How to prepare for your GCSE and A-Level exams?
The day of the exam arrives. Hopefully, you have reviewed and prepared thoroughly. But are there exam strategies that you can use in the exam room to improve your grades? The answer is 'yes!’
Preparing for your GCSE or A-Level exams can be challenging, but with the right techniques, you can ace it! Here are some tips to help you get the best result possible:
Revise actively.
Reading through your notes is the absolute worst way to revise. The more you can engage your brain in revision, the more you will remember.
So don't simply read. Create poems and mnemonics. Summarize your notes. Put music to them. Extract key points and write them down somewhere - even if you're just copying them out, this is better than just reading because it engages more of your brain. Make quizzes and fill out them. Make up quizzes and answer them. Write limericks. Above all – do problems. Get active!
Here’s a good memorization techniques you can check out!Plan revision.
Write a good revision plan, and stick to it. Don’t do just one subject a day, you’ll get tired of it; then again, swooping too often means you don’t get the chance to get deep into anything.
Check our blog about how to make a revision table!Don’t be tired.
You've already failed if you have to stay up all night doing last-minute revision. It doesn't work because you get so tired during the exam that you can't think straight. It may work for the first one or two exams of the year, but it will not work for the entire series of exams.
Eat protein and fats before long exams – not carbohydrates.
You can’t ignore your body if you want your brain to work at its best. Stuffing it with sugar or an energy drink just before the exam will work fine for the first hour or so, but by the end of a three-hour exam, you'll be completely exhausted. You require food that releases energy gradually. Try fish, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy fatty foods like nuts will keep you full for the duration of the exam, so you won’t get distracting tummy rumbles.
Ask someone for help.
Study groups work well, provided you don’t think this will mean other people are doing your studying for you. You have to go and study a subject, or attempt an exam paper by yourselves first, then meet together to discuss your answers.
Think like an examiner.
Examiners have to mark many papers at speed – they don’t have time to sit and consider what you might have meant by your answers. You can help them to see where you deserve marks by providing answers that are clear and easy to read. It’s a simple exam tip, but it can make a real difference. Many people find exams difficult to deal with, so do not be embarrassed to ask for support.
Manage your mindset.
It is natural to feel anxious about exams, but with good strategies, you can actually enjoy them! If you do feel anxious, then direct that nervous energy into positive channels. Remember that some stress has a beneficial effect. It can help you to stay alert, focused on the exam and energised.
Don’t give your mind the time to drift into anxious thoughts. If it does, then gently guide it back to a concrete task, such as planning your time, jotting down useful facts and figures to use in later questions, proofreading your work, thinking about ways to gain extra marks and remembering these exam tips!
Still struggling with course content and exam technique? You might benefit from hiring a tutor. Follow the link below to find out more: