make them SHORT - trigger words only.
2. Don't spend too much time making notes, in themselves they won't get you any marks
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!
4. Make mind maps - no-one likes them, but if you make a good, simple one with everything on it, and memorise it, then draw it on your exam paper, you have your notes in the exam! Your mind remembers pictures better than words!
5. Use colour! Your memory lobe is on the left and right side of your brain, your left side responds to colour and pictures etc, so use both sides!
6. Do LOADS of past papers and GET THEM MARKED - there's no point otherwise!
7. Identify where you're going wrong and FIX IT! Ask your teacher for help.
8. Revise from the syllabus where applicable - they can't ask you it if it's not on there!
9. Be relaxed, stress inhibits your ability to think clearly.
10. Only revise for max. 1 hour slots at a time and have at least ten minute breaks between, otherwise your effectiveness drops.
11. For essay subjects and languages, learn the general mark scheme, the exam board usually publishes them - that way you can give them what they want on a plate without having to actually know everything, so you get full marks by manipulating what you do know to suit them
I've never dropped a grade in an exam, external or internal and that's how.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by jadomcp
OK, here are the best tips you will ever get, honestly:
1. Make notes, but make them SHORT - trigger words only.
2. Don't spend too much time making notes, in themselves they won't get you any marks
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!
4. Make mind maps - no-one likes them, but if you make a good, simple one with everything on it, and memorise it, then draw it on your exam paper, you have your notes in the exam! Your mind remembers pictures better than words!
5. Use colour! Your memory lobe is on the left and right side of your brain, your left side responds to colour and pictures etc, so use both sides!
6. Do LOADS of past papers and GET THEM MARKED - there's no point otherwise!
7. Identify where you're going wrong and FIX IT! Ask your teacher for help.
8. Revise from the syllabus where applicable - they can't ask you it if it's not on there!
9. Be relaxed, stress inhibits your ability to think clearly.
10. Only revise for max. 1 hour slots at a time and have at least ten minute breaks between, otherwise your effectiveness drops.
I've never dropped a grade in an exam, external or internal and that's how.
1. Make notes, but make them SHORT - trigger words only.
2. Don't spend too much time making notes, in themselves they won't get you any marks
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!
4. Make mind maps - no-one likes them, but if you make a good, simple one with everything on it, and memorise it, then draw it on your exam paper, you have your notes in the exam! Your mind remembers pictures better than words!
5. Use colour! Your memory lobe is on the left and right side of your brain, your left side responds to colour and pictures etc, so use both sides!
6. Do LOADS of past papers and GET THEM MARKED - there's no point otherwise!
7. Identify where you're going wrong and FIX IT! Ask your teacher for help.
8. Revise from the syllabus where applicable - they can't ask you it if it's not on there!
9. Be relaxed, stress inhibits your ability to think clearly.
10. Only revise for max. 1 hour slots at a time and have at least ten minute breaks between, otherwise your effectiveness drops.
I've never dropped a grade in an exam, external or internal and that's how.
+1 REP.
Have been doing mindmaps for some time now (after Jan exams) and I have got to admit they do work.
I have learnt a lot especially the theory content
.Just a few questions:
1) How can I reduce stress?
2) How many hours a day shall I be revising? Because I am currently doing 6 (NOT ENOUGH)
3) Got 5 maths modules in June (3 resits). How shall I go about this? Do papers for the upcoming three maths modules and then fit in past papers in the May half term?
Thanks
Original post by exam2k10
+1 REP.
Have been doing mindmaps for some time now (after Jan exams) and I have got to admit they do work.
I have learnt a lot especially the theory content.
Just a few questions:
1) How can I reduce stress?
2) How many hours a day shall I be revising? Because I am currently doing 6 (NOT ENOUGH)
3) Got 5 maths modules in June (3 resits). How shall I go about this? Do papers for the upcoming three maths modules and then fit in past papers in the May half term?
Thanks
Have been doing mindmaps for some time now (after Jan exams) and I have got to admit they do work.
I have learnt a lot especially the theory content
.Just a few questions:
1) How can I reduce stress?
2) How many hours a day shall I be revising? Because I am currently doing 6 (NOT ENOUGH)
3) Got 5 maths modules in June (3 resits). How shall I go about this? Do papers for the upcoming three maths modules and then fit in past papers in the May half term?
Thanks
OK, reducing stress is quite a hard one to tell you what to do... just worry less, have more confidence in your own ability. Also, doing activity, such as sport and getting fresh air really helps relieve some stress (counter-intuitive I know, when you feel you should be revising, but it works!).
Second, hours in a day is how many you feel you should be doing really, but to be honest, any more that six is certainly enough, any more than eight is stupid. To be frank if you do 6 hours a day from now until June in just maths, you should get 100%. Spend less time, but spend it well.
Linked with this is my final piece of advice: start doing practice papers now. Do two or three and identify where you are really struggling. Then go and learn those things (with teacher help or not, depending on how badly you don't understand it). Then, go back to those papers and do the questions you couldn't. When you have done all of that, get it marked by a teacher or get hold of a mark scheme (type in the paper reference code into Google). Teacher is better as they can explain where you went wrong. Then identify where you went wrong, find out how to fix it and then do another couple of papers, making sure you don't screw up again. The key is to understand WHERE you're going wrong and make sure you FIX it, otherwise you'll keep losing marks in the same area. If you get through 6-8 practice papers (easily possible by June and much less time consuming than 6 hours a day) by your exams and identify what's going wrong and fix it, then there's no reason why you shouldn't get 100% in your modules - there's only so much they can throw at you and the more you see, the more likely you are to have covered everything, and if you've fixed it, then there's nothing they can throw at you that you won't deal with.
Obviously, you will have to sit down and learn some things, but you'd be surprised how often people revise things they already know, by doing practice papers, you identify what you really do need to revise and stop wasting time on things you know.
Really good luck in your mocks, follow this advice, and there's no reason why you shouldn't do awesomely!
Original post by jadomcp
OK, reducing stress is quite a hard one to tell you what to do... just worry less, have more confidence in your own ability. Also, doing activity, such as sport and getting fresh air really helps relieve some stress (counter-intuitive I know, when you feel you should be revising, but it works!).
Second, hours in a day is how many you feel you should be doing really, but to be honest, any more that six is certainly enough, any more than eight is stupid. To be frank if you do 6 hours a day from now until June in just maths, you should get 100%. Spend less time, but spend it well.
Linked with this is my final piece of advice: start doing practice papers now. Do two or three and identify where you are really struggling. Then go and learn those things (with teacher help or not, depending on how badly you don't understand it). Then, go back to those papers and do the questions you couldn't. When you have done all of that, get it marked by a teacher or get hold of a mark scheme (type in the paper reference code into Google). Teacher is better as they can explain where you went wrong. Then identify where you went wrong, find out how to fix it and then do another couple of papers, making sure you don't screw up again. The key is to understand WHERE you're going wrong and make sure you FIX it, otherwise you'll keep losing marks in the same area. If you get through 6-8 practice papers (easily possible by June and much less time consuming than 6 hours a day) by your exams and identify what's going wrong and fix it, then there's no reason why you shouldn't get 100% in your modules - there's only so much they can throw at you and the more you see, the more likely you are to have covered everything, and if you've fixed it, then there's nothing they can throw at you that you won't deal with.
Obviously, you will have to sit down and learn some things, but you'd be surprised how often people revise things they already know, by doing practice papers, you identify what you really do need to revise and stop wasting time on things you know.
Really good luck in your mocks, follow this advice, and there's no reason why you shouldn't do awesomely!
Second, hours in a day is how many you feel you should be doing really, but to be honest, any more that six is certainly enough, any more than eight is stupid. To be frank if you do 6 hours a day from now until June in just maths, you should get 100%. Spend less time, but spend it well.
Linked with this is my final piece of advice: start doing practice papers now. Do two or three and identify where you are really struggling. Then go and learn those things (with teacher help or not, depending on how badly you don't understand it). Then, go back to those papers and do the questions you couldn't. When you have done all of that, get it marked by a teacher or get hold of a mark scheme (type in the paper reference code into Google). Teacher is better as they can explain where you went wrong. Then identify where you went wrong, find out how to fix it and then do another couple of papers, making sure you don't screw up again. The key is to understand WHERE you're going wrong and make sure you FIX it, otherwise you'll keep losing marks in the same area. If you get through 6-8 practice papers (easily possible by June and much less time consuming than 6 hours a day) by your exams and identify what's going wrong and fix it, then there's no reason why you shouldn't get 100% in your modules - there's only so much they can throw at you and the more you see, the more likely you are to have covered everything, and if you've fixed it, then there's nothing they can throw at you that you won't deal with.
Obviously, you will have to sit down and learn some things, but you'd be surprised how often people revise things they already know, by doing practice papers, you identify what you really do need to revise and stop wasting time on things you know.
Really good luck in your mocks, follow this advice, and there's no reason why you shouldn't do awesomely!
Thanks for your advice.
I really appreciate it.
BTW, they are final A-Level examinations that have an impact on my uni offer this year and not mocks.
Anyways, for Maths it is good to do just past papers right? Because I liked your advice on how you should do three papers identify where the weak areas are and then fix them.
Also what other tips can you provide me, in terms of priortising for the upcoming exams? Got four exams before May half term and then four after
Original post by exam2k10
Thanks for your advice.
I really appreciate it.
BTW, they are final A-Level examinations that have an impact on my uni offer this year and not mocks.
Anyways, for Maths it is good to do just past papers right? Because I liked your advice on how you should do three papers identify where the weak areas are and then fix them.
Also what other tips can you provide me, in terms of priortising for the upcoming exams? Got four exams before May half term and then four after
I really appreciate it.
BTW, they are final A-Level examinations that have an impact on my uni offer this year and not mocks.
Anyways, for Maths it is good to do just past papers right? Because I liked your advice on how you should do three papers identify where the weak areas are and then fix them.
Also what other tips can you provide me, in terms of priortising for the upcoming exams? Got four exams before May half term and then four after
No worries, yea, I guessed that! Well, follow my first advice and you'll do very well, don't ONLY do practice papers, like I said, if you're getting something consistently wrong, you need to sit down and work out how to solve it, preferably with a teacher. However, they are by far the best resource. As for prioritising, at this stage you should do an equal amount of all of the subjects. When you enter the last three weeks before an exam, that is when to really intensify your efforts on that particular exam. Obviously for the ones after half-term, you will have time during half-term to revise for them. But, if you can, try and have covered all the material before the three week mark, so that the last two/three weeks are only fixing minor problems to really get you the best marks. Hope that all helps.
Original post by jadomcp
OK, here are the best tips you will ever get, honestly:
1. Make notes, but make them SHORT - trigger words only.
2. Don't spend too much time making notes, in themselves they won't get you any marks
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!
4. Make mind maps - no-one likes them, but if you make a good, simple one with everything on it, and memorise it, then draw it on your exam paper, you have your notes in the exam! Your mind remembers pictures better than words!
5. Use colour! Your memory lobe is on the left and right side of your brain, your left side responds to colour and pictures etc, so use both sides!
6. Do LOADS of past papers and GET THEM MARKED - there's no point otherwise!
7. Identify where you're going wrong and FIX IT! Ask your teacher for help.
8. Revise from the syllabus where applicable - they can't ask you it if it's not on there!
9. Be relaxed, stress inhibits your ability to think clearly.
10. Only revise for max. 1 hour slots at a time and have at least ten minute breaks between, otherwise your effectiveness drops.
I've never dropped a grade in an exam, external or internal and that's how.
1. Make notes, but make them SHORT - trigger words only.
2. Don't spend too much time making notes, in themselves they won't get you any marks
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!
4. Make mind maps - no-one likes them, but if you make a good, simple one with everything on it, and memorise it, then draw it on your exam paper, you have your notes in the exam! Your mind remembers pictures better than words!
5. Use colour! Your memory lobe is on the left and right side of your brain, your left side responds to colour and pictures etc, so use both sides!
6. Do LOADS of past papers and GET THEM MARKED - there's no point otherwise!
7. Identify where you're going wrong and FIX IT! Ask your teacher for help.
8. Revise from the syllabus where applicable - they can't ask you it if it's not on there!
9. Be relaxed, stress inhibits your ability to think clearly.
10. Only revise for max. 1 hour slots at a time and have at least ten minute breaks between, otherwise your effectiveness drops.
I've never dropped a grade in an exam, external or internal and that's how.
Thank you, can you tell me what you revised from (textbooks, websites etc.) and what ones.
I will try your tips and see if they work, well I kind of have to - only 6 weeks until my my poetry English Language exam!
Well personally I do four main things:-
1. Condense my notes - I start off with like three pages of notes on something in history, then I get it down to two and then one page just by abbreviating stuff, abbreviations make your brain actually think about what it is instead of just reading the word and therefore it sticks better for example "reasonable suspicion" became RS.
2. Revision cards - These little things are extremely effective for revision, I carried them around with me and a friend of mine who did history with me had some aswell, we would question each other with them firstly but they are also very useful for revising on the bus etc.
3. Recording yourself - Some people hate it, some people love it. I personally found it a refreshing change from reading and would listen to me speak about History when I was walking my dog etc.
4. Past papers - I personally did essay subjects but I basically went through each exam for the last 7-8 years and answered the questions with my notes. It helps you remember it as you are writing it down, it also helps you get exam technique. Then closer to the actual exam I would repeat them but without my notes, get them marked and then revise my weakest areas.
Apart from that I would recommend revising sensibly, an hour max in my opinion and then take a 10-15 min break, I do 20-30 pushups and walk outside for 10-15 mins to clear my head. I would also steadily ramp up the revision hours, I am currently doing 4-5 hours a day and when we go back to college I will drop that down to about 2-3 hours a day, then in the study break we have about 2-3 weeks prior to the exams I will revise hard doing about 7-8 hours a day.
Also I have never bothered to use a timetable as I could never stick to them instead I will say to myself, revise this topic and it doesn't matter if it takes me 10 mins or 2 hours as long as I learn it.
Im off to revise anyway, bye.
1. Condense my notes - I start off with like three pages of notes on something in history, then I get it down to two and then one page just by abbreviating stuff, abbreviations make your brain actually think about what it is instead of just reading the word and therefore it sticks better for example "reasonable suspicion" became RS.
2. Revision cards - These little things are extremely effective for revision, I carried them around with me and a friend of mine who did history with me had some aswell, we would question each other with them firstly but they are also very useful for revising on the bus etc.
3. Recording yourself - Some people hate it, some people love it. I personally found it a refreshing change from reading and would listen to me speak about History when I was walking my dog etc.
4. Past papers - I personally did essay subjects but I basically went through each exam for the last 7-8 years and answered the questions with my notes. It helps you remember it as you are writing it down, it also helps you get exam technique. Then closer to the actual exam I would repeat them but without my notes, get them marked and then revise my weakest areas.
Apart from that I would recommend revising sensibly, an hour max in my opinion and then take a 10-15 min break, I do 20-30 pushups and walk outside for 10-15 mins to clear my head. I would also steadily ramp up the revision hours, I am currently doing 4-5 hours a day and when we go back to college I will drop that down to about 2-3 hours a day, then in the study break we have about 2-3 weeks prior to the exams I will revise hard doing about 7-8 hours a day.
Also I have never bothered to use a timetable as I could never stick to them instead I will say to myself, revise this topic and it doesn't matter if it takes me 10 mins or 2 hours as long as I learn it.
Im off to revise anyway, bye.
One key thing is to always read the examiners reports they're a lot of help!
they're a lot of help!Original post by dwfed
Thank you, can you tell me what you revised from (textbooks, websites etc.) and what ones.
I will try your tips and see if they work, well I kind of have to - only 6 weeks until my my poetry English Language exam!
I will try your tips and see if they work, well I kind of have to - only 6 weeks until my my poetry English Language exam!
I mainly revise from notes that I have made during lessons, and also from the syllabus. With English poetry, just make sure to use PEA, and quote, LOADS! Also, use the acronym SVTFLIPS - Summarise the poem briefly, then talk about the: Voice, Tone, Form (what it looks like/structure), Language, Imagery, Punctuation and Sounds. The last two are fairly minor, but if you do one or two PEA points on each of those, you'll probably get full marks, just make sure that your point is valid and that you integrate your quotes well. SVTFLIPS only works with poems though, so be careful. Finally, make sure that at the end of every PEA, you put in an L (a link) to the question, so reference your point back to the original question, that's how to get full marks.
Original post by jadomcp
I mainly revise from notes that I have made during lessons, and also from the syllabus. With English poetry, just make sure to use PEA, and quote, LOADS! Also, use the acronym SVTFLIPS - Summarise the poem briefly, then talk about the: Voice, Tone, Form (what it looks like/structure), Language, Imagery, Punctuation and Sounds. The last two are fairly minor, but if you do one or two PEA points on each of those, you'll probably get full marks, just make sure that your point is valid and that you integrate your quotes well. SVTFLIPS only works with poems though, so be careful. Finally, make sure that at the end of every PEA, you put in an L (a link) to the question, so reference your point back to the original question, that's how to get full marks.
Thank you so much bro
1) Make notes.
2) Do lots of past papers.
3) Work hard.
4) Work in short hour bursts then have a 20-30 minute break.
5) After a long day and you feel fatigue setting in, mix up the ways you learn by using study aids. Ask a friend/family member to test you or perhaps use a revision website like O2 Learn (https://www.o2learn.co.uk/) just to keep up your revision concenration levels. All the videos on that site are made by teachers for short revision tips so it a good reliable source.
6. Stay calm and get a decent nights sleep - stop revising around 2 hours before you go to sleep to let your mind unwind - otherwise you might be up all night thinking!
2) Do lots of past papers.
3) Work hard.
4) Work in short hour bursts then have a 20-30 minute break.
5) After a long day and you feel fatigue setting in, mix up the ways you learn by using study aids. Ask a friend/family member to test you or perhaps use a revision website like O2 Learn (https://www.o2learn.co.uk/) just to keep up your revision concenration levels. All the videos on that site are made by teachers for short revision tips so it a good reliable source.
6. Stay calm and get a decent nights sleep - stop revising around 2 hours before you go to sleep to let your mind unwind - otherwise you might be up all night thinking!
Some good tips here...
http://www.oxfordstudyskills.com
Good luck dudes
http://www.oxfordstudyskills.com
Good luck dudes
Original post by sreeking
Hey guys, just a question. How do you revise Law?
I mean if you compare law with other science related exams which have (mcq, paper 2 and essay), law is like - ESSAY ONLY. Need help. Thanks.
I mean if you compare law with other science related exams which have (mcq, paper 2 and essay), law is like - ESSAY ONLY. Need help. Thanks.
The best tip would be to go through notes regularly. There are a lot of details, cases, rules etc that one has to know, so going through them as many times as possible would be really useful during exams.
i think doing maybe 3-5 weeks of revision before the exam- ie looking through notes
make sure lots of past papers are done and marked
there we go
make sure you have plenty of time to relax aswell as reivse
hope this helps because it helped me and i got an A* and an A with those terms
make sure lots of past papers are done and marked
there we go
make sure you have plenty of time to relax aswell as reivse
hope this helps because it helped me and i got an A* and an A with those terms
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