A Level Mathematics Improvement tips.

I achieved a B in my november mock, however, have dropped to a C/D sadly in this recent mock. I lacked revision but I'm now contemplating the fact that I might not be able to get an A, which I need. Any tips in achieving that A?

Hiya, I'm currently a 3rd year astrophysics and cosmology student at Lancaster Uni and it's really hard to say one way to revise to achieve those top grades but I can give you suggestions based off what worked for me:
Know what it is you need to revise.
• go through your exam board specifications (all available to you online) and look through each topic and make sure you know everything it says you should. It's a great way to find gaps in your knowledge as they have the basis of everything you can be tested on.
• Make sure you prioritise your weaker topics as there isn't much point revising things you already know. Do revise them to a certain degree, just don't spend too much time focused on topics you are confident in.
Make a plan
• some people find scheduling out revision really effective when making sure they get everything done / having a structured plan to make sure you reach daily targets so if it's something you would want to try, I'd recommend it
Fill in your gaps before you start practicing
• do all your notetaking before you answer practice questions / past papers, especially with maths
• I would make short mind maps or page summaries of techniques for maths (like differentiation and integration) and use them for when I start answering questions so everything I need to know is condensed and easy to access in a way I can revise it / use it effectively
• However, saying all this, if you feel there aren't any specific areas where you fall short, doing a past paper would help you identify any weaknesses, so that could be a shout for you
Active revision
• make sure you're not just reading notes / highlighting / rewriting content as that won't make you remember any info!
• maths is all about practice, so just get stuck in!
• do as many past papers as you can, making sure you understand where you have gone wrong if you have any errors. If you're unsure about anything, ask someone else for help to explain it to you
• spaced repitition also works very well, making sure you can still remember a technique / method 15 mins, an hour, a few hours, the next day after you revise it, without having to see it again to remind yourself
Finally, make sure you prioritise consistency and quality over spending hours sat trying to revise without it being effective. Revision is different for everyone so make yours catered to you. Ask others for advice or help, especially your teachers, they have so many resources available for students to use so just ask them!
In terms of being able to understand concepts but struggling to apply them to questions, try and see if it tends to be associated with particular topics. If it isn't, then look at the question type: sometimes there are questions that use ambiguous language / require you to understand particular wording to make assumptions that are key to get an answer, so I'd recommend having a look and seeing what it is specifically that is catching you out and see if it something you can address yourself or if you require someone else to explain specific techniques or knowledge to you instead.
When deciding what to prioritise first, go through your exam board specification and have a look topic by topic at what it is you struggle with the most / what would require the most work and start off with those topics, making your way downto the one you find the easiest or the one that you tend to understand the best. This is so you spend enough time covering topics you need more practice in and don't just focus on ones you can already do well in.
I hope all this helps and make sure you start your revision early and pace yourself. Wishing you all the best for your exams! If you have any other queries, feel free to ask.
-- Arya (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)