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How to get an A in AS Government and Politics?

Hi there,

I'm currently studying for AS Politics and I'm wondering how I can achieve an A grade.
At the moment I'm using the hodder education textbook, but this is too bulky with pointless facts. I've been attempting to condense the information in the textbook but it is very difficult.
Last time I did an exam I got a B, but recently got a C.

Anyone who has done well in this subject, please advise me! What is an effective method to retain information? Posters?

Thank you!

Reply 1

Professor Purple

Original post by YaYazooGirl

Use the individual unit guides, very useful :smile:

Reply 2

NikolaT

Once you make the notes from the book, they'll be worth it. When you add your class/homework notes to them they'll be even better.

Start planning on the topics you're sure you're going to cover. Make sure you have plenty of essay practice. Keep uptodate with news and facts, etc.

Reply 3

Piledriver

Though out the year I made sure I was confident on the definitions, making sure I had 5 relevant points memorised for each of the possible 5 mark questions- once you memorise examples/quotes to assist your definitions you'll have loads of background knowledge that you can apply to most exam questions. I only revised for two topics in both units as I didn't start revising until the day before my exam.. I memorised the for/against arguments for all the reoccurring exam questions, and then about 30-ish stats, facts and dates that I could use as examples to back up. For me, it was all about making sure the examples I took with me into the exam could be applied to numerous questions :smile:

Reply 4

antigone-

The myrevisionnotes textbooks are also really useful!

Reply 5

bronwencerimarsh

Mark schemes!!!! Literally the best thing you can use. You see specifically what the examiner wants and a lot of the time, the same or very similar questions come up from previous years :smile:

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Reply 6

Shaqk

I got a B in this exam 79 UMS marks ;S But im retaking it to get an A. I wont suggest much revision techniques because every individual is different and has their own ways of doing things, but doing past exams papers is a REALLY good tactic to use. Most chief examiners simply recycle questions, they may word them differently but in essence, its the same thing. Do every single past question there is, and revise over them.

Reply 7

eatthetree

Are you taking Edexcel?

Reply 8

Bonnie and Clyde

I'm guessing you're doing Edexcel, right?

For the first exam (People and Politics) there's four topics: Democracy, Elections, Political Parties and Pressure Groups. In the exam you only have to complete 2 of those sections > my teacher told me to just learn 3 topics out of the 4 and she's been telling people that for years now. We were taught all four of them and individually selected the ones we would like to do in the exam. If you're finding one difficult (personally, pressure groups was difficult for me), don't learn it. As long as you know three ready for the exam you're good to go. I'm not sure if your teacher has said the same, but my teacher said it was perfectly fine lol.

I was an idiot though so I only decided to learn Democracy and Elections instead when I was supposed to learn Political Parties also. I got out lucky since the questions that came up for those two topics were the stuff I revised the night before.

For the second exam (governing the UK) you must learn EVERY topic... I was an idiot again and only learnt three but got out lucky.

I got an A last year though and most of my revision consisted of doing past papers. I highly recommend past papers, there's only a limited amount of questions they can ask you on certain topics and chances are, the question that will come up in your exam in June will be questions that you've already come across. Around this time last year I was doing maybe 1 or 2 25 mark questions (+45 marks for unit 2) every week as revision, weeks before the exam I was doing several every day. That way, I knew every single possible question that could come up lol.

Reply 9

eatthetree

•

Should have an intro on what you will talk about and the side you will be arguing for

•

25 marker should have 4 points in it

•

A balanced argument (You can't get high marks without a balanced argument)

•

Use of political terminology for high AO3 level

•

Use up to date examples/evidence

•

Make a clear judgment on your conclusion

•

Link back to the question for your final sentence in the paragraph

I like to use this structure for helping me in exams...

Intro

Para 1 For
Point
Evidence
Explain

Para 2 Against
Point
Evidence
Explain

Para 3 For
Point
Evidence
Explain

Para 4 Against
Point
Evidence
Explain

Conc.

------------------------------------------

This is the structure I use for the 25 Marker.

I always write a plan to begin with. I whack down anything relevant to the question and then block everything out in a bullet points before starting the answer.

I go alternate in case I run out of time in the exam. Better to have a balanced short 25 marker then not balanced. If you are running out of time finish the paragraph your on and move to your conclusion and focus on making it a good one. It should be chunky, weighing up all the points and making a clear judgment.

Note: Mark schemes only used to ask for 3 points to gain level 3 marks however now they seem to be asking for 4 points. Also this is a rough guide, questions are worded differently as well meaning you may need to change your structure accordingly. I would make a guide for each of the types of questions they could word. E.g. "Asses the advantaged, to what extent.... etc."

Look at a model answer or mark scheme to find out exactly what they require to get the top levels in order to be getting 20+ out of 25.

Hope this helps, any further questions don't hesitate to ask

Reply 10

Lewis7253

I didn't do a lot of past questions last year but still got an A. I usually made notes from the main textbooks and typed them all up into a sort of home made revision guide. Making the revision guides helped me revise as well as reading them.

If you know the topic inside out you will be able to write more about it in a shorter amount of time.

I got 82 and 87 last year (AQA) but i'm going for an A* in A2

Reply 11

victoria1998

I'm in Year 12 studying this course! We use Andrew Haywood's edition to work from. It's brilliant!

We just got our mock results back, I got a B+ and I used it to revise from. As the others have said we've been told it's all about:

Point
Explain
Explain x2 (link back to the question)
Example
Conclude

STICK TO THE STRUCTURE! Know your stuff, and you'll be fine!

Reply 12

zoejacobs

Hi!
I know I can use the past papers that are on the edexcel website but because there's only a limited amount of questions on them and I think the syllabus was altered in 2013, is there anywhere else you know that I could get past questions from?
Thank you!

Reply 13

Shaqk