English lit ocr a level - how to revise, and what resources to make

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for the AO5, it's a good idea to make flashcards with quotes from literary critics, as part of it is just a matter of being able to recall them in the exam. I'm planning on doing this tomorrow. I would only make flashcards with critics' quotes that I know how to use in my essays, though.

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for the closed book exam, it is so important that you know the texts inside and out. if there's a production of your Shakespeare play you can buy and/or watch that's accurate to the text, try and find it. the ones from the Globe Theatre tend to be good for this. I bought the DVD of the 2013 production of The Tempest at the Globe Theatre and watched it before my mock exams in January, and it really helped me refresh my memory and remember key quotations for the exam. you could also try watching a film version of your play, which I might also do, but it probably won't be as helpful because less emphasis will be on the lines and more on the costuming and other things, and it might also be inaccurate.
also, if you go on social media or watch telly before bed, which I do loads, cut some out of that time and use it to reread some of the drama or poetry texts instead. don't put any pressure on yourself to think of essay plans or anything, just read a few scenes or a couple of poems and refamiliarise yourself with them. I've got my copy of Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe on my bedside table and instead of scrolling through Instagram for half an hour, I try to spend ten to fifteen minutes rereading some scenes from it, thinking about those scenes and repeating lines I want to remember to myself.

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remembering highly specific bits of AO3/context is really good, too. I would suggest making flashcards for this. for example, loads of people in the Shakespeare component of the exam talk about confusion of the social order, the divine right of kings, fate, and things like that, which is alright and worthwhile including, but it can be quite vague. if you can also name specific sumptuary laws for when the characters are wearing clothing that doesn't match their social status, specific Jacobean and Elizabethan maritime exploration missions, things like that, it's easier to stop waffling and be much clearer and more precise in your essay and the points you're trying to make.

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most importantly, doing essays under timed conditions is probably the most helpful thing you can do. you don't have to do the whole two and a half hours at once, though you can, but just spending an hour (or however long you should spend) on one essay from one component of the exam, leaving it for a few hours, then coming back with fresh eyes to read it over and mark it is really useful. it helps you get better at timing, academic register, all sorts of things.