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how do you revise effectively for GCSEs?

i’m currently in my final gcse (year 11), and i’ve not done much revision over christmas due to lack of motivation. my school expects us to do 30-60 mins of revison every day to cover each subject well. i just genuinely don’t really know where to start. does anyone have any tips?

the GCSEs i’m doing are:
•higher maths
•english literature
•english language
•combined higher science
•art
•history
•graphic design

the thing is, i don’t have the motivation or time to revise every single day so what do you guys suggest? i have a job working in a restaurant on weekends and some weeknights also

Reply 1

Original post
by louisaniles
i’m currently in my final gcse (year 11), and i’ve not done much revision over christmas due to lack of motivation. my school expects us to do 30-60 mins of revison every day to cover each subject well. i just genuinely don’t really know where to start. does anyone have any tips?
the GCSEs i’m doing are:
•higher maths
•english literature
•english language
•combined higher science
•art
•history
•graphic design
the thing is, i don’t have the motivation or time to revise every single day so what do you guys suggest? i have a job working in a restaurant on weekends and some weeknights also

Do past papers, make essay plans (you could set yourself a 20 minute timer and make a plan or two for history), read over anything you don't know in your notes, do past paper questions, maybe consolidate class notes for English.

I think it's worth trying to do at least 20 minutes of revision a day, even if you lack the motivation (set yourself a timetable / plan it out, or set a 25 minute timer). If after 20 mins, you're still okay, do another 20.

Anything is better than nothing - your revision doesn't need to be perfect, you can just start!

Reply 2

Do plenty of past papers under timed conditions, it's pretty useful for subjects like maths and English as it helps you get ready for the real thing.

Reply 3

Original post
by cactus11235813
Do past papers, make essay plans (you could set yourself a 20 minute timer and make a plan or two for history), read over anything you don't know in your notes, do past paper questions, maybe consolidate class notes for English.
I think it's worth trying to do at least 20 minutes of revision a day, even if you lack the motivation (set yourself a timetable / plan it out, or set a 25 minute timer). If after 20 mins, you're still okay, do another 20.
Anything is better than nothing - your revision doesn't need to be perfect, you can just start!


thank you for the tips i’m preparing myself to lock in soon and hopefully once i get into the habit of revising i’ll be good!

Reply 4

Original post
by cbush6016
Do plenty of past papers under timed conditions, it's pretty useful for subjects like maths and English as it helps you get ready for the real thing.


can you get them online or do you think it’d be better to ask my subject teachers to give me some? i’ve seen my peers ask for them i’m just a bit shy haha

Reply 5

Original post
by louisaniles
can you get them online or do you think it’d be better to ask my subject teachers to give me some? i’ve seen my peers ask for them i’m just a bit shy haha


If you can print at school do that because there can be a lot of paper if you practice lots. Or you can do it at home if you can. But asking your teachers could be a good option because anything you don't understand you can then asku them about it.

Reply 6

maths - do as many past questions as you can. try and find the areas you're weakest at (e.g. surds) and do different level of questions for that topic (e.g. from what each surd means to applying it to geometric theory) so that you cover as many possibilities as you can. once you're in a position where most learning is done, full past papers in times conditions are also a great idea.

english literature - make sure you're strong on your terminology and context for the units that assess it. blurting for quotes and analysis can be effective as it shows you what you already remember and what you don't. depending on how strong you already are for essays, you might consider working on your essay structures and how to answer differently worded questions. essay plans are also a good idea.

english language - i found this so hard to revise for because it's so unpredictable but go over writing forms like letters, articles, etc (assuming you have a section like that in your exam) and ensure you know how each one is structured, and revisit persuasive language techniques. try to show and not tell for story writing, but that doesn't mean everything has to be 'show' - sometimes it is effective to say something how it is amidst description as that one line can stand out. having potential story plans can also come in handy as you can frequently alter your story to fit the titles. going in with descriptive phrases can also help.

science - freesciencelessons on youtube can be extremely helpful for making sure you understand a topic. again, this is also where you wanna do as many past paper questions as you can. topic specific questions (you can find through sites such as pmt) can be useful too. starting to do full exam papers can highlight where your knowledge gaps are currently, and thus can drive your revision topics in a beneficial direction.

i didn't do any of the others but this is what i'd suggest for these ones! also, 60 minutes every single day is a LOT, especially when you're not in the routine of revision. start gradually and build up as you get closer to exams and don't feel too bad if you miss a day here or there!

Reply 7

Original post
by neptune_
maths - do as many past questions as you can. try and find the areas you're weakest at (e.g. surds) and do different level of questions for that topic (e.g. from what each surd means to applying it to geometric theory) so that you cover as many possibilities as you can. once you're in a position where most learning is done, full past papers in times conditions are also a great idea.
english literature - make sure you're strong on your terminology and context for the units that assess it. blurting for quotes and analysis can be effective as it shows you what you already remember and what you don't. depending on how strong you already are for essays, you might consider working on your essay structures and how to answer differently worded questions. essay plans are also a good idea.
english language - i found this so hard to revise for because it's so unpredictable but go over writing forms like letters, articles, etc (assuming you have a section like that in your exam) and ensure you know how each one is structured, and revisit persuasive language techniques. try to show and not tell for story writing, but that doesn't mean everything has to be 'show' - sometimes it is effective to say something how it is amidst description as that one line can stand out. having potential story plans can also come in handy as you can frequently alter your story to fit the titles. going in with descriptive phrases can also help.
science - freesciencelessons on youtube can be extremely helpful for making sure you understand a topic. again, this is also where you wanna do as many past paper questions as you can. topic specific questions (you can find through sites such as pmt) can be useful too. starting to do full exam papers can highlight where your knowledge gaps are currently, and thus can drive your revision topics in a beneficial direction.
i didn't do any of the others but this is what i'd suggest for these ones! also, 60 minutes every single day is a LOT, especially when you're not in the routine of revision. start gradually and build up as you get closer to exams and don't feel too bad if you miss a day here or there!


thank you so much this is super helpful☺️

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