The Student Room Group

4 weeks till paper 1 - how to improve at AQA physics?

As it says I don't know how to improve I'm stuck on an A and I need an A*. I sometimes scrape an A* but it's the last 1-5 marks I need to just jump that gap yet no matter how much time I spend revising (mainly papers and flashcards) I can't seem to reach the A*. It's specifically with AQA too the way they give less time than other exam boards along with more difficult questions I can't seem to wrap my head around how I can push for these last marks I need. Any help?

Reply 1

Original post by Incrediblezed
As it says I don't know how to improve I'm stuck on an A and I need an A*. I sometimes scrape an A* but it's the last 1-5 marks I need to just jump that gap yet no matter how much time I spend revising (mainly papers and flashcards) I can't seem to reach the A*. It's specifically with AQA too the way they give less time than other exam boards along with more difficult questions I can't seem to wrap my head around how I can push for these last marks I need. Any help?

Ask your teachers for criticism of your mock exams, how much time do you spend revising? sometimes less is more especially if you're already at the gap between the A grade and the A* possibly revise a tad bit less and maybe your grades will even improve.

Ask yourself why you're falling short of the 1-5 marks, do past papers and mark yourself on what you lose marks on, wether that be incorrect rounding, wording/missing key phrases they award marks for.

Your exam revision is great but if you carry on the way you currently are you'll probably keep losing those 1-5 marks which would cost you that A* grade as you're doing the same thing.

Reply 2

Original post by thequantumbullet
Ask your teachers for criticism of your mock exams, how much time do you spend revising? sometimes less is more especially if you're already at the gap between the A grade and the A* possibly revise a tad bit less and maybe your grades will even improve.
Ask yourself why you're falling short of the 1-5 marks, do past papers and mark yourself on what you lose marks on, wether that be incorrect rounding, wording/missing key phrases they award marks for.
Your exam revision is great but if you carry on the way you currently are you'll probably keep losing those 1-5 marks which would cost you that A* grade as you're doing the same thing.

I do maths further maths chemistry and physics and I literally dedicate all my time towards physics - the marks I lose are with really weird and specific mark schemes, silly mistakes and hard problem solving questions like the triangle waves one in 2023 physics paper 1.

Reply 3

Original post by Incrediblezed
I do maths further maths chemistry and physics and I literally dedicate all my time towards physics - the marks I lose are with really weird and specific mark schemes, silly mistakes and hard problem solving questions like the triangle waves one in 2023 physics paper 1.

Silly mistakes are easy to fix, do negative marking to nail it into your head that silly mistakes arent acceptable (for each mark you don't get from a silly mistake deduct 1 mark, getting a B instead of an A at this point would scare you into not doing those silly mistakes possibly?) as for the mark schemes one you could say they're one offs and can be ignored depending on if there is any likely hood they would reproduce a similar question then laser in on what phrase you left out or made a mistake on, I sat 2023 I think they're lowering emphasis on memorisation and more problem solving, you could possibly use some of your revision time doing the physics olympiad problems to boost your problem solving skills

and that waves triangle thing on 2023 was difficult lmaaoooo

But due to your revision method of flash cards and past papers anything where the knowledge you have is used in a unfamiliar way you will struggle, so I think maybe trying the olympiad questions and negative marking could be good, I hope something I said helped!

Reply 4

Original post by thequantumbullet
Silly mistakes are easy to fix, do negative marking to nail it into your head that silly mistakes arent acceptable (for each mark you don't get from a silly mistake deduct 1 mark, getting a B instead of an A at this point would scare you into not doing those silly mistakes possibly?) as for the mark schemes one you could say they're one offs and can be ignored depending on if there is any likely hood they would reproduce a similar question then laser in on what phrase you left out or made a mistake on, I sat 2023 I think they're lowering emphasis on memorisation and more problem solving, you could possibly use some of your revision time doing the physics olympiad problems to boost your problem solving skills
and that waves triangle thing on 2023 was difficult lmaaoooo
But due to your revision method of flash cards and past papers anything where the knowledge you have is used in a unfamiliar way you will struggle, so I think maybe trying the olympiad questions and negative marking could be good, I hope something I said helped!

Ah right okay I'll try some Olympiad questions I guess the problem solving parts (in physics only) is the worst part for me 😭😭

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