Top Tips for Exam Revision
With Year 11 and 12 exams approaching, Deputy Principal Senior School Mr James Ramsey shares his top tips for what to do and what not to do when studying.
Do:
Create a study schedule. Plan when you will study content for each of your courses. Several shorter sessions will always be better than cramming the night before.
Test yourself or get someone to test you. The idea is to recall information from your long-term memory. Try flashcards or websites like Quizizz or Quizlet.
Revise by teaching someone else. This will improve your own memory and prompt you to organise and clarify your thoughts.
Revise frequently. Frequency and quality is more important than quantity.
Practice ‘spacing’. Revisit previous topics to check your retention. Regularly test yourself on content you studied last week, last term and at the end of last year.
Focus on revising content you are less confident with. Find out what you do know and don’t know, then spend more time going over content that needs reinforcing.
Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is vital – a well-rested mind will recall and process information better. Remember to take a digital break an hour before bedtime.
Ask your teacher questions. When you get stuck, seek help from your teacher. Make a list of questions to ask for each course.
Nurture your own wellbeing so you are best placed to cope with the normal stresses of exams. Remember to rest, exercise regularly and maintain a connection with people.
Attempt past exam questions under test conditions. This is the final step of revision. Only do this once you are confident you are ready.
Don’t:
Listen to music while revising. It is almost impossible to multi-task effectively. If you do want to listen to music, then opt for instrumental music (I would recommend Boards of Canada).
Have your smart phone with you when you revise. Having a phone in front of you on your desk when you study significantly reduces your concentration and focus.
Rely on re-reading/re-writing notes or highlighting information. Many students feel that this is most effective way of revising as it feels comfortable and familiar. However, research suggests that it a highly ineffective strategy compared to testing yourself on the content you are revising. Often what feels too comfortable isn’t what is best for you when it comes to revision. Don’t make the mistake of focusing your efforts on cramming information into your head – instead, strengthen your long-term memory by practicing getting information out of your head when tested.
Skip sleep and breakfast. A lack of sleep impairs brain function by making it more difficult to retain and process information, while not eating a nutritious breakfast is linked to lower scores in examinations.
Cram. Cramming the night before is not an effective long-term solution especially if you want to retain your learning after the exam is over.
Remember: effective revision is rarely fun or easy. You’ll need to be dedicated and focused when revising for exams – effort is the key factor impacting on success. By preparing effectively, you’ll experience the great satisfaction of conquering a difficult topic, finding connections between material you’ve learned, and feeling a sense of confidence before going into your exam.
Mr James Ramsey
Deputy Principal Senior School