Exam season is upon us and students will be starting to focus on revision. We’ve created this free poster with some top revision tips to help them make sure they get the best out of their revision sessions.
What’s on the poster?
Prioritise and plan
You can’t possibly revise every single bit of information from all of your courses, so you need to think about what you need to focus on in particular. If you’ve done any mock exams or past papers, this could help you to identify any gaps in your knowledge. And if you’re really not sure, your teacher will be able to guide you.
Once you know what you need to revise, it’s a really great idea to put together a revision timetable. Try to start and finish at the same time every day, so that you get into a rhythm and you find it easier to resist the temptation to put studying off.
Remember to plan in regular breaks, ideally with some form of exercise. This is important to keep your concentration and energy levels up, and your stress levels down.
Make sure you know what to expect
It’s really important to make sure you know exactly what the exam is testing and what the format will be. This will help you to know what you need to revise and so will help you when you plan your revision timetable.
If the exam is essay-based, you may find that you can focus your revision on knowing a few topics inside-out. If the exam is based on short answers, you’re more likely to need to a wider knowledge of the syllabus.
Don’t try to figure this out for yourself though, as you may end up revising the wrong things. If you’re unsure, check with your teacher. They will be able to guide you further on this and will be very happy to take the time to do so – they want you to do your best too!
Do what works for you
There are so many different revision techniques, from flashcards to mind maps and study groups. What works for your friends may not work for you, and vice versa. You may need to try a few different techniques to figure out what works for you.
Teach someone else
There are a few ways to test your knowledge, but one that works really well is teaching someone else, like a parent, sibling or friend.
While you’re teaching them about the topic you’ve been revising, it will soon become clear which bits you’ve understood and have locked in to your memory, and which areas still need some more work. This process can really help to focus your revision moving forward.
Make sure you stay healthy
Eat healthily, exercise regularly and get a good night’s sleep and you will see a difference in the effectiveness of your revision sessions and, ultimately, your performance in the exams.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet will ensure that your body has the energy it needs to focus. You may think you want junk food but don’t be tempted – this could cause your blood sugar to dip and spike and this will affect your concentration and energy levels.
Drink plenty of water too – and try to avoid too much caffeine, which will cause havoc with your concentration and energy levels.
Make sure when you plan your revision timetable that you include time for regular exercise. This will get the blood flowing, which means more oxygen will reach the brain, helping it to work better. Exercise breaks are also fantastic for your mental health during revision – it’s so easy to be consumed by the thought of revision and exams, but exercising will give you a break from those stresses, helping you to stay calm and balanced.
And don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of late night study sessions – a good night’s sleep is really important. A tired brain will not retain information as easily as a well-rested brain. Plus, if you go to bed at a reasonable time, you’ll probably wake up earlier and fresher, giving you more time in the day to revise as much as you need to, as well as having those breaks that are so important.
Stay positive
Exams are your opportunity to show how much you know, so remain calm, be positive and just do your best! Exams are important but they are not the be-all and end-all and it’s certainly not worth making yourself ill worrying about them. As long as you put in the work, take it seriously and do your best, that is all anyone can ask of you!
And just think how great your summer is going to be once the exams are over!
Practise!
You will find it much easier to answer exam questions if you’ve seen similar during your revision sessions. So, a great way to test your knowledge and prepare yourself for the exam itself is to work in practice exam questions while you’re revising.
We hope you and your students found the poster and these tips useful. You may also like to download our poster on coping with exam stress and, if you’re an MFL teacher, you may like to take a look at our ‘Smash Your Speaking Exams!’ poster.