This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Are some students naturally gifted or just VERY well prepared for exams??

Scroll to see replies

I think you're wrong. I rely on natural ability a lot, and I don't revise, I cram. I can hold most stuff to do with maths in my head from the first time I see it. English on the other hand, I can't remember quotes for toffee so I rely on last minute cramming to retain quotes at the forefront of my mind. Motivation is all but non-existant for me since I'm extremely lazy, and I don't care about my grades so long as they are good enough to get me into uni.

A-levels are a means to an end, and basically a memory test.

Reply 41

Jxhn

Meh
A Levels are just a memory test i totally agree
photographic memory? It certainly can get you easy A's in some subjects. Things like chemistry are a lot more application based though, maths too.

I like to think im fairly bright, and can revise really badly and get crap grades (ABBC) at AS, and revise well and directed and get good grades (All A's in Jan, resits + 4 new papers)

Its about marrying natual adaptiveness of mind to take old skills to new situations, with a directed revision technique to teach yourself exam technique

Lets be honest, A levels are at least 30% exam technique, plus the 70% memory from earlier!

Reply 42

Negotiator

i dont know if am what i considered, but i learn what i learn in class and then revise about 1-2 days before the exam and seem to do well, this has been my method throughout my life so far.

Reply 43

Vincente

From my experience most straight A students (eassy based subjects) have a natural ability in writing exactly what the examiners/ mark schemes want to score top marks. But not necessarily being that exceptional on that particular subject.

Reply 44

kellywood_5

I think for A-levels, you definitely need both hard work (stemming from motivation) and a certain amount of natural ability to get top grades. Of course, a good school and a supportive family helps too. You can get by with one or the other at GCSE, but I'm not convinced this works for A-levels. It also depends on the subject, as some people have commented on throughout the thread. If you work hard throughout the year, you should do well, although a lack of natural ability could still hold you back. If you slack off throughout the year but have a lot of natural ability, I think you could get by with cramming, but not with no revision at all except in certain subjects. You have to remember that people don't always tell the truth though- just because they say they've done no revision, or hardly any, doesn't mean they haven't.

Reply 45

La française

I think it's unfair to suggest that people who say they haven't done any revision are lying - not everyone relies on revision in order to pass their exams. I personally find that if I apply myself in the lessons and work throughout the year revision is basically futile. I tend to quickly look over my notes the night before checking I know any basic info (ie dates, theorists etc etc) but the bulk of the information I don't revise. My theory is that people learn in different ways but we shouldn't condemn those who learn best during the year and don't therefore need revision (although I would not necessarily say this is what makes someone gifted either!)
I speak from experience when I say that for some people revision is not the be all and end all - I took 5 AS levels achieving As in all the modules without any revision apart from the night before. Everyone learns in different ways and assuming we achieve what we want to there is no need to change that! :smile:

Reply 46

Metal_Gear

A lot of people claim to have done no work cannot possibly get As. There is too much to learn for them to simply get the goods. They either took in every bit of information in class or done the work at home. OR they are like me, who simply looks at past papers, looks at specific things needed for revision and do the bare minimum to get the grades :biggrin:

Reply 47

hippygirljess

Judging on my own experiences, you've got to have a mixture really. I had to have a load of time off skl in yr6 and 8 and it made no difference to my results... but, it takes hell of a lot of hard work too, i've found, especially for A2 level. Friends who have passed on natural ability before are failing exams when doing no revision and wondering why... i think its intreguing! But its almost certainly a mix - unless ur supremely gifted! Also, no one can be gifted in everything - people who get 10A* must have had to work hell of a hard for at least 2 of those despite natural ability...
i'll stop going on now!

Reply 48

Toscaclarinet

I would say that there is no way you can just waltz into an exam without having done any work at all and still come out with full marks. I would have to say that I am probably one of the naturally gifted ones, because I have a really good memory and can remember most of the stuff we cover in lessons, so don't actually have to go and do the physical process of learning. I find that rather than just copying notes out, the best way for me to revise is to go through the syllabus and write a tonne of questions for me to answer that covers every topic in the exam, then answer all these questions. It's a threefold process that allows me to make sure that I do know everything off by heart, because I am checking the syllabus to see what I need to know (pretty useful in chemistry where our teacher gives us loads of degree level stuff in class as well), writing questions on it, and answering the questions, so it's like revising the syllabus through three times. I then just do loads of past papers.

I could probably still come out with As in my A-Level if I didn't do so much checking that I know everything, but I like to get full marks in my exams. I do revision, but I would say that quite a lot of it is futile because I know it anyway, but it is a confidence thing: I like to know that I know it.

Reply 49

Who me???

I'm one of those people who has had all A's so far (thats 10 AS modules and 3 A2 modules) but i think natural ability or no you've got to do some studying. Also, i really think the way a persons brought up and the life style they choose to lead has a great impact on how well they can do and how much studying they need to do...........for instance were you brought up to always do your hmewrk and do you choose to pay attention in class or chat with your mates instead. I think if a person works hard in lessons when it comes to exams they could do well with very little studying. However, some people are better at learning in general than others so i would say the 'naturally gifted' person does exist.

Reply 50

Historiana

I'd say some people are gifted at doing well in exmas, but others can be equally so in being very well prepared.

Reply 51

sebbie

Personally I've never really seen the point in working flat out to get 100s, I have done very little work the last 2 years and should still get A's in Further Maths, Maths, Physics and Chemistry and a B in English Lit. Don't really see the point in working like a dog to get 300/300....

Reply 52

Je$$ica

i dont care, personally, about full marks. As long as i get the grades that are good - and i mean good relative to me and my own goals - then i really dont feel the need to run around telling my friends i got 100 percent in all my modules etc etc, as some of the kids at my college do.

Sometimes i think people mistakenly attribute their success with natural ability. For example, i would have said that i am naturally talented in English Lit/Lang, and so i dont really revise but still do very well. However, when i think about it i've worked ridiculously hard throughout my years in education and i guess that's just all paying off with giving me a little revision break now.

Reply 53

7589200

sebbie

yeah very true

I think what tends to happen is that people work very hard on their modules because they want to have a better understanding of it (ie. for university interviews or olympiads or whatever) and then just end up doing so well as a consequence. I dunno, maybe there are some people that work hard for the sake of it!??!

Reply 54

0oemancipatedo0

Ive gotten A's in all my modules in the last 2 years and the only time i revised was during my Jan exams. Not trying to say im a genius or anything coz im anything but lol. I just make sure i understand stuff as we go along because when it comes to studying i have a short attention span. I can read a novel over time but could never sit down and read for more than 25minutes at a time lol. Its retarded i know. But in the same way that some people can not study and do well...other can sit there and revise for hours. I have so much admiration for people that can study for hours lol Need to learn to for uni though

Reply 55

sebbie

yeah i can vaguely see the point at AS, in Physics I managed to get 283 (not that high by some peoples standards) but its meant this year has been no harder work than AS (it really couldnt hvae been more relaxed lol!) but no real point aiming to get 600/600 imo, better off doing an extra subject or an AEA.....

Reply 56

Neodr31

I think it is true that natural ability plays a part, as does having a good memory. Memory is where i fall down greatly, which is why my performance on synoptic exams is usualy worse than on just normal moduler ones. I think that a lot of the time grades are dependant upon the marker you get, and it worries me greatly. If you get a harsh marker, on a paper out of say 75 where + or - 6 or 7 marks can make all the difference having a nice or a nasty marker could make or break it.

Of course there is no way to avoid this, but i certainly do get scepticle sometimes. There's a guy in my biology class who constantly got A's in the assessments and he is easily the best biologist in the class, and he got a B in january, only marginally better than my B and i am terrible at biology, usualy got C's in the assessments. And on the other extreme there was a guy who always got E's and D's on assessments and didnt know much about biology, who got an A in the test.

Could just have been luck, but i think the marker has a lot to do with it. Especially on very precise mark scheme's like AqA ones. Some examiners will stick very closely and not award certain marks, while others will see the student simply missed one of the words, or worded it another way, and will award the marks.