PAST PAPERS STUDY SKILLS WHY PAST PAPERS Past

PAST PAPERS STUDY SKILLS

WHY PAST PAPERS? • Past papers are closest you can get to replicating the final exam while studying. • Testing your knowledge with official SQA questions used in the past gives you an indication of the topics you understand the areas you still need to work on, allowing you to structure your study plan around what you feel are your weaker areas • If you're studying for your first SQA exams, past papers also allow you to get familiar with the layout and wording of questions you will face during your final Exam.

USING PAST PAPERS EARLY • Although using past papers closer to the date of the exam is an effective and popular way to prepare, it's important not to cram too much studying into the days leading up to the exam • A useful way to minimise stress close to your exam date is to try a few past papers early. • Even trying a few questions from a paper can allow you to get an early indication of how well studying is going for a subject and gives you more time to try and work on any weak points.

PAST PAPERS CLOSER TO EXAM TIME • Closer to exams, once you feel more confident in your knowledge of the course, completing full past papers will be an extremely useful method of preparation • Completing ‘mock exams’ at home is great to practise your timing, helping you get an idea of which questions take you the longest/shortest amount of time • SQA have a habit of reusing questions from previous exams, so by completing past papers(especially papers from a few years ago) there is a good chance a number of questions you face on exam day will be slight variations on ones you have already encountered

WHERE TO FIND PAST PAPERS • Official Past paper books are available to buy • The easiest way to access official past papers for any subject is on the SQA website • Useful links: https: //www. sqa. org. uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper. htm https: //www. highermathematics. co. uk https: //mrmarrhistory. wordpress. com/national-5 -exam-tips/

EXAMPLE OF SIMILAR QUESTIONS Three extremely similar questions taken from 2016, 2018 and 2019 Nat 5 Physics papers

MY STUDY TIP • Studying in short bursts of 40 minutes with 15 minute breaks in between can help you to focus and prevent you from becoming bored and distracted.