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revision tips

Hey all i’m just asking for any revision tips for my gcses. i’m aiming to get atleast all 7s

These were my y11 december mock results

Eng lang 8
Eng lit 5
Maths 6+ (one mark off a 7)
Biology 8
Physics 9
Chemistry 6
Religious Studies 9
History 5+
French 5+

My mum isn’t very happy with them and i’ve been revising for the past few weeks but i don’t really know if i’m making much progress.
My english teacher told me for literature i’m writing the correct things it’s just that i’m writing very little, which is understandable since i’m always finished really early in the exams.
For chemistry my teacher said if i wanted to i could move from triple science to combined to get a higher grace like 8,8.
In history my teacher said i just have to revise the content better and that i’m capable of getting a higher grade.
For french my teacher hasn’t said anything and i’m finding it hard to improve at all to be honest.

Any advice would be nice thank you.

Reply 1

thisIsShe

Original post

by nathbir17

Hey all i’m just asking for any revision tips for my gcses. i’m aiming to get atleast all 7s
These were my y11 december mock results
Eng lang 8
Eng lit 5
Maths 6+ (one mark off a 7)
Biology 8
Physics 9
Chemistry 6
Religious Studies 9
History 5+
French 5+
My mum isn’t very happy with them and i’ve been revising for the past few weeks but i don’t really know if i’m making much progress.
My english teacher told me for literature i’m writing the correct things it’s just that i’m writing very little, which is understandable since i’m always finished really early in the exams.
For chemistry my teacher said if i wanted to i could move from triple science to combined to get a higher grace like 8,8.
In history my teacher said i just have to revise the content better and that i’m capable of getting a higher grade.
For french my teacher hasn’t said anything and i’m finding it hard to improve at all to be honest.
Any advice would be nice thank you.

Hi,
I'm currently in Year 10 but can give advice for English Lit and French :smile:

ENGLISH POETRY(some points can work for the Texts section as well):
I'm predicted and working at a Grade 8 and do AQA

For me, I find poetry the most difficult from English Lit, i've just finished it
But for me i actually use others ideas to develop my own

So what i'd do is in lessson our teachers let us use chromebooks, so i go onto genius.com and search up the name of the poem, coz we have to annotate
As im annotating i add on my own points, and i dont think this is cheating at all as there's a reason its on there. I understood the things better that way

•Maybe context will help you a little better for each poem, it doesnt help me but to each their own.
•Also try not to be too literal for the meanings of things.
•Make sure each paragraph begins with a thesis statement to highlight the topic of that paragraph(this helped me get so many extra marks) e.g. In Poppies, Jane Weir explores the profound impact of memory on both individual and collective identity, illustrating how personal recollections of war and loss shape the emotional landscapes of those left behind.
•TECHNIQUES are sooo important so make sure to even write down if a word is a noun or adjective
•Try and relate it to the real world or our modern society including the writer's intentions and effects on the reader
•Link structure and form to the feelings of the speaker for example an unstructured rhyme scheme could've been used to represent the inner turmoil and conflicting feelings felt by the speaker, whereas regular number of lines on each stanza the provides the a sense of comfort amidst the conflict.

FRENCH
I am also predicted a Grade 8 in French and get the best marks in the whole cohort
I find languages easy because I'm able to find connections between words in French and English
It also helps to have a good teacher, I'm really luck to have an amazing teacher, but not everyone has this.

•

FINDING CONNECTIONS: We have vocab tests every week. The way I revise for them is by using Quizlet to create flashcards then I go to learn, then test, then flashcards. This helps me to reinforce the words. But you also need to find connections between words. For example 'Propre' means to clean/own. How I'd remember this is by looking at the word, it looks and sounds a lot like 'Proper'. If someone is proper or dresses proper, then they are likely to be 'clean'. Also if you are proper, you are probably rich, so you 'own' many things. A more common word you can do this for is 'Apprendre' which means 'To Learn' (sorry if u already know these words, its just to get u thinking). Apprendre reminds me of 'Comprehend' and when you comprehend something you understand it or have 'learned' it. Easier ones like étudier which means 'to study', 'étudier' sound like 'study' and because it ends in 'er' you know it must be 'to' do something.

•

REPETITION IS KEY: It's really important to focus on the bits you struggle with the most. For example, reading, writing, listening, speaking. Then go through past papers and try and answer the questions in timed conditions. Set aside at least an hour 2 or 3 times a week, which I hope will help you to improve.

This is my folder in quizlet for key vocab that the AQA specification uses: https://quizlet.com/user/eshaal_h/folders/french?i=4mvc2e&x=1xqt
Gizmo can also really help for any Subject with active recall.

I think you really just got to find what works for you, so test the waters with these different things. Hope i helped at least a bit ☺️

Reply 2

Leen122

Can you please help me for Einglish language any advice especially question five story

Reply 3

anonymous.2008

Original post

by nathbir17

Hey all i’m just asking for any revision tips for my gcses. i’m aiming to get atleast all 7s
These were my y11 december mock results
Eng lang 8
Eng lit 5
Maths 6+ (one mark off a 7)
Biology 8
Physics 9
Chemistry 6
Religious Studies 9
History 5+
French 5+
My mum isn’t very happy with them and i’ve been revising for the past few weeks but i don’t really know if i’m making much progress.
My english teacher told me for literature i’m writing the correct things it’s just that i’m writing very little, which is understandable since i’m always finished really early in the exams.
For chemistry my teacher said if i wanted to i could move from triple science to combined to get a higher grace like 8,8.
In history my teacher said i just have to revise the content better and that i’m capable of getting a higher grade.
For french my teacher hasn’t said anything and i’m finding it hard to improve at all to be honest.
Any advice would be nice thank you.

What exam boards do you do?

Reply 4

nathbir17

Original post

by thisIsShe

Hi,
I'm currently in Year 10 but can give advice for English Lit and French :smile:

ENGLISH POETRY(some points can work for the Texts section as well):
I'm predicted and working at a Grade 8 and do AQA
For me, I find poetry the most difficult from English Lit, i've just finished it
But for me i actually use others ideas to develop my own
So what i'd do is in lessson our teachers let us use chromebooks, so i go onto genius.com and search up the name of the poem, coz we have to annotate
As im annotating i add on my own points, and i dont think this is cheating at all as there's a reason its on there. I understood the things better that way
•Maybe context will help you a little better for each poem, it doesnt help me but to each their own.
•Also try not to be too literal for the meanings of things.
•Make sure each paragraph begins with a thesis statement to highlight the topic of that paragraph(this helped me get so many extra marks) e.g. In Poppies, Jane Weir explores the profound impact of memory on both individual and collective identity, illustrating how personal recollections of war and loss shape the emotional landscapes of those left behind.
•TECHNIQUES are sooo important so make sure to even write down if a word is a noun or adjective
•Try and relate it to the real world or our modern society including the writer's intentions and effects on the reader
•Link structure and form to the feelings of the speaker for example an unstructured rhyme scheme could've been used to represent the inner turmoil and conflicting feelings felt by the speaker, whereas regular number of lines on each stanza the provides the a sense of comfort amidst the conflict.
FRENCH
I am also predicted a Grade 8 in French and get the best marks in the whole cohort
I find languages easy because I'm able to find connections between words in French and English
It also helps to have a good teacher, I'm really luck to have an amazing teacher, but not everyone has this.

•

This is my folder in quizlet for key vocab that the AQA specification uses: https://quizlet.com/user/eshaal_h/folders/french?i=4mvc2e&x=1xqt
Gizmo can also really help for any Subject with active recall.
I think you really just got to find what works for you, so test the waters with these different things. Hope i helped at least a bit ☺️

thank you very much

Reply 5

nathbir17

Original post

by anonymous.2008

What exam boards do you do?

all aqa except for rs which is edexcel

Reply 6

nathbir17

Original post

by Leen122

Can you please help me for Einglish language any advice especially question five story

For question 1 you should be aiming to get 4/4 just try not to over complicate it

For question 2 i try to infer what the writer could be using the language for. Try to be confident in your ideas. i often found myself writing simple points since i was nervous that my teacher would think my inferences were stupid but there are not any rights or wrongs in english it’s down to what you think the writer is doing. make sure you know your subject terminology aswell.

In question 3 it’s important you clearly divide your beginning, middle, and end. these should be shifts in setting, atmosphere or mood and can also be because a new character has been introduced. the things you should be looking for things such as short sentences, foreshadowing, a cyclical structure, a cliffhanger to name a few. You should be saying how and why these things affect the reader.

In question 4 the statement should have two points so try to identify them. i always make sure my introductory isn’t too long and it’s almost just an overview of what i’m about to write. I try to do two agree/disagree a paragraph and one on the one i diddnt choose eg
Intro
Agree
Agree
Disagree
I’m pretty sure you don’t have to do both but i often find that you usually can.

For question 5 I know that you asked for a story but i usually do a description since in a story it’s easy to go off track and forget to use language.

Either way you should be focusing on your language and punctuation regardless of story or description.

Firstly for my revision i made a list of synonyms for each colour they don’t have to be fancy but just putting “the yellow sun” or “the blue sea” is very boring.

After i came up with as many synonyms as i could for words such as angry, happy, sad since you can use those adjectives to personify objects.

Reading really helps with having words that can replace boring words. I don’t read a lot now but when i was younger i was reading every day so that really helped me so if you can try to read.

I then listed phrases for things i knew i could always talk about for example i would have pre planned phrases for the clouds or the sky

You should practice your creative writing since getting used to writing well helps with timing and the fluency of your answer. For example my sister always takes part in the creative writing competitions in school and that’s really helpful her in language.

You need to know the basics of every language device since misusing them will get you lower marks. After knowing the basics try to get confident with the devices as they will really help you get higher marks.

If you haven’t already learn how to use semicolons. I only started getting atleast 12/16 on my spag when i started learning how to use them. A lot of people don’t know how to use them properly since it isn’t taught well in primary school so little things like that can really set you apart.

So during your exam if you have timing issues START WITH Q5. It’s worth half your paper so it’s important to start with it whilst you have a fresh mind and lots of time. You should spend maximum 10 mins planning and try not to panic. Just remember to use all types of punctuation (you don’t really need question marks, exclamation marks and parentheses) and remember your language devices.

Sorry for making this long but that’s kind of how i do well in language.

Reply 7

anonymous.2008

Original post

by nathbir17

all aqa except for rs which is edexcel

In that case I can help with science and french (I did German but same tips apply)
For French, make sure you have Quizlet, and start learning any vocabulary you have been taught in class (trust me this is necessary because it is really hard to do well in reading and listening without knowing every single word on the specification. Check the AQA spec for vocabulary and try doing like 20 mins each day with the aim of knowing it off by heart by the time GCSEs come around - I didn’t know about this until late April, but then I started doing it everyday and it genuinely was the reason I only dropped one mark in reading and listening. Don’t waste time making a Quizlet for the entire spec, just do the vocab from class, because there will be a set already made on Quizlet with everything you need (I found one for German). For writing, memorise complex phrases that you can apply to any question, and use complicated vocab, different tenses and different types of sentences. The 90 word answer will not require that much effort, but the 150 word answer will have to be more complicated. For oral, I made a list of possible questions and just memorised answers to all of them (this probably isn’t the best way but it worked for me)
Then for Science, revise off the specification only and get the CGP book - it’s genuinely a lifesaver and I thought it had everything needed in the exam. Do all the PPQs because I noticed repeats and similar questions between years. Use savemyexams for practicals - understand the method and improvements/variables etc, because for 3 9’s, you will need to understand them (so many questions are just based off practicals you can’t afford to lose marks on them)
Chemistry seems to be the one you need help with most - use Seneca, PMT and do a lot of PPQs to help improve this
Maths technically is the same for all exam boards so I would say don’t make notes or flashcards or anything because there isn’t a point. You should keep doing lots of PPQs because this is the only way you will get better. I have seen people recommend Corbett maths 5-a-day? Maybe you could try that?
Sorry this is long hope this helps

Reply 8

Leen122

Original post

by nathbir17

For question 1 you should be aiming to get 4/4 just try not to over complicate it
For question 2 i try to infer what the writer could be using the language for. Try to be confident in your ideas. i often found myself writing simple points since i was nervous that my teacher would think my inferences were stupid but there are not any rights or wrongs in english it’s down to what you think the writer is doing. make sure you know your subject terminology aswell.
In question 3 it’s important you clearly divide your beginning, middle, and end. these should be shifts in setting, atmosphere or mood and can also be because a new character has been introduced. the things you should be looking for things such as short sentences, foreshadowing, a cyclical structure, a cliffhanger to name a few. You should be saying how and why these things affect the reader.
In question 4 the statement should have two points so try to identify them. i always make sure my introductory isn’t too long and it’s almost just an overview of what i’m about to write. I try to do two agree/disagree a paragraph and one on the one i diddnt choose eg
Intro
Agree
Agree
Disagree
I’m pretty sure you don’t have to do both but i often find that you usually can.
For question 5 I know that you asked for a story but i usually do a description since in a story it’s easy to go off track and forget to use language.
Either way you should be focusing on your language and punctuation regardless of story or description.
Firstly for my revision i made a list of synonyms for each colour they don’t have to be fancy but just putting “the yellow sun” or “the blue sea” is very boring.
After i came up with as many synonyms as i could for words such as angry, happy, sad since you can use those adjectives to personify objects.
Reading really helps with having words that can replace boring words. I don’t read a lot now but when i was younger i was reading every day so that really helped me so if you can try to read.
I then listed phrases for things i knew i could always talk about for example i would have pre planned phrases for the clouds or the sky
You should practice your creative writing since getting used to writing well helps with timing and the fluency of your answer. For example my sister always takes part in the creative writing competitions in school and that’s really helpful her in language.
You need to know the basics of every language device since misusing them will get you lower marks. After knowing the basics try to get confident with the devices as they will really help you get higher marks.
If you haven’t already learn how to use semicolons. I only started getting atleast 12/16 on my spag when i started learning how to use them. A lot of people don’t know how to use them properly since it isn’t taught well in primary school so little things like that can really set you apart.
So during your exam if you have timing issues START WITH Q5. It’s worth half your paper so it’s important to start with it whilst you have a fresh mind and lots of time. You should spend maximum 10 mins planning and try not to panic. Just remember to use all types of punctuation (you don’t really need question marks, exclamation marks and parentheses) and remember your language devices.
Sorry for making this long but that’s kind of how i do well in language.