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Year 13 FINAL A-Level Examination Tips?

Hi,

I have got four conditional offers and my firm want AAB.

I really want to go to my firm and I have 8 exams, 4 of which are resits.

In the month of May I have 4 exams and then in June I have another 4.

Problem I am facing is time. I keep thinking that I haven't done enough when I actually have. Also how do I priortise my time? Do I spend more time on the exams coming up in May? And finally, how do I reduce stress and nerves?

Would appreciate if someone who has been in the same situation as me could give me some advice.

Thanks

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Reply 1
I am pretty much in the same situation as you.

I have 8 exams, 3 of which are resits and it is so daunting! I have the 3 in May and then my A2s in June like you. I'd say prioritise your time now to the resits but don't ignore the fact you have A2s. My revision timetable is set out that I learn all topics, but then as it gets closer to the resits I concentrate on them. You don't want to come out of your resits and then only have a few weeks to revise for the A2s, which is why I am revising them simultaneously.

Hope that helped, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who has 8!
Reply 2
Original post by exam2k10
Hi,

I have got four conditional offers and my firm want AAB.

I really want to go to my firm and I have 8 exams, 4 of which are resits.

In the month of May I have 4 exams and then in June I have another 4.

Problem I am facing is time. I keep thinking that I haven't done enough when I actually have. Also how do I priortise my time? Do I spend more time on the exams coming up in May? And finally, how do I reduce stress and nerves?

Would appreciate if someone who has been in the same situation as me could give me some advice.

Thanks


Im in the same situation with 10 exams :s-smilie:, my main source of motivation has been quotes like this.

Reply 3
The best thing you can do is think about exams as something positive (I know it's hard!) but honestly it works. Don't think of them as barriers that are blocking you but as chances to show off what you know. It helps trust me! I'm in my final year of A Levels and have 5 exams all in June so I know how you feel!
Also you could try beta-blockers for the stress, you can get them from the doctors but you should only take them for a short period of time (like 6 weeks). Some of my friends have used them in the past and it stops the stress at least :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by ch0wm4n
Im in the same situation with 10 exams :s-smilie:, my main source of motivation has been quotes like this.



I like that!
Reply 5
Original post by SS7514
The best thing you can do is think about exams as something positive (I know it's hard!) but honestly it works. Don't think of them as barriers that are blocking you but as chances to show off what you know. It helps trust me! I'm in my final year of A Levels and have 5 exams all in June so I know how you feel!
Also you could try beta-blockers for the stress, you can get them from the doctors but you should only take them for a short period of time (like 6 weeks). Some of my friends have used them in the past and it stops the stress at least :smile:


Be careful with beta-blockers - it is natural to be stressed out when you are asking a lot of yourself, beta-blockers take off that stress which can sometimes make you too relaxed, and you end up not really caring and therefore not working to your best potential.

Stress is a good motivator. Use it to your advantage and remember that you need to spend some time relaxing and sleeping well to get the best out of your revision time.
Reply 6
Original post by SalC
Be careful with beta-blockers - it is natural to be stressed out when you are asking a lot of yourself, beta-blockers take off that stress which can sometimes make you too relaxed, and you end up not really caring and therefore not working to your best potential.

Stress is a good motivator. Use it to your advantage and remember that you need to spend some time relaxing and sleeping well to get the best out of your revision time.


Oh ok. Thanks.

Like you said, I don't want to feel too relaxed nor too stressed.

I have thought of a solution, but can you honestly tell me it will work.

Finish off A2 content for all three subjects. Finished for Maths :smile:, matter of consolidating. Also I am resitting a few modules as well. Just need to consolidate the content for those modules as well before doing all the past papers I can get my hands on.

Also, since I am an A2 candidate and I have one shot at everything, how do I priortise my time. Study for the upcoming exams first and then study for the other exams after?

Thing is, it is a huge risk as I may forget the content for the modules I have after.

Please tell me what I can do.

Thanks
Reply 7
Original post by exam2k10
Oh ok. Thanks.

Like you said, I don't want to feel too relaxed nor too stressed.

I have thought of a solution, but can you honestly tell me it will work.

Finish off A2 content for all three subjects. Finished for Maths :smile:, matter of consolidating. Also I am resitting a few modules as well. Just need to consolidate the content for those modules as well before doing all the past papers I can get my hands on.

Also, since I am an A2 candidate and I have one shot at everything, how do I priortise my time. Study for the upcoming exams first and then study for the other exams after?

Thing is, it is a huge risk as I may forget the content for the modules I have after.

Please tell me what I can do.

Thanks


I'm an A2 student as well, I know how scary it is that everything is riding on these exams.

Thing is, nobody can really tell you exactly what to do. I think that you've got a good idea of where you need to spend the most time.

I have 5 exams and they start on the 30th May. I'm going to revise equally for everything up until the week before my first exam, then concentrate solely on that. Then concentrate solely on my next exam after that one, etc etc. You have at least a month before your exams start right? So try not to panic, start revising and only you yourself know how much of each subject you need to revise.

Good luck!
Reply 8
Anyone here do Biology? I need an A for my offer of AAB for Pharmacy starting in Sept...and I find it IMPOSSIBLE! I got straight A*s and As at GCSE, yet at Bio AS I got a C. I resat unit 2 and got an A (just!), and I really worked my butt off for it. I'm now resitting unit 1 as well, alongside unit 4 (because I got a D :frown: )! I have 8 exams in summer D:colonhash:

I'm managing to hit my targets in the other two subjects, I am just a hopeless ball of hopelessness when it comes to Biology. It's not like I can attribute my weakness to not being an "English-y" person either, so it must be my exam technique (?!!?).

Can anyone share their revision tips for Bio? I always find I don't phrase or explain things quite right, and throw away silly marks because of it. It's driving me up the wall!!
Reply 9
I only have 4 A2 exams and my firm want AAA. but im procrastinating like hell :frown:
Reply 10
Starting to feel the pressure :frown:.

How can I reduce this?

Also why do I worry so much? Nearly finished most of the A2 content for my subjects
Enjoy it and do your best! it only comes once, make the most of it :smile:

Best of luck :yy:
Reply 12
Original post by Dollyandra
Anyone here do Biology? I need an A for my offer of AAB for Pharmacy starting in Sept...and I find it IMPOSSIBLE! I got straight A*s and As at GCSE, yet at Bio AS I got a C. I resat unit 2 and got an A (just!), and I really worked my butt off for it. I'm now resitting unit 1 as well, alongside unit 4 (because I got a D :frown: )! I have 8 exams in summer D:colonhash:

I'm managing to hit my targets in the other two subjects, I am just a hopeless ball of hopelessness when it comes to Biology. It's not like I can attribute my weakness to not being an "English-y" person either, so it must be my exam technique (?!!?).

Can anyone share their revision tips for Bio? I always find I don't phrase or explain things quite right, and throw away silly marks because of it. It's driving me up the wall!!


OMG you're in the same position as me i need AAB.. to do Pharmacy in september.. got an A for AS bio unit 2 and got a D in F214 - bio sucks );
Original post by Raj K
OMG you're in the same position as me i need AAB.. to do Pharmacy in september.. got an A for AS bio unit 2 and got a D in F214 - bio sucks );


Lol, it sucks doesn't it? At least in Chemistry it's either right or wrong! What are your firmed and insured? I went for Cardiff and LJMU :smile:
Reply 14
Original post by Dollyandra
Lol, it sucks doesn't it? At least in Chemistry it's either right or wrong! What are your firmed and insured? I went for Cardiff and LJMU :smile:


YO! me too!.. CARDIFF (firmed) !! :biggrin: see you there IF i get the grades loool :/
OCR Biology is the subject that could make or break my future... have to get an A.
Reply 16
Original post by exam2k10
Starting to feel the pressure :frown:.

How can I reduce this?

Also why do I worry so much? Nearly finished most of the A2 content for my subjects


This happened to me with my january exams
I just kept re-capping everything for every subject until I literally got fed up of revising and then you feel less stressed after feeling sick of studying
Reply 17
Original post by y-y
This happened to me with my january exams
I just kept re-capping everything for every subject until I literally got fed up of revising and then you feel less stressed after feeling sick of studying


Interesting. I never knew that.
Reply 18
Also what is a good technique of doing really well in them? (Getting A's)

My mates all say do past papers. Literally. But it doesnt make sense to me. How can you do papers if you haven't finished the module content??
Reply 19
Original post by exam2k10
Also what is a good technique of doing really well in them? (Getting A's)

My mates all say do past papers. Literally. But it doesnt make sense to me. How can you do papers if you haven't finished the module content??


hi..maybe doing it section by section will help for example if you've learnt a whole chapter from school revise your notes then attempt past paper questions ONLY on that section..then slowly keep doing that for rest of sections..and then finally after covering everything do them all under timed conditions

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