Revision

What do you need to do?

Get startedLearn facts

Focus on exams

There are links on every page – hover with the mouse and click where you see the hand symbol.

On the iPad – open in pdf expert or iBooks so links will work.

Who are you?

Choose your level: Whoever you are

Click below to see how to find what you need to learn.

Third form GCSE or IGCSE AS or A2

Organise your files

Keep all revision material together

Plan revision by time and task

Sit down, be quiet, get on with it!

Keep a record of what you have done to make you feel better.

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Third form

How to find out what you need to learn

Before exams – teachers will give you a list, that will probably also be on the VLE.

At other times◦ Use your notes – turn your file dividers into contents

pages so you know what is in there.

◦ Use your textbook – many have summaries at the end of each chapter or double page spread.

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Be careful, it’s vital to get the right board, and the correct paper.

GCSE and IGCSE

Look on the VLE for schemes of work or specifications in each subject.

Look at your exam board website for the specification.

For more detail◦ Use your notes – turn your file dividers into

contents pages so you know what is in there.

◦ Use your textbook – many have summaries at the end of each chapter or double page spread.

How to find out what you need to learn

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Be careful, it’s vital to get the right board, and the correct paper.

Sixth form

Look on the VLE for schemes of work or specifications in each subject.

Look at your exam board website for the specification.

For more detail◦ Use your notes – turn your file dividers into

contents pages so you know what is in there.

◦ Use your textbook – many have summaries at the end of each chapter or double page spread.

How to find out what you need to learn

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Great ways to learn facts

Choose and Click

Divide and Conquer

Key Points

Notes on Notes

Revision Cards

Revision Posters

Post-its

Lists

Slide show

Audio

Write test questions

Mnemonics

Key Words

Mind Map (and other diagrams)

Flow chart

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Divide and Conquer

Just too much to do or think about?

Split it up by subject –make a folder for each one. Still too much?

Split each subject into topics, and make sub-folders or put in file dividers.

Now choose a way to revise the first section

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Key Points

Print out text and highlight key points.

Make a list of the subheadings in a chapter.

Use exam board specifications to make sure you are learning the right things.

Condense them even more with ‘notes on notes’

See how they link up with a mind map.

Learn the detail with a revision poster.

Make an audio file

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Notes on Notes

Pick out the from your notes, and write them out.

Then make a shortened version of your key points and write it out

again.

Then try to shorten that version, and again, and again…

Until you have about six headings or phrases.

What’s the point?

A short list is easy to

learn.

Writing stuff out again

and again helps fix it

into your brain.

Learn the detail with a revision poster.

See how they link up with a mind map.

Check understanding and learn by writing test questions

Make an audio file

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Revision Cards

It’s easier to learn a small amount at a time.

Buy or make postcard sized cards.

Don’t write too much on a card.

Use them for notes on notes, or key words, or mind maps.

Use them for vocabulary or test questions. Put the answer on the back.

Use colour

Try making revision cards for a topic while you are learning about it, put them into your folder ready for exam time.

Memorise a card or two on the journey to school.

Make an audio file

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Revision Posters

Key points at the top/in larger type.

Detail and examples in smaller type below.

Walk away until you can’t read the small type.

Try to remember and say out loud what the small type says.

Make a poster, and fix it to the wall, or use laptop or iPad.

Walking and saying out loud, helps you remember.

Turn your poster into revision cards

Increase understanding by writing test questions

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Post-its

Put key facts on Post-it notes

Stick them where you will see them (round the mirror?)

Don’t put much on a note.

Use colour.

Reading out loud, helps you remember, so does visualising where the note is stuck!

Add post it notes to mind maps to add detail.

Add post-its to revision posters for extra detail.

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Lists

Make a numbered list of facts.

Not too long – 7 at the most.

Read them aloud, cover and try to remember.

Write the list again in black (without looking). Check and add the bits you missed in red ink.

Repeat until you’ve learned the list.

Saying it out loud or

writing stuff out again

and again helps fix it

into your brain.

You notice the red

words more , so you

are more likely to

remember them next

time.

A short list is easy to learn.

Knowing how many things

there are helps too.

Use your facts to plan exam answers

Increase understanding by writing test questions

Make an audio file

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Slide show

Make a slide show to explain a topic.

Add examples, pictures, links to websites.

Use it to teach someone else.

Add a slide where just the title appears, try to remember what else is there before moving on.

Use colour, and any picture that helps you remember/understand.

Explaining to someone else is the best way to get ideas clear in your own head.

Summarise the info with ‘notes on notes’

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Audio

Make an audio recording

Listen in the car, running, any time!

Leave gaps so you can fill in the spaces while you listen.

Of a list

Test questions, and answers

Use your ‘notes on notes’

Record revision posters.

Key Words

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Write test questions to learn and understand facts

Rule up three columns.

Write a list of facts in the first column.

Make up a question to test each fact and write it in the second column.

Write the answer to the question in the third column.

Make an audio file of Q and A.

For improving exam technique go to

‘Write your own exam questions’

Thinking about a fact to make up a question helps you understand and remember it.

This is a great technique to use when revising with friends.

Turn your Q&A into

a slide show.

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Mnemonics

Sometimes helps to learn a list of facts.

Or an equation or a formula

Either a sentence, and the first letter of each word is the first letter of something on your list.

Or a word, every letter stands for something important..

Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain

I prefer Roy G Biv!

Harry twice Said Oh for………

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Key Words

Key words can be ◦ Trigger words◦ Or phrases◦ Or key ideas◦ Or mnemonics◦ Technical words

From the last stage of your notes on notes

From the titles of your revision posters or slide shows

Make some up!

Learn the meanings, use lists, or test questions Make an

audio file of key words, and say out loud what they are about.

Make a revision card for each key word.

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Mind Mapsand other diagrams

Great for seeing the big picture.

Useful to see connections between different ideas.

Working out how to link things up helps you understand and remember.

Star diagrams

sometimes help to

organise information

The fishbone diagram is useful for looking at cause and effect problems.

How to make and use mind maps

Useful for compare and contrast

cycles

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Useful mindmap ideas

Put the Key word or idea in the centre.

Arrange subtopicsaround it.

Try to see links between

different ideas.

Write along the linking

arrow or line.

Use colour!

Use pictures and diagrams

Use to plan

essays and

exam answers

Draw on file dividers to summarise contents

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Venn diagrams

Great for sorting out what is the same and what is different about 2 concepts.

Useful for planning ‘compare and contrast’ answers.

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Star diagrams

Useful way to rearrange a list. Put the title in the centre.

Colour each point differently.

Use as the basis of a mind map.

TITLE!

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Fishbone diagrams

A way to organise information

Main title is head

Subheadings come from back bone

Details next level down.

Add links to turn it into a mind map.

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Cycle diagrams

Rock cycles, life cycles

The economic cycle, business cycle, water cycle, nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle……...

Or adapt for Blood circulation, energy transforms ……..

Write test questions, and answers

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Flow charts

For learning problem solving routines.

Find a model answer to the kind of problem you find difficult.

Break it down into step by step instructions.

Try out your flow chart on a similar problem and check it works.

If it doesn’t – improve the flow chart.

When it does – learn it!

In your notes, your textbook, in a

markscheme, ask your teacher.

Get a friend to check it works!

Use to plan

exam answers

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Focus on exams

Find past papers and mark schemes

Analyse questions and mark schemes

Essay and long answer questions

Problem solving

Get the most from an exam paper

Get the most from a mark scheme

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Get the most out of past papers!

Find past papers and mark schemes

Many are on the VLE –look under subjects, student resources.

Look at the exam board website.

Save electronic copies, only print pages you want to write on.

Use pdf expert to annotate questions and markschemes.

Be careful, it’s vital to get the right board, and the correct paper.

The Easter revision tasks will be here too.

Essay and Long Answer questions

Make sure you understand the question

Gather your information

Decide how to structure your answer

Write it out in the time allowed.

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Understand the question

Use coloured pens.

Highlight key instruction words.

Highlight information and note what it is telling you.

Highlight what you are being asked for/to do.

Like ‘describe’, or ‘explain’ or ‘sketch’ or ‘draw’ or ‘label’ or ‘calculate’ or ‘list’ or…

How big? What units? when?

Would a sketch of the set up make things clear?

How many marks? How much should I write?

Gather the information for essays

Problem solvingBack

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Gather the information for essays

What do you know that will be needed?

Use a mind map to link things up.

Remember your revision cards

Trigger your memory with key words

Plan your answer

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Plan and write your essay answer

Plan structure –paragraphs and sentences.

Write it out.

If you need to compare (what’s the same) and contrast (what’s different) use columns or a Venn diagram to sort out information.

Check the markschemeBack

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Solving problems

Remember the method for this type of problem.

Show your working or explain your reasoning clearly.

Space out your work.

Check your answer.

A flow chart can be useful.

Should there be units?

Check the markschemeBack

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Make a post it of things to remember to do

Using markschemes

Try the question BEFORE looking at the markscheme.

Look at the keypoints that the markscheme requires in the answer.

Identify where you have lost marks.

First without any notes, then with!

Make a mind map of keypoints

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Make notes to help you learn those things!

Make a sheet or a folder of questions on a particular topic, then look at your notes for that topic and make sure everything is covered

Using question papers (with mark schemes)

Read the instructions on the front carefully.

Analyse each question thoroughly.

Collect similar questions.

Identify questions that ask for things you do not know.

Much better to truly understand these BEFORE you are in the real exam!

Here’s how

Check the markscheme

Make up an exam question

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It makes you think about what the examiner is testing, and what you need to do to get the marks!

Write your own exam questions

After you have looked at real exam questions try and make up your own.

Then design a mark scheme, as detailed as you can

Swap questions with friends.

Back to using question papersBack

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