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The Best Revision Technique you will ever learn
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The 5 Best Revision Strategies
1. Practice past exam papers
There’s no getting away from the fact that practice makes perfect. Unfortunately, however unappetising an activity it might be, completing past exam papers is one of the most effective revision methods.
When it comes to revising, it’s easy to fall into the trap of just revising things that you feel comfortable of — the things that you know well. After all, you’ll want to feel confident going into an exam, so it’s only natural that you’ll gravitate to revising things that you feel confident on. That’s pretty counter-intuitive though, because the thing that will cause you to become unstuck during an exam is the information that you don’t know.
Completing past papers allows you to identify the information that you don’t know, but need to know, ahead of the exam.
2. Start revising early
Whatever overall strategy you’re following when it comes to revision, it pays to start it early.
Whilst late-night cramming the night before an exam does actually have some surprising science behind it, it leaves too much to chance to be a reliable revision strategy that we’d recommend.
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Revising at least one month in advance of an exam will help you to recap as much of your course information as possible, and give you time to identify and act on areas you need to improve your knowledge in.
3. Make effective notes
To revise effectively, you need to take good notes. And to take good notes, you need to be able to summarise information in a way that works well for you.
There are lots of different note-taking methods to choose from out there. It’s worth bearing in mind that everybody learns in different ways, so the exact method you choose will depend on how best you learn.
The thing that all these methods have in common is the fact that they’re structured — they organise information in a specific order, according to a particular process. Uncover the process that works the best for you when taking notes, and you’ll be able to boost your revision and overall retention of knowledge!
4. Create a revision timetable
Creating a schedule will help add a sense of stability to your revision schedule and will help you to ensure you cover everything and don’t leave anything out.
A revision timetable is essentially a calendar of particular topics to revise on a particular day. You can create one by just making a note of all of the topics you need to revise and then choosing specific slots on days of the week to revise them on.
If you’d rather do things digitally though, you’re in luck. A great range of online planning and diary tools exist out there. We’ve got a free study planner that you can download, which should help you get to grips with your revision schedule.
5. Sleep!
Yes, you read that right. Sleep is essential when it comes to revision.
Research suggests that sleep plays an important role in helping your brain to process learning and consolidate memories. This makes it pretty invaluable when it comes to revision and trying to remember information.
As well as influencing your brain performance, sleep is also essential for your physical and mental health, too, controlling the release of hormones. These affect everything from your appetite and growth through to your body’s healing rate.
Most experts recommend that adults get between 7 to 9 hours sleep a night to function at their best. This figure varies with age, with younger adults needing slightly longer.
If you have trouble sleeping at night, try to ditch caffeine-based drinks like tea or coffee, and don’t use your phone or laptop immediately before you go to bed — the blue light that digital screens gives on can mess with your body-clock and make getting to sleep more difficult.
We hope this guide has helped give you some ideas about revision strategies!
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- Doing Past Papers. ...
- Studying with Others. ...
- Teaching the Subject to Friends. ...
- Creating Revision Flashcards. ...
- Making Colourful Revision Posters. ...
- Reading Your Notes or the Textbook.t ways to be sure that you’ve prepared thoroughly is relatively simple — give yourself enough time to learn it in the first place!
It’s exam time. You’ve studied hard and, naturally, you want to do well. Our top 8 revision tips can help you stay calm and focused during your exams.
1. Start early
Starting your revision early means you can spread it out and avoid last-minute panic. Aim to start revising in the mornings when your brain is fresher. Sometimes, revising later is unavoidable, but try to limit late night sessions. You can't revise successfully in a rush, so avoid last-minute cramming during all-nighters in your room or the library. But if you have left it to the last minute, try to focus on the subjects you think will come up on the exam.
Once you know what to revise for the exam, make a revision timetable to plan your sessions using a digital or paper diary. Avoid the temptation to jump straight into your revision without one. Making a plan does take time, but it will save you hours of figuring out what to revise each day. Include lots of detail in your plan like relevant readings or lesson notes. Block out time for socialising, exercising and other breaks. Stick to your timetable as best as you can.
2. Find out the exam format
Make sure you understand the exam format and scope so you know what to revise. Look over your syllabus and decide your approach. For essay-based exams, you probably don't need to cover the whole syllabus. It can be more effective to learn a little content in more detail. Short answer-based exams need a broader, less detailed understanding of the material.
3. Find a revision method that works for you
Revision techniques include flash cards, past papers, mind maps, group work and recording yourself talking then playing it back. Finding what works for you involves trial and error. Bear in mind that what works well for one exam might not work for another. Starting your revision early gives you time to find out the best revision methods for you.
4. Test yourself
Time spent testing yourself pays off, so come up with questions to test your knowledge. Make sure you understand what you're revising by thinking it through, rather than learning by mechanical repetition. Ask your friends and family to test you too.
5. Teach someone else
Explaining what you've learned to someone else is a great way to be sure you understand the topic. It will also help you remember information and identify any areas you don't fully understand.
6. Space out your revision and take breaks
Memorising information takes time – you can’t cram it all in at the eleventh hour and expect it to stay there. Give yourself the best chance of success by staggering your revision – five hours of revision over five days is better than five hours in one day.
Stepping away from your revision for a short period of time helps your brain process and cement information, and improves your ability to remember it. Do some stretching, go for a walk, have a cup of tea – whatever gets you away from your study space for a little while.
7. Look after yourself
Make sure you sleep and eat well, get some exercise and reward yourself.
- Get a good night's sleep. A good night’s sleep means your brain functions properly and can recall information. Sleep well to keep your brain healthy and to remember what you've revised. Getting to sleep at a reasonable time means you'll wake up earlier and fit in more revision during the day.
- Eat well. You might be tempted to save time when revising by surviving on quick food. Eating things like pizzas and guzzling coffee may be time efficient but it won't result in effective revision. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and drinking lots of water will leave you feeling more energetic and focused. Try batch cooking to save time (and money).
- Move your body. Exercise gets the blood flowing and sends more oxygen to your brain so it'll function better. Anything to get your brain working well will help you during revision and exams. Exercise is also a nice break from studying. Win-win.
- Reward yourself. A reward at the end of a long day of revision is something you can look forward to while you're hitting the books. It could be anything from an episode of your favourite TV show to a phone call with a friend. Set a time to reward yourself, and don't stop revising until then. You could also plan a big reward for when exams are over.
8. Stay calm and positive
Maybe the most important thing to remember during the revision process is to stay calm and positive. Had a bad day? Try not to let it affect how you revise the next day. While exams are important, they're not the be all and end all of your education. Try not to stress too much about them.
There's no perfect formula for exam success, and you might find only some of our tips are right for you. The key is to work out how you revise most effectively and stick to that as best you can. Ultimately, when it comes to revision, you get out what you put in.
THE BEST REVISION TECHNIQUES
As a student, I have found that the hardest thing when it comes to exams is finding a revision technique that works for me.
It all depends on what kind of learner you are:
- Visual – you prefer using pictures and images to remember things.
- Aural – You prefer to listen to sound or music to revise.
- Verbal – You prefer using words, whether that is reading your notes aloud or writing them out again.
- Physical – You prefer doing something physical, using your body, hands and sense of touch.
- Social – You prefer to learn in groups or with other people
- Solitary – You prefer to study alone.
Once you have figured out what type of learner you are, you can then choose the study technique that is specifically tailored to you.
I am a visual learner and I prefer to study on my own.
Whether you’re preparing for your GCSEs, A-Levels or University exams, you’re going to have to revise at some point as unfortunate as it may seem.
Personally, I use flashcards. I make a set of cards for each topic and write questions on one side and the answers on the back.
I find it makes revision (slightly) more fun and less like a chore. If you choose to do flashcards, it also means it’s easy for friends and family to test your knowledge. They have a simple question and answer to read out.
If flashcards aren’t for you, I have devised a list of alternative techniques for studying that might be helpful:
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