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When is the best time to begin revising for exams and how do you get started?

student revising with books concept art

Here are some top tips to get your exam revision up and running

Starting your revision early gives you plenty of time to make sure you understand key concepts and ideas before your exams – and it'll put you in a good position to avoid the stress of last-minute cramming. 

Follow these tips from the The Student Room community to get your revision for the 2025 exams off to a flying start. 

And you can also head over to our study help forums to speak to other students about their revision.

Take our quiz to get personalised recommendations and resources to help you ace your exams...


Make a plan

Before you start revising, it's worth making a revision timetable. Add in all the subjects you need to cover, and give yourself plenty of breaks too.

Once you've covered a topic, return to it regularly and test your knowledge. Seeing yourself gradually improve can be a good confidence boost as well.

"The trick to successful revision is to make a good timetable. I clock in three hours every evening with each hour for one subject and on weekends six hours (in two-hour slots – don't want too much stress)."

I_joker007

"I used spaced repetition for my A-level exams! I really feel like it did help me to learn.

For psychology I used it to learn psychologists names, as well as brief summaries of the studies. In maths I used it to memorise trig identities/product rule and in physics I used it to learn the many definitions."

Lauren___e
Read more: how to make a revision timetable you'll actually stick to

 

student reading concept art

Sort out the best stationery for revision

Using a range of stationery can help you keep things fresh with different revision methods  – as well as helping you keep your notes organised.

Below you'll find a table for suggested stationery for revision.

Stationery for revision
  • Pencils
  • Coloured pens
  • Highlighters
  • Plain, lined or squared paper
  • Flashcards
  • Sticky notes
  • Ruler


And here's what you could take into your exams. You may need more or less stationery for specific exams, but you'll be told this by your teachers beforehand. 

Stationery for your exams
  • Black pens 
  • A clear pencil case
  • Calculator (depending on your subjects)


The Student Room community also has some top tips for using stationery:

"I am a very visual learner and like to use a lot of colour on my notes. I like to use the Bic Crystal coloured pens, A3 paper to brainstorm and regular lined paper for notes.

"I find use of colour helps me to remember things and helps to distinguish certain topics."

hallamstudents

"I suggest buying lots of lined paper, it's really high quality. If you buy a few pads for each subjects then you can easily keep all your notes in one place."

BTAnonymous

"Stick Post-it notes around the house with random facts on them."

CalicoP
notetaking concept art

Get your notes up to date

Getting all your notes together is a good way to make sure there aren't any gaps in your knowledge.

There are a few ways you can make sure you have all the information you need, like going over your textbook, finding YouTube videos on your subject or borrowing other people’s notes.

Once you’ve got notes on all your topics, organise them so they’re easy to find when you want to refer back to them. 

"I'm making sure all my notes are in order, and starting to prepare revision materials for the future – I know the future me will be grateful for it during exam season!"

Obiejess

"For notes, I re-write the textbook but in my own style, like I would write it in an exam. No bullet points, abbreviations or shortened sentences.

"When I'm done writing notes, reading it out loud flows so easily, because it isn't the textbooks information anymore, it's mine and it's personalised."

basicallykaya
past paper concept art

Past papers are your friend

Regularly taking past papers is a great way to get ready for your exams. You'll get used to answering questions and – if you're checking your work against the mark scheme – you'll be able to see the areas you need to work on.

There are loads of papers available online, as well as examiner’s reports and exam specifications. Taking advantage of these resources should help you understand what the exam board is looking for in your answers.

"I went through as many past papers as I could first, but I did them timed and with no resources. Then I marked them all! 

"Then afterwards, all the ones I had failed, I would revise those topics and do the past papers again."

burnatte4
Read more: how to use past papers to ace your exams

 

Use active revision

Instead of reading your notes, try turning them into a mind maps or making question-and-answer flashcards.

You could also explain the topic to someone who doesn't know anything about it, so you'll be thinking about how to clearly explain the information to them.

Taking a more active approach to your revision can help you use what you've learned in different ways, which can help you when you're answering questions in an exam.

"Explain whatever you want to learn to your grandparents! One of the best ways to see if you actually know something is to be able to explain it to people with no previous knowledge on that topic."

LarissaAlves

"My friend used to learn things by arguing. I spent what felt like hours giving weird nonsensical arguments about historical stuff I hadn't a clue about. They learnt it though and did well in the exams."

furryface12
Read more: how to study effectively for your exams

 

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Article by Ryan Lunn on Monday 05 February 2018
Last edited by Nik Taylor on Monday 16 December 2024