This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Revision books vs websites

I have to prepare for my BMAT (admissions test for med school) where there is one part on GCSE science and math and I never took a GCSE course before. I was just wondering what's the best to study with: Revision books or websites (or both)? Any recommendations for good revision books?

Thank you.

Reply 1

*River

15

Websites generally only take your revision to a certain level, GCSE B standard, which probably isn't good enough. The CGP guides aren't as fantastic as everybody makes them out to be, but they're OK for Sciences. Also, the Letts study guides are pretty good. If you download the sylabusses off on of the exam board's websites (for the Sciences they're all fairly similar) and have a look at what you need to learn. But if you're studying for medicine, you've been studying the sciences (well, maybe not physics) so you should know beyond the GCSE level, although some stuff probably won't appear at A-Level or equivalent. In reguards to the Maths, half the stuff that comes up at GCSE is a joke, and the other half difficult, but you're probably doing maths so I'd say you'll be OK.

Reply 2

Pasci

OP

So, do you think, if I buy this book: "GCSE Double Science Complete Revision & Practice" from CGP books and study everything I don't know yet from my IB syllabus, I'll be fine? What is the difference between foundation and higher double science courses? I have to study key stage 4 double sciences, is that Higher or foundation courses?
Last question :wink:

: I know about half of the bio, half of the chem syllabus and nothing whatsoever of the Physics syllabus (it's so long ago that I took physics). If I study every day 3-4 hours, do you think I can make it in 8 weeks?

Thanks so much to everyone who is replying to my thread. :smile:

Reply 3

Champagne Breakfast

16

I just learnt the syllabus for single-award science and got A*, and I hate sciences :P If you learn the syllabus well (definitions etc) and do the 'Candidates should be able' things you should get to A* standard with much less work than using a study guide and learning all the detailed crap - but then again if you haven't covered any of it in class a study guide might be helpful as it talks you through it.. up to you - do you want to understand it well or learn it by rote and pass the exam with arguably less work - although I guess for med school you will be taking sciences etc more seriously than I was in which case a study guide, alongside the syllabus, is probably better for you

And yeah 3-4 hours a day in 8 weeks is plenty I think - you could probably do that in a week/two if you worked that rate

Reply 4

sheepgirl

2

I'd say a combination of working from websites, revision books and GCSE syllabuses (which can be viewed andprinted from exam boards)

Websites - Generally have a good amount of information and sometimes are better at explaining things with the use of technology etc. BBC Bitesize coveres differnt levels of study so that you can start at foundation level and work yoursel up to higher level.

Revision guides - You have to search around for a revision guide that you will find useful. I know alot of people like the CGP guides but I personally find them to crowded with information and too samey. I used the Bitesize Maths, German and RE guides and they were very helpful and well set out. Especially for maths. Havinga paper copy of something (rather than a website) means that you dont have to find it on the internet and you can also highlight or mark your book with notes that help you.

Syllabus' - These are very useful as all the information you need to know for a particular exam are on it. You have to go in depth a little more, but the basic facts are all there. You could use it as a checklist or revise from it.

Hope that helped a bit

Reply 5

Pasci

OP

Thank you all so much.
I think, I'll buy my self the cgp double science revision guide, use some websites, use the syllabus and then rock the BMAT :wink:

Reply 6

Champagne Breakfast

16

Good plan - although I personally wouldn't recommend using websites

Reply 7

Pigmy Goat

Revision books are better as the information is specific to your syllabus usually, whereas websites include information that may not be needed to know - good for learning new dates in history though

Reply 8

-G-a-v-

16

Revision guides everytime. The only online resource I ever liked was SAMlearning, and I only went on that because our school signed everyone upto it lol

Reply 9

henryt

17

I wouldn't bother buying revision books especially for the BMAT, since they can be pricey at £7-10 a go. I would, however, use the webistes, but carefully, since many are flawed or show only a very basic understanding.

The best thing to do would be to get some past BMAT papers, available free from their website (Click here!), and practice them, and then mark them with the provided mark schemes, and also to go through the GCSE syllabus for each subject in question with your old GCSE textbooks at hand.

Just make sure you are prepared for the type of question that can come up. I would also recommend "refreshing" your logic and maths skills by doing puzzles etc. for the "Problem Solving" part of the paper.

Reply 10

Pasci

OP

The thing is that I never took any GCSE course. So while others will just have to refresh their mind, I have to study quite a bit of stuff from the very beginning. The past BMAT papers are certainly useful, but there is only one for each section. That's not a lot. Personally, I think BMAT is a pretty weird concept to test one's aptitude for med school.

Reply 11

ob2005

1

jus download the syllabus. thats the best thing. thats wot i used for my gcese.

Revision books vs websites

Related discussions

Articles for you