Revise for Your GCSEs in One Month and Get Good Grades
May and June are probably the worst months when you're in Year 11. You have the majority of your exams to look forward to and the revision for it. Some people start revision early but if you've noticed a slight bit later than everyone else that you have to revise, it's good to know that it's never too late.
Contents
Steps
- Be sure to put yourself in the right mind to revise. For example, you could revise for an hour before taking a 20 minute break. Any structure is good as long as you know that you are getting somewhere with your revision. Remember that your future partly depends on how well you do in your GCSEs.
- Set limits to all distractions including your TV, computer, game consoles, and mobile phone. You have a very long summer to look forward to; there is no excuse to not put your mind to revision now.
- Gather all of your notes together. Make sure that you have all of your books and textbooks for each subject. If you can't find them, look to the other points.
- Write a list of all the exams you have and the dates next to them.
- Write a list of all the topics that you need to revise.
Maths
- Be sure you are using the correct specification for studying, and know whether you are in the Foundation Tier or the Higher Tier. There are many different examination boards, so make sure you are studying from the correct one - they differ slightly in their expectations. Everything that you have been learning in maths has been indirectly for GCSE. The information from the past two years of studying is more important as you learn more maths than you ever have in your life.
- Try studying from your textbook or any notes that you may have, by doing exercises again and again to make sure that you really know how to answer the questions correctly. Look at websites which explain more difficult questions.
- Do past papers - this is a must! You need to know the format of the exam before you take the exam for real, so that it doesn't come as a shock to you. Mark the past papers and go over each question so that you have a good understanding of where you went wrong. Do some practice of questions from the topics that you struggled with in the past papers.
- If you are seriously struggling with maths, ask your parents for help if they know maths, ask siblings/cousins/friends; go to your teacher for help - the purpose of teachers is to make sure that you understand everything so use that opportunity! It may be awkward to ask the teacher for help, especially in front of your friends but remember, this is your life you are talking about. If you don't do well in your Maths GCSE, you may struggle in further education and in finding a job in the future.
- Watch maths-help videos online - they are very useful as there is someone who talks you through the questions as they solve them.
- Get a tutor. Although you will have to pay, this person may help you gain more confidence in maths and will help you to understand and solve maths questions.
Science
- Make sure you know whether you are doing single, double or triple science.
- Study using class notes, any textbooks that you may have and any websites online.
- Try doing some past papers and go over them, looking out for any questions that you get stuck on. If you're really stuck, ask your teacher to go over it with you.
- If you're doing triple science, revise well for the triple science part because it is quite hard.
- Revise over your notes - read them, then try to say what you just read aloud. Read over the same notes a few times to really make sure that they get into your head.
English
- Read over your notes for each poem or story.
- If you have the talent of writing essays then you will find it quite easy even if you haven't revised because the English GCSE is based around making up stuff about make up stuff - like reading between the lines. If you're having trouble then look up websites for quick notes. #Make sure that you have a copy of whatever book is required. Make sure that you do the right question, because the question paper that you are given contains the questions for all the different options!
- Read the top of the paper. If it says do one question from that section, make sure to only do one question.
- Depending on your learning style, you can write revision notes. You can try using mind maps or revision cards or writing everything onto one page.
- For essay based subjects, make sure that you really know what you are expected to know because they tend to ask only 10% of everything more or less.
Taking the exams
- Prepare your pencil case the day before each exam. You don't want to realise you've forgotten your calculator when the exam is about to begin!
- Make sure that you have had enough rest. Go to sleep relatively early.
- Get to school early so that you don't have to stress about being late.
- Take a bottle of water (with no label) if you are allowed to and feel you will need it.
Warnings
- Remember to bring enough spare pens and pencils and rubbers. Bring a working scientific calculator.
- Make sure you wake up early enough to get into school on time for your exam!
Things You'll Need
- HB pencils
- Black pens (no gel pens)
- Rubber
- Ruler
- Scientific Calculator
- Sharpener
- See through pencil case
- Extra material such as a clean copy of a book or an anthology
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