The Student Room Group

How to get As & A*s at GCSE???

TO ALL SIXTHFORMERS: I'm working on my GCSE's and would like some help with revision.
Some questions:
How long did you revise for each day or week?
Did you revise different subjects each night?
What revision techniques and resources did you use?
Did you use different revision techniques for different subjects?
What grades did you get in which subjects?

All help is greatly appreciated..

Scroll to see replies

I'm an A2 student now so have had public exams for the last 2 years so I'd say the following:

1. Be honest with yourself about where you are in relation to where you want to be. If you want an A* in maths say and get an A* with no revision currently, then you probably don't need to spend huge amounts of time on maths which could be better used elsewhere (obviously don't get complacent though), and obviously the opposite applies where your current achievement is drastically dissimilar to your aims.

2. If you prepare properly, you should never be worried about an exam. As long as you have prepared properly the exam is just an opportunity to show off what you know. At the upper ends of the spectrum, i.e. you want an A*, for stuff like sciences and maths you should be able to get to a point where you know everything they can ask you, and if you reach this point there is no need to be worried because they can't ask you anything you don't know (use the spec). If you get stuck in the exam on maths or sciences, you just need to work out what part of knowledge which you already have if you prepared properly can be applied to the situation in the question.

3. Revise hard but also make time to do other stuff. As a general rule I typically don't do revision after around 8:30 meaning i have plenty of time to relax watch tv etc. Obviously in the middle of exams you've got to do what you've got to do, but if you know you are ready for something don't feel as if you have to do more just because other people are.

4. As far as actual revision i mainly just read notes so i knew the content and then did past papers. Started in Easter holidays and how much i did per day varied massively on my mood
just work a little bit everyday
follow a plan that helps even if youre not good at following it like me:colondollar:
it shows deadline and this pressurises you to do the work

use colours and mind maps
and Q cards are more useful than i thought:h:

work hard
and good luck:smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by samb1234
I'm an A2 student now so have had public exams for the last 2 years so I'd say the following:

1. Be honest with yourself about where you are in relation to where you want to be. If you want an A* in maths say and get an A* with no revision currently, then you probably don't need to spend huge amounts of time on maths which could be better used elsewhere (obviously don't get complacent though), and obviously the opposite applies where your current achievement is drastically dissimilar to your aims.

2. If you prepare properly, you should never be worried about an exam. As long as you have prepared properly the exam is just an opportunity to show off what you know. At the upper ends of the spectrum, i.e. you want an A*, for stuff like sciences and maths you should be able to get to a point where you know everything they can ask you, and if you reach this point there is no need to be worried because they can't ask you anything you don't know (use the spec). If you get stuck in the exam on maths or sciences, you just need to work out what part of knowledge which you already have if you prepared properly can be applied to the situation in the question.

3. Revise hard but also make time to do other stuff. As a general rule I typically don't do revision after around 8:30 meaning i have plenty of time to relax watch tv etc. Obviously in the middle of exams you've got to do what you've got to do, but if you know you are ready for something don't feel as if you have to do more just because other people are.

4. As far as actual revision i mainly just read notes so i knew the content and then did past papers. Started in Easter holidays and how much i did per day varied massively on my mood


Thank you for your help:smile:
Reply 4
Original post by Ishea16
just work a little bit everyday
follow a plan that helps even if youre not good at following it like me:colondollar:
it shows deadline and this pressurises you to do the work

use colours and mind maps
and Q cards are more useful than i thought:h:

work hard
and good luck:smile:


Thank you and good luck to you too
Original post by zuzanak16
Thank you and good luck to you too


thanks:h:
i seriously need it
Reply 6
Original post by Ishea16
thanks:h:
i seriously need it

What subjects are you studying?
Original post by zuzanak16
What subjects are you studying?


erm
biology
chemistry
physics
maths
and critical thinking but thats just for UKCAT
Reply 8
Original post by Ishea16
erm
biology
chemistry
physics
maths
and critical thinking but thats just for UKCAT

Wow, I admire people who choose that combination because I've heard these are the more complicated A-levels, so lots of luck.
Original post by zuzanak16
Wow, I admire people who choose that combination because I've heard these are the more complicated A-levels, so lots of luck.


a lot of them choose this but not many make it
lets see where i end up lol
Original post by zuzanak16
TO ALL SIXTHFORMERS: I'm working on my GCSE's and would like some help with revision.
Some questions:
How long did you revise for each day or week?
Did you revise different subjects each night?
What revision techniques and resources did you use?
Did you use different revision techniques for different subjects?
What grades did you get in which subjects?

All help is greatly appreciated..


Hi, I'm currently in year 12 so the memories of GCSEs are still fresh in my mind.

Only you can truly know how much revision you need to do. If you are striving for A*s but are currently getting Bs, then you will have to put in more work. However, if you are already close to your own personal aims, you may be able to get away with putting in less work than you might think.

For me personally, I tended to read text books/ revision guides and write my own notes, but the important thing is finding the revision strategy that works for you. My advice is to try them all: mind maps, note taking, reading books, watching videos on the topic etc. there are plenty of options.

Most importantly, don't stress yourself out- they aren't the end of the world!
If you have any questions, I'm happy to help.
Original post by zuzanak16
TO ALL SIXTHFORMERS: I'm working on my GCSE's and would like some help with revision.
Some questions:
How long did you revise for each day or week?
Did you revise different subjects each night?
What revision techniques and resources did you use?
Did you use different revision techniques for different subjects?
What grades did you get in which subjects?

All help is greatly appreciated..


I got all A's, except 3 a*s in english lit+lang and history, and a C in spanish
I would suggest that you start your proper revision now and it will save you a lot of stress around May-June time.
I used the CGP books for science they literally saved my life and I learnt 3 years of material for the first time in like 2 months. If you have a good memory use highlighters and just highlight key points in the CGP books when you read for the first time and then repeat the sentences out loud. Then repeat the whole section out loud until its in your head, so basically memorise it. If your memory isn't as good, then try to memorise the section then open a microsoft word document and type out what you remember word for word, then look back at the section and see what you missed out and keep working at it until you've learn it.
For maths I used mathswatch (if your school doesn't offer this you can message me for mine), and I would make really messy notes on plain paper and answer the questions with her on paper. Mathswatch is better for when you're kind of familiar with the topic already so if you know its new and you're not familiar with it, search the topic in youtube and learn it from scratch first. I started with the grade D topics and made my way to grade A/A*. You don't need to know every single topic to get an A/B grade, but the more you know the better because the A* topics you're great at might not be the ones that come up. Before I started the next grade I would print off all the worksheets, so when I started grade C, I would open all the videos in the number category (there are four categories under each grade, i think number geometry and algebra or something? but anyway) and then i'd click worksheet which is beneath the clip and print them all and then after each grade I'd do the worksheets. I think you can find the answers to the worksheets if you search mathwatch worksheet answers in google. Also for maths I'd suggest loads and loads and loadssss of past papers. then watch a youtube video of a teacher going through it. When I did my gcses in 2015 there was a channel that had all the papers and went through them but its been made private but theres another channel doing the same now called 'achieve maths'. Find a paper e.g June 2012, do it now and miss what you cant do and then learn all the grade D stuff then do it again then learn grade C and do it again then grade B+A and then again and whatevers left behind, watch the video and see what you missed out. Watch the whole video not just what you think you can't do because you'll see small marks you missed out and easier methods. Eventually I was so short of time I left mathswatch and just watched past paper solutions on youtube but you'll be okay if you start now.
I dont know what other subjects you do but for humanity subjects like geography, r.e, history just make your notes in order of the specification, you'll have time to make notes if you start now because theres a lot of material especially for history. Then write mini essays on the different topics if you have time, explain it to yourself to make sure its clear in your head because with these subjects its less memorising and more understanding. These are the kinds of subjects you can revise with other people for so maybe get a friend and ask each other exam questions and just say points you'd make to each other and keep your books in front of you to check you're right. (this is really nerdy i know but itll help you both.) Also try to become an expert at writing the answers in the format the examiners want, ask if your teacher has some example ideal answers?
For english language do lots of past papers and really look at the mark schemes in detail you'll find you you lose a lot of marks by not doing things that you didn't know were expected. Really analyse the texts you're given, I learnt that because in a past paper i did, there was a question about what a man would have had to do to ensure he would survive in [something i cant remember] and an answer was practise controlling his breathing, because of one line in the text that said 'he inhaled and exhaled slowly' or something but basically its small things that you miss and you need to write them down even if you think they mean nothing.
For english literature I had a really good teacher and she picked out every single detail of the texts/poems so if you have a good teacher who has given you good notes then you'll be okay as long as you do past papers, but if you're unsure then google some essays on characters in the texts you're doing or at some analysis of poems you're studying. Again I made notes on the themes and characters in both texts (an inspector calls and of mice and men) and i made notes on each poem (we did conflict) i think i may still have them so message me if ur interested
If you have coursework based technology like I did then keep going back to the teacher and asking how you can get it up to the next grade, ask to borrow the work of people getting A's and see whats on their coursework thats not on yours, i ********ted a lot of tech and my food tasted really bad but the photos looked amazing and I wrote a lot of technical stuff that made my cw look really good. Ask your teacher for a check list on everything you could hand in to get an A/B/whatever you're aiming for and then do it all slowly then tell them to mark it and then ask how you can improve. Don't be afraid to ask because they're there to help
I have absolutely no advice for languages I just passed because I did good on my coursework because I used absolutely all of the vocab she provided and strung together some paragraphs.
In the month before my exam I did like 12 hours of revision a day probably lol but its because I was meant to have a chilled 3 months until the exams but then i procrastinated loads and had to cram it into one month, but the only reason that was possible was because I made my notes in the christmas holidays so if you have no notes you won't get away with doing that and you should start now:smile:
Also if you have time and nice pens then make ur notes pretty and colourful because it motivates you and it makes it fun.
I didn't do different subjects each night I know that works for some people but personally I did like 4 days on b1, 4 days b3, a week maths, a week english, etc. and then after i had done it all once id start again but less days on each subject because I'd be more familiar with it. Then eventaully it was exam time and I made a timetable thing like with all the dates in the margin and then the exams in blue and my revision for that day in red. I'd revise every subject the day or two days before the exam and you wont be stressed because you've been doing it for the past few months. Try not to neglect any subject and even out your time for each one. Good luck, don't procrastinate and stay hydrated because it helps you revise for longer, and get a lot of sleep. and remember as long as you work hard now you should be happy with whatever grades you get!! :smile:
Reply 12
Original post by Ishea16
a lot of them choose this but not many make it
lets see where i end up lol

Yeah it seems to be a popular combination at A-level, best of luck :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by TomLFC98
Hi, I'm currently in year 12 so the memories of GCSEs are still fresh in my mind.

Only you can truly know how much revision you need to do. If you are striving for A*s but are currently getting Bs, then you will have to put in more work. However, if you are already close to your own personal aims, you may be able to get away with putting in less work than you might think.

For me personally, I tended to read text books/ revision guides and write my own notes, but the important thing is finding the revision strategy that works for you. My advice is to try them all: mind maps, note taking, reading books, watching videos on the topic etc. there are plenty of options.

Most importantly, don't stress yourself out- they aren't the end of the world!
If you have any questions, I'm happy to help.

Thank you :smile:
Reply 14
Original post by jiyongtoki
I got all A's, except 3 a*s in english lit+lang and history, and a C in spanish
I would suggest that you start your proper revision now and it will save you a lot of stress around May-June time.
I used the CGP books for science they literally saved my life and I learnt 3 years of material for the first time in like 2 months. If you have a good memory use highlighters and just highlight key points in the CGP books when you read for the first time and then repeat the sentences out loud. Then repeat the whole section out loud until its in your head, so basically memorise it. If your memory isn't as good, then try to memorise the section then open a microsoft word document and type out what you remember word for word, then look back at the section and see what you missed out and keep working at it until you've learn it.
For maths I used mathswatch (if your school doesn't offer this you can message me for mine), and I would make really messy notes on plain paper and answer the questions with her on paper. Mathswatch is better for when you're kind of familiar with the topic already so if you know its new and you're not familiar with it, search the topic in youtube and learn it from scratch first. I started with the grade D topics and made my way to grade A/A*. You don't need to know every single topic to get an A/B grade, but the more you know the better because the A* topics you're great at might not be the ones that come up. Before I started the next grade I would print off all the worksheets, so when I started grade C, I would open all the videos in the number category (there are four categories under each grade, i think number geometry and algebra or something? but anyway) and then i'd click worksheet which is beneath the clip and print them all and then after each grade I'd do the worksheets. I think you can find the answers to the worksheets if you search mathwatch worksheet answers in google. Also for maths I'd suggest loads and loads and loadssss of past papers. then watch a youtube video of a teacher going through it. When I did my gcses in 2015 there was a channel that had all the papers and went through them but its been made private but theres another channel doing the same now called 'achieve maths'. Find a paper e.g June 2012, do it now and miss what you cant do and then learn all the grade D stuff then do it again then learn grade C and do it again then grade B+A and then again and whatevers left behind, watch the video and see what you missed out. Watch the whole video not just what you think you can't do because you'll see small marks you missed out and easier methods. Eventually I was so short of time I left mathswatch and just watched past paper solutions on youtube but you'll be okay if you start now.
I dont know what other subjects you do but for humanity subjects like geography, r.e, history just make your notes in order of the specification, you'll have time to make notes if you start now because theres a lot of material especially for history. Then write mini essays on the different topics if you have time, explain it to yourself to make sure its clear in your head because with these subjects its less memorising and more understanding. These are the kinds of subjects you can revise with other people for so maybe get a friend and ask each other exam questions and just say points you'd make to each other and keep your books in front of you to check you're right. (this is really nerdy i know but itll help you both.) Also try to become an expert at writing the answers in the format the examiners want, ask if your teacher has some example ideal answers?
For english language do lots of past papers and really look at the mark schemes in detail you'll find you you lose a lot of marks by not doing things that you didn't know were expected. Really analyse the texts you're given, I learnt that because in a past paper i did, there was a question about what a man would have had to do to ensure he would survive in [something i cant remember] and an answer was practise controlling his breathing, because of one line in the text that said 'he inhaled and exhaled slowly' or something but basically its small things that you miss and you need to write them down even if you think they mean nothing.
For english literature I had a really good teacher and she picked out every single detail of the texts/poems so if you have a good teacher who has given you good notes then you'll be okay as long as you do past papers, but if you're unsure then google some essays on characters in the texts you're doing or at some analysis of poems you're studying. Again I made notes on the themes and characters in both texts (an inspector calls and of mice and men) and i made notes on each poem (we did conflict) i think i may still have them so message me if ur interested
If you have coursework based technology like I did then keep going back to the teacher and asking how you can get it up to the next grade, ask to borrow the work of people getting A's and see whats on their coursework thats not on yours, i ********ted a lot of tech and my food tasted really bad but the photos looked amazing and I wrote a lot of technical stuff that made my cw look really good. Ask your teacher for a check list on everything you could hand in to get an A/B/whatever you're aiming for and then do it all slowly then tell them to mark it and then ask how you can improve. Don't be afraid to ask because they're there to help
I have absolutely no advice for languages I just passed because I did good on my coursework because I used absolutely all of the vocab she provided and strung together some paragraphs.
In the month before my exam I did like 12 hours of revision a day probably lol but its because I was meant to have a chilled 3 months until the exams but then i procrastinated loads and had to cram it into one month, but the only reason that was possible was because I made my notes in the christmas holidays so if you have no notes you won't get away with doing that and you should start now:smile:
Also if you have time and nice pens then make ur notes pretty and colourful because it motivates you and it makes it fun.
I didn't do different subjects each night I know that works for some people but personally I did like 4 days on b1, 4 days b3, a week maths, a week english, etc. and then after i had done it all once id start again but less days on each subject because I'd be more familiar with it. Then eventaully it was exam time and I made a timetable thing like with all the dates in the margin and then the exams in blue and my revision for that day in red. I'd revise every subject the day or two days before the exam and you wont be stressed because you've been doing it for the past few months. Try not to neglect any subject and even out your time for each one. Good luck, don't procrastinate and stay hydrated because it helps you revise for longer, and get a lot of sleep. and remember as long as you work hard now you should be happy with whatever grades you get!! :smile:


THANK YOU!!! This is the longest and most dedicated reply that I have seen on TSR, it means a lot that you took time to do this :smile:
Well, we left for study leave and during that time I would wake up early and start revising at 9 like any other day. I'd always plan my day - it is essential!! I'd look at my closest exams and subjects I knew I would struggle with and allocate which 3 subjects would be most important. I would then revise the chosen subject for an hour, take a 15/30 minute break, then move onto the next subject. Breaks are extremelyyyy important, after an hour of learning your brain doesn't take in as much information meaning you're basically wasting your time after that hour if you do not take a break. When I had an exam the next day i'd study that subject(s) for around 2-3 hours the evening beforehand.

I'd revise mostly through BBC Bitesize - I had no revision books and so I purely used bitesize and revisit my exercise books and mock papers. To revise I would literally just keep reading the same sections until I memorised it whereas other friends of mine would rewrite it out on another paper. With science I made lots of sticky notes full of important equations and put them around my bed to read every night. With maths (I really recommend doing this!! Worked absolute wonders) I got a little maths exercise book and used it as an equation book. Basically every time I learnt something new in maths I would write down instructions on how to do it in this book and put a label on each section naming what it is e.g. vectors. I would then read this every morning on the way to school and in any breaks and I ended up memorising each instruction and passed maths with absolute ease!

This must have worked because I got 4 A*'s, 2 A's, 4 B's and 1 C and did not get below C in any subjects. Studied the basics (maths,english..) and business, art, media and computing.

Good luck!! You can do it c:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 16
Original post by jiyongtoki
I got all A's, except 3 a*s in english lit+lang and history, and a C in spanish
I would suggest that you start your proper revision now and it will save you a lot of stress around May-June time.
I used the CGP books for science they literally saved my life and I learnt 3 years of material for the first time in like 2 months. If you have a good memory use highlighters and just highlight key points in the CGP books when you read for the first time and then repeat the sentences out loud. Then repeat the whole section out loud until its in your head, so basically memorise it. If your memory isn't as good, then try to memorise the section then open a microsoft word document and type out what you remember word for word, then look back at the section and see what you missed out and keep working at it until you've learn it.
For maths I used mathswatch (if your school doesn't offer this you can message me for mine), and I would make really messy notes on plain paper and answer the questions with her on paper. Mathswatch is better for when you're kind of familiar with the topic already so if you know its new and you're not familiar with it, search the topic in youtube and learn it from scratch first. I started with the grade D topics and made my way to grade A/A*. You don't need to know every single topic to get an A/B grade, but the more you know the better because the A* topics you're great at might not be the ones that come up. Before I started the next grade I would print off all the worksheets, so when I started grade C, I would open all the videos in the number category (there are four categories under each grade, i think number geometry and algebra or something? but anyway) and then i'd click worksheet which is beneath the clip and print them all and then after each grade I'd do the worksheets. I think you can find the answers to the worksheets if you search mathwatch worksheet answers in google. Also for maths I'd suggest loads and loads and loadssss of past papers. then watch a youtube video of a teacher going through it. When I did my gcses in 2015 there was a channel that had all the papers and went through them but its been made private but theres another channel doing the same now called 'achieve maths'. Find a paper e.g June 2012, do it now and miss what you cant do and then learn all the grade D stuff then do it again then learn grade C and do it again then grade B+A and then again and whatevers left behind, watch the video and see what you missed out. Watch the whole video not just what you think you can't do because you'll see small marks you missed out and easier methods. Eventually I was so short of time I left mathswatch and just watched past paper solutions on youtube but you'll be okay if you start now.
I dont know what other subjects you do but for humanity subjects like geography, r.e, history just make your notes in order of the specification, you'll have time to make notes if you start now because theres a lot of material especially for history. Then write mini essays on the different topics if you have time, explain it to yourself to make sure its clear in your head because with these subjects its less memorising and more understanding. These are the kinds of subjects you can revise with other people for so maybe get a friend and ask each other exam questions and just say points you'd make to each other and keep your books in front of you to check you're right. (this is really nerdy i know but itll help you both.) Also try to become an expert at writing the answers in the format the examiners want, ask if your teacher has some example ideal answers?
For english language do lots of past papers and really look at the mark schemes in detail you'll find you you lose a lot of marks by not doing things that you didn't know were expected. Really analyse the texts you're given, I learnt that because in a past paper i did, there was a question about what a man would have had to do to ensure he would survive in [something i cant remember] and an answer was practise controlling his breathing, because of one line in the text that said 'he inhaled and exhaled slowly' or something but basically its small things that you miss and you need to write them down even if you think they mean nothing.
For english literature I had a really good teacher and she picked out every single detail of the texts/poems so if you have a good teacher who has given you good notes then you'll be okay as long as you do past papers, but if you're unsure then google some essays on characters in the texts you're doing or at some analysis of poems you're studying. Again I made notes on the themes and characters in both texts (an inspector calls and of mice and men) and i made notes on each poem (we did conflict) i think i may still have them so message me if ur interested
If you have coursework based technology like I did then keep going back to the teacher and asking how you can get it up to the next grade, ask to borrow the work of people getting A's and see whats on their coursework thats not on yours, i ********ted a lot of tech and my food tasted really bad but the photos looked amazing and I wrote a lot of technical stuff that made my cw look really good. Ask your teacher for a check list on everything you could hand in to get an A/B/whatever you're aiming for and then do it all slowly then tell them to mark it and then ask how you can improve. Don't be afraid to ask because they're there to help
I have absolutely no advice for languages I just passed because I did good on my coursework because I used absolutely all of the vocab she provided and strung together some paragraphs.
In the month before my exam I did like 12 hours of revision a day probably lol but its because I was meant to have a chilled 3 months until the exams but then i procrastinated loads and had to cram it into one month, but the only reason that was possible was because I made my notes in the christmas holidays so if you have no notes you won't get away with doing that and you should start now:smile:
Also if you have time and nice pens then make ur notes pretty and colourful because it motivates you and it makes it fun.
I didn't do different subjects each night I know that works for some people but personally I did like 4 days on b1, 4 days b3, a week maths, a week english, etc. and then after i had done it all once id start again but less days on each subject because I'd be more familiar with it. Then eventaully it was exam time and I made a timetable thing like with all the dates in the margin and then the exams in blue and my revision for that day in red. I'd revise every subject the day or two days before the exam and you wont be stressed because you've been doing it for the past few months. Try not to neglect any subject and even out your time for each one. Good luck, don't procrastinate and stay hydrated because it helps you revise for longer, and get a lot of sleep. and remember as long as you work hard now you should be happy with whatever grades you get!! :smile:[THANKS :smile: ]
Reply 17
Original post by elliemayl
Well, we left for study leave and during that time I would wake up early and start revising at 9 like any other day. I'd always plan my day - it is essential!! I'd look at my closest exams and subjects I knew I would struggle with and allocate which 3 subjects would be most important. I would then revise the chosen subject for an hour, take a 15/30 minute break, then move onto the next subject. Breaks are extremelyyyy important, after an hour of learning your brain doesn't take in as much information meaning you're basically wasting your time after that hour if you do not take a break. When I had an exam the next day i'd study that subject(s) for around 2-3 hours the evening beforehand.

I'd revise mostly through BBC Bitesize - I had no revision books and so I purely used bitesize and revisit my exercise books and mock papers. To revise I would literally just keep reading the same sections until I memorised it whereas other friends of mine would rewrite it out on another paper. With science I made lots of sticky notes full of important equations and put them around my bed to read every night. With maths (I really recommend doing this!! Worked absolute wonders) I got a little maths exercise book and used it as an equation book. Basically every time I learnt something new in maths I would write down instructions on how to do it in this book and put a label on each section naming what it is e.g. vectors. I would then read this every morning on the way to school and in any breaks and I ended up memorising each instruction and passed maths with absolute ease!

This must have worked because I got 4 A*'s, 2 A's, 4 B's and 1 C and did not get below C in any subjects. Studied the basics (maths,english..) and business, art, media and computing.

Good luck!! You can do it c:

Thank you:smile:
Original post by zuzanak16
TO ALL SIXTHFORMERS: I'm working on my GCSE's and would like some help with revision.
Some questions:
How long did you revise for each day or week?
Did you revise different subjects each night?
What revision techniques and resources did you use?
Did you use different revision techniques for different subjects?
What grades did you get in which subjects?

All help is greatly appreciated..


1 - The amount of time you revise doesn't matter, it's how effectively you revise. Don't say that you'll do X hours of revision, since you just sit around for that amount of time doing nothing, and claim you have done that much revision afterwards, it is pointless. Instead, set out to revise a particular topic and don't set yourself any time constraints, so you could spend 30 minutes or 4 hours if you really wanted to.

2 - Yes. I would usually alternate, although I didn't always, and I would revise some subjects more often that others.

3 - Past papers and cue cards. Mostly past papers for Maths and Sciences since they very much have a set formula so you will find patterns in the questions and mark schemes. Cue cards for English to help me learn quotes, then just loads of practice. With RS I practiced my exam technique a lot, and I ended up making an A*, I also used flashcards to learn the key terms.
I personally don't find notes to be that useful, since you will often just do pages of notes on the easy stuff that you already know. If you are going to do notes, make sure it's on the topics that you are struggling on. When people say they've made X pages of notes, just ignore them, since it doesn't matter if they never look over them again and hence end up doing worse than you!

4 - Yes, I think I mostly explained this in the previous question, but in general, just do a lot of practice, since that is the best technique to improving your grade (AS LONG AS YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHERE YOU WENT WRONG AND TAKE IT IN). They don't say practice makes perfect for nothing!

5 - I got 7A* 3A and 1B. If you want to see which subjects, look at my about me page on my profile.

Hope it all goes well for you, and I hope that this response helped in some form!

Edit: Make sure to drink plenty of water when revising, and bring water into exams, it helps you focus so much better! And don't listen to music while revising unless you are in a noisy enviroment (so as to block out other distractions), if you're like me, you'll end up getting distracted by the music and sing along or dance to it! :lol:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 19
Original post by zuzanak16
TO ALL SIXTHFORMERS: I'm working on my GCSE's and would like some help with revision.
Some questions:
How long did you revise for each day or week?
Did you revise different subjects each night?
What revision techniques and resources did you use?
Did you use different revision techniques for different subjects?
What grades did you get in which subjects?

All help is greatly appreciated..


Hey!!

I'm also doing my GCSE's this summer. I'm really nervous..... Have u've started revising yet? i'm a bit confused cus i have no idea where to start....

Thanks,
Good luck with your GCSE's
xx

Quick Reply

Latest