Revision toolkit

• Revision timetable or action plan

• Persistence and determination

• Practise exam questions

• Self testing – quizzes, tests

• Organised chunks

over a long period

PLAN for success

• Make sure revision is PLANNED.

• A revision timetable is crucial

• Put in the dates of the exams first

• Work backwards from these dates, count the days in between and

divide between the number of subjects.

• Plan to do at least 1-2 hours per night and increase this later.

• Split the time into 3 chunks.

• 20 minute intensive activity then break and repeat

• RAG rate exam topics

• Revise weak areas first

• Plan in rewards and breaks before revising

Cornell note taking – the power of reduction

Revision has to be active not passive

How can pupils prepare better?

How can pupils prepare more diligently?

• Use BBC Bite size and class clips

• Drawing and annotating diagrams

• Key words around house or bedroom (post its)

• Mind mapping/spider diagrams/spidergrams

• Make top trumps card

• Playing cards – make, order, group and play games

• Exam questions – plan key point answers or write

Active revision methods

• Make things – transform learning into a product!

• Power points – summaries and use of pictures

• Highlighting key words – go over 5 times

• Storyboards or story method

• Cut and paste into publisher/power point

• Youtube clips and then using key points

• Explain what you are doing to parents!

Re-Decorate

•Use post it notes, posters, banners, A3 mind maps or bunting around the house

•Top of the stairs, toilet door

•Especially bedroom walls

•Cards are available to buy tonight

What does work well

1. Self testing/quizzing

2. Spread out the exam practice

What does not work

1. Highlighting

2. Rereading

On their own these have proved to be ineffective and in some cases make performance worse

Review

CHUNKING REVISION

• Revise one subject area for 20 mins.

• Have a short break, do something different.

• Revise another area of the same subject

• Review key points and always use exam questions (even for 5

mins or planning)

Final Thoughts

• Always prepare in an active and creative

way. Don’t ignore what psychology has proven

• Use a minimum of five exam papers over the next month in each subject

• Practise has more influence than “talent”

What next?

• Make a start – don’t put it off

• Get organised – materials, Timetable or

action plan, websites, past papers

• Break it up - split each subject into topics

• Target the weakest areas first

Why chunk revision?

•Unique items are easier to remember

•Memorable if unusal

•Senses are linked to memorising

•Primacy – Recency effect

•Repetition and review is important

PREPARATION “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”

•Create a revision area.

•Use wall space in revision area to put up revision materials.

•Have all necessary equipment available, including books, revision guides.

•No distractions – tv, phone etc

•Music can help but can hinder