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Best way to revise with past papers?

Many people say on TSR that past papers are imperative for success and I have completed lots of them. Although I'm wondering what I should do next: correct the answers and memorise them or leave it and move on? Also, before I sat the past papers (which I did recently) should I have done any revision in advance?

Without revision in two AQA Chemistry Unit 1 papers, I got As on both but was reluctant when it came to correcting/reviewing my answers and so I left it.

How can past papers be used effectively to attain the top grades?
Reply 1
Avatar for Ribenas
Ribenas
11
Original post by Jamie Vardy
Many people say on TSR that past papers are imperative for success and I have completed lots of them. Although I'm wondering what I should do next: correct the answers and memorise them or leave it and move on? Also, before I sat the past papers (which I did recently) should I have done any revision in advance?

Without revision in two AQA Chemistry Unit 1 papers, I got As on both but was reluctant when it came to correcting/reviewing my answers and so I left it.

How can past papers be used effectively to attain the top grades?


It's mainly for application of knowledge. You can know everything and still get a mediocre grade but if you are good at application you can hit those top grades.
Reply 2
Avatar for aamirac
aamirac
20
1) do the past paper
2) mark it
3) revise the topic you didn't do so well on
4) reapeat the paper again to rectify your mistakes
5) reapet 1-4 until you get 100% on the paper

* Also try and do it in times conditions
Reply 3
Avatar for Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy
OP
3
Original post by aamirac
1) do the past paper
2) mark it
3) revise the topic you didn't do so well on
4) reapeat the paper again to rectify your mistakes
5) reapet 1-4 until you get 100% on the paper

* Also try and do it in times conditions


Good advice, thank you!
Original post by Jamie Vardy
Many people say on TSR that past papers are imperative for success and I have completed lots of them. Although I'm wondering what I should do next: correct the answers and memorise them or leave it and move on? Also, before I sat the past papers (which I did recently) should I have done any revision in advance?

Without revision in two AQA Chemistry Unit 1 papers, I got As on both but was reluctant when it came to correcting/reviewing my answers and so I left it.

How can past papers be used effectively to attain the top grades?


Past papers are good because you will know exactly what the examiner is looking for in terms of wording/strucutre of an answer.
I feel the educational system is flawed in a sense that different exam boards require different wordings of things which are technically right for someone to gain marks.
So you need to be familiar with how the mark scheme is and what the trends in the questions they may ask.
Maybe if you had corrected your answers and then learn from it you'll be getting A*'s and not just A's? Past paper correction is so important, this is coming from someone who is doing A level Chemistry and got an A* at GCSE chemistry.
Doing past papers works best for me if I have a mixture of ones that I do as if it were a real exam and ones which are more open-book. That way I can find out exactly what I need to put into my answers to get the marks as well as testing myself to find out what I don't know. Works well.
Reply 6
Avatar for jamestg
jamestg
21
Original post by Jamie Vardy
Many people say on TSR that past papers are imperative for success and I have completed lots of them. Although I'm wondering what I should do next: correct the answers and memorise them or leave it and move on? Also, before I sat the past papers (which I did recently) should I have done any revision in advance?

Without revision in two AQA Chemistry Unit 1 papers, I got As on both but was reluctant when it came to correcting/reviewing my answers and so I left it.

How can past papers be used effectively to attain the top grades?


Complete past paper
Mark
Correct mistakes
Revise areas you made mistakes and do some extra work in that area
Redo question you got wrong
Cycle begins

This cycle should only start once you feel comfortable and have revised EVERYTHING
I'd say revise all topics from that subject from your notes, videos etc and then (without the mark scheme) try do the past papers the best you can near the day of the exam. Then mark them, make note of what the right answers are and revise those topics again! Good luck :wink:
Reply 8
Avatar for ik2003
ik2003
1
Original post by tcameron
Past papers are good because you will know exactly what the examiner is looking for in terms of wording/strucutre of an answer.
I feel the educational system is flawed in a sense that different exam boards require different wordings of things which are technically right for someone to gain marks.
So you need to be familiar with how the mark scheme is and what the trends in the questions they may ask.
Maybe if you had corrected your answers and then learn from it you'll be getting A*'s and not just A's? Past paper correction is so important, this is coming from someone who is doing A level Chemistry and got an A* at GCSE chemistry.


from how far back should i download papers from? like papers from 10 years ago all the way to now or are 5 year old papers enough? im not sure how old of a paper would be too old.

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