gcse science past papers

i was just wondering if i went through every single paper from bio, chem and physics made flashcards from the mark scheme memorised key words etc would i be guaranteed a 9?

Reply 1

Mickey Mouse 1

Original post

by rana.x

i was just wondering if i went through every single paper from bio, chem and physics made flashcards from the mark scheme memorised key words etc would i be guaranteed a 9?

Obviously not guaranteed, but yes it’d be quite likely. To be on the safe side tho, probs pair this with other revision techniques but this seems like a good way as long as it works for you.

Reply 2

rana.x

Original post

by Mickey Mouse 1

Obviously not guaranteed, but yes it’d be quite likely. To be on the safe side tho, probs pair this with other revision techniques but this seems like a good way as long as it works for you.

thank youuu

Reply 3

nxvastel

Original post

by rana.x

i was just wondering if i went through every single paper from bio, chem and physics made flashcards from the mark scheme memorised key words etc would i be guaranteed a 9?

Actually, I would say that's pretty much guaranteed, considering you work through them with precise mistake correcting, and log your mistakes. Ideally, you should reach a state where knowledge becomes a bit subconcious, and you don't have to hard memorise everything like a madman.

What I found really helpful was, once I think I've mastered a topic, I would teach it to my friends who need tutoring, and that consolidated my knowledge and also made me realise where I had gaps. (this learning method is called the Feynman technique, search it up!)

However, I would discourage against cramming in every past paper in a short period of time. Don't make yourself think you have to do everything, because that would just stress yourself out. Work smart, not hard! But you will find your own ways of studying that you prefer.

Good luck with studying for GCSEs next year! (I have mine too!)

Reply 4

dizzy87

If flashcards are a revision method that works for you then they will help you achieve your grade. It is important to find revision strategies that are effective and you retain information from. For example, no matter how much it was drilled into my head, making flashcards never helped me. I didn't find them useful. I didn't retain the information. If you're absolutely sure it works for you, use it though.

One thing to keep in mind is that memorising the content on the flashcards will only help you if you're asked to recall that specific bit of knowledge. If you're given an application of knowledge question (these will change each year and are difficult to revise for) and you don't have an in-depth understanding of the topic, you may find you lose marks. So for that I would suggest you also consider doing past papers which will cover both straight knowledge questions and get you plenty of practice at applying the knowledge to different situations. You'll also gain a wealth of exam technique which is very beneficial at countering nerves as well getting you that grade on exam day.

Doing the past papers would be the best revision strategy in my opinion and is what got me to my grade 9. There should be plenty of time to get through them all between now and next Summer too. Good luck!