GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?
Discussion for GCSE students, including those studying for IGCSEs and O Levels.
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GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?It's just so hard to revise! I've done my GCSE Physics P1 early this month and I did terribly, I probably got a D! I'm in Year 9 and it's a nightmare. I've got Biology in May and only have two months to revise (which is plenty of time) but I just don't know how to revise, I'll end up in the exam like my Physics exam ending up with a D.
My teacher keeps telling me the exams aren't resitable, and if I get a D then my life is literally over and now we're not allowed to resit any exams. If I do get a D, I'll be placed into Foundation Biology and highest I'll get is a C. She keeps telling me that even when I'm in college/sixth form I still won't be able to do the exams again. But as far as I know, you can do GCSE exams again when you're in College, so don't know what shes on about.
I've also got to revise Maths, I'm in Set 4 and I just managed to get into Higher, if I hadn't of done so well in the Calculator mock test which determines sets then I would have ended up in Foundation.
I just want to know, how do you guys manage? How did you revise? I tried revising Maths and Biology but I end up forgetting everything the next day. It's like my brain just doesn't want to remember anything. -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?Thank god. Still annoyed, I'll probably fail Science.(Original post by TonyH663)
You can resit exams.
I used to love Science, but ever since GCSE I've pretty much failed at it. Hopefully in Year 10 I can do Core Science again rather than starting Additional Science, can you do that?
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?Edexcel, and I'm using a CGP guide but I still can't remember anything when using them. This is like the first time I've ever revised for anything.(Original post by Bellissima)
what board are you on? CGP guides at GCSE are a LIFE SAVER.
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?For a start, I think she's just trying to scare you in to revising really hard and getting a decent grade etc.
Secondly, if everyone in your school does really badly, surely you'll still be in One of the higher sets.
Don't let it get you down and just to as much revision to a point where you feel comfortable going in to the exam. -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?I was no good at GCSE Maths or Science. GCSEs are not the be-all and end-all. Well, from my experience I did Core in year 10 and Additional in year 11. So yes, you can.(Original post by itssketan)
Thank god. Still annoyed, I'll probably fail Science.
I used to love Science, but ever since GCSE I've pretty much failed at it. Hopefully in Year 10 I can do Core Science again rather than starting Additional Science, can you do that?
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?GCSEs in Year 9????
When I did them they were in year 10 and 11. If they were module tests you can retake them.
SATs tests and Mocks are a bunch of w*nk anyway-by the time you have your actual GCSEs you'll have learnt everything (theorectically) and you should have had lots of exam practice in class.
If your GCSEs don't work out just do them again- Maths and Science are available in most colleges as are Science. All the other ones depend-if your course is specific to a subject you may have failed just do a First Diploma (equivalent to 4x Cs in that subject) and then get onto the course you want to do with that -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?Ahh this is the new syllabus where there are no resits, you poor poor thing. I haven't got a clue why they're trying to push you into them so early. Firstly which board are you on? Secondly the best way to revise is always memory retreaval, this is posh speak for getting people to ask you questions, do this constantly until you get all of them right all of the time, also use past papers, from the old syllabus if necessary and do all of them. Thirdly don't worry too much, if you are doing seperate sciences then these exams count for less than 1/6 of the course as a whole. Good Luck!
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?Yeah, in Year 9 the whole school has to sit Science, even the lowest set pupils. Some people like me only do Physics and Biology, smarter students do Physics, Biology and Chemistry. We're doing Chemistry in Year 10.(Original post by 117r)
What is this ridiculousness?!
Do you seriously have to sit GCSEs in Year 9?! -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?When I was in school, I did a Year 9 'Arts' GCSE, but I think it has been scrapped. Schools tend to do them in things they specialise in, probably just to make themselves look better or for more funding.(Original post by 117r)
What is this ridiculousness?!
Do you seriously have to sit GCSEs in Year 9?!
OP, perhaps try a different type of revision? For my GCSEs I did lots of mind maps, so perhaps pick a topic and put it all on a mindmap to help you visualise it
Depends how you like to learn it all, good luck.
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?Wait, so even when I'm in College I can't resit them? Oh, well thats just perfect.(Original post by gmseahorse)
Ahh this is the new syllabus where there are no resits, you poor poor thing. I haven't got a clue why they're trying to push you into them so early. Firstly which board are you on? Secondly the best way to revise is always memory retreaval, this is posh speak for getting people to ask you questions, do this constantly until you get all of them right all of the time, also use past papers, from the old syllabus if necessary and do all of them. Thirdly don't worry too much, if you are doing seperate sciences then these exams count for less than 1/6 of the course as a whole. Good Luck!
The whole of Year 9 pretty much failed. I'm sure once they realise it they'll allow us to resit again. -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?The new science couse is really weired in terms of resits. You can resit the exams or coursework, but if you do then you must resit at least 40% of the course: so either two exams or one exam and the coursework. So if you got a D in Physics, A in Biology, A in Chemistry and A in the ISA, then you'd have to resit one of the A's with the D. So yes, you can resit, it's just quite difficult. These are the rues for AQA btw, but I think it's the same for every exam board.
About the revision, get a really good guide (CGP is great) and make big mind maps on every topic. Make them colourful and add symbols or pictures to help you remeber. Look at these and make notes on them to get them into your head. Once you think you know your stuff, try a past paper. Then revise the areas you got bad marks in or found hard for the paper. Hope this helped
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?You can DEFINETELY resit these exams, depsite what your teachers are saying... they're probably just trying to scare you into revising. Don't stress too much, and I can imagine that having to do them in Year 9 is a bit of a worry. Try BBC bitesize, I used to find that quite useful for GCSE. The CGP guides are also good. Just try not to panic, you'll be fine
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?To be honest it's about time schools did GCSEs earlier, they're just not very hard. I don't remember revising for my GCSEs(Original post by 117r)
What is this ridiculousness?!
Do you seriously have to sit GCSEs in Year 9?! -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?The new papers are really hard and completely different. In KS3, you learn all that stuff about food chains, organisms, life processes and all that. Imagine having a year less to learn that, and half a year to learn totally new things which you've never learned about?(Original post by QuantBrain)
To be honest it's about time schools did GCSEs earlier, they're just not very hard. I don't remember revising for my GCSEs
It's easier for you, because when you did it half of the knowledge and information is from the the three years (including Year 9) of KS3. We have a year less of KS3 and we don't learn anything of GCSE previously, its all new. -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?As far as I am aware you may well be able to resit at college by taking a different exam board, I was told by my physics teacher that you lot couldn't resit stuff any more, however it might just be that if you resit you have to take the resit grade rather than the higher of the two. Which exam board are you on??????(Original post by itssketan)
Wait, so even when I'm in College I can't resit them? Oh, well thats just perfect.
The whole of Year 9 pretty much failed. I'm sure once they realise it they'll allow us to resit again. -
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Re: GCSE exams in Year 9 is just too hard! How to revise?Edexcel, which doesn't allow resits as far as I know at this point. If I do OCR or AQA in college they might allow me to do it again.(Original post by gmseahorse)
As far as I am aware you may well be able to resit at college by taking a different exam board, I was told by my physics teacher that you lot couldn't resit stuff any more, however it might just be that if you resit you have to take the resit grade rather than the higher of the two. Which exam board are you on??????
Depends how you like to learn it all, good luck.
