How to revise for AS exam in a week??

Hi,

I've got AS exams starting next week and I haven't started revising. There is so much content for biology and chemistry and I'm starting to stress. What would be the best thing to do in the next week? Is it better to be doing past papers or exam topic questions (like on physics and maths tutor)?

Also, how would you go about learning the mark scheme? People are saying that it is too late to be making flashcards but I don't know any other way to learn the content. Hope you can help.

Thanks.

Reply 1

Tulipbloom

Original post by vision099

Hi,
I've got AS exams starting next week and I haven't started revising. There is so much content for biology and chemistry and I'm starting to stress. What would be the best thing to do in the next week? Is it better to be doing past papers or exam topic questions (like on physics and maths tutor)?
Also, how would you go about learning the mark scheme? People are saying that it is too late to be making flashcards but I don't know any other way to learn the content. Hope you can help.
Thanks.

Hey done this before (also took chem and bio and secured em As at AS) so here is what I did:

•

printed the spec sheets

•

Made the most concise of notes for em (matching that of the spec points)

•

Read em once

•

Do all the PPQs. Doing while papers I think would be more useful. Gives you a feel of the actual thing and lets you work on timing.

•

Write mark scheme answers down in your notes and note the most commonly asked questions.

•

Reread em notes.

The key thing when you read your notes is to understand what you are reading and not memorise. For eg: why it’s logical how mRNA ends up in the ribosome and each tRNA comes in bringing an AA and builds the polyp chain and that the ribosome catalyses the formation of bonds. Hope this helps!

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 2

vision099

Original post by Tulipbloom

Hey done this before (also took chem and bio and secured em As at AS) so here is what I did:

•

printed the spec sheets

•

Made the most concise of notes for em (matching that of the spec points)

•

Read em once

•

Do all the PPQs. Doing while papers I think would be more useful. Gives you a feel of the actual thing and lets you work on timing.

•

Write mark scheme answers down in your notes and note the most commonly asked questions.

•

Reread em notes.

Hi, thanks for replying. Would I have to make notes for everything in the next 4 days then just do past papers questions the last few days? Also, what resources do you recommend for making notes? Thanks.

Reply 3

Tulipbloom

Original post by vision099

Hmm actually which exam board are you sitting?

Reply 4

vision099

Original post by Tulipbloom

Hmm actually which exam board are you sitting?

OCR for biology and AQA for chemistry

Reply 5

Tulipbloom

Original post by vision099

OCR for biology and AQA for chemistry

Hey maybe for chem no need to make notes and just get em from chemrevise (I did Edexcel and their notes are identical to the past paper mark schemes and meet all the spec points). I didn’t do OCR bio unfortunately. But I have seen OCR AS bio notes online before (I don’t trust savemyexams though cause their notes tend to be quite basic). For notes just as long as you have concise ones that meet each spec point (which acts as your checklist) you should be good. Then just spend time doing em PPQs. Remember that reflecting on what you have done (by re reading your updated notes) is also important.