Riveting Revision How can you revise effectively for

Riveting Revision How can you revise effectively for your exams? How can you make the most of the time you have?

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Most of you do not know how to revise – some think you do (and some do) most of you do not. What should you do? When should you do it? How should you do it? The idea of reading notes, maybe highlighting is generally your expectation of revision.

What is revision? It means actively looking over work on an ongoing basis: 1. To remind you of things you have forgotten 2. To make links with other learning so you have the bigger picture 3. To reinforce learning 4. To identify what you don’t know 5. To check your understanding I’ve read all my notes but I can’t remember any of it!

How do I even start? • Do you know what you need to do? • What will be actually tested in the exam? (Revision list) • What day is the exam? (Exam timetable) • When does the exam start and how long is it? • Do you have the materials to do it? • Exercise books, textbooks, folders… • Revision guides • Access to internet (websites) • If there any gaps in your knowledge ask your subject teacher for help.

Where to start? When to do it? • Work out how much time you have – be realistic. • Don’t forget to factor in a bit of free time also! • Break it down into manageable “chunks” e. g. ‘revising French verbs’ sounds more manageable than ‘revising for GCSEs’. • Make “To-Do” lists. These are very useful in helping to organise yourself. Prepare the list every evening for use the next day. Cross off items as you complete them. Put any left over items on tomorrow’s list.

What and how? !? ! • Highlight everything you feel confident about in a subject in one colour. • Then highlight all the topics you need to revise in more depth in another colour. • Use this information to create a revision list.

RAG RATE • For unit topics • For subtopics • For specific key terms/ key events etc. • Auditing knowledge

How long should I revise for? The advice given is to revise for between 40 and 60 minutes and then have a 10 minute break. l Break subjects down into topics so you have more manageable chunks. l Change subjects frequently. l

Resources to revise • Have the right resources to revise actively: • Pen, ruler, pencils, paper, glue, scissors • Post-it notes • Coloured pens • Highlighters • Dictionary • Revision guides • Food and drink!!!

Phase 1: Read What do most students do? • • Passive revision Revision workbook Own notes Text book refresher Relevant websites e. g. quizlet exam Phase 2: possibly make revision notes • Hope knowledge has stuck enough to answer an exam question and be successful • • • Flashcards Revision book Mind maps

Phase 4 RAG knowledge Phase 1: Read What should students do? • • • Red – no knowledge – learn again now • foc – maybe try a different technique us on • Amber – good factual knowledge you an r d t re but can’t apply to an exam • arg d t question et r opic evi s – • Green – can answer exam sio be n eff questions on this topic ect ive confidently Active revision cycle • Exam Practise – short / long answer questions • Quiz yourself (flash cards / quizlet – other online quizzes) • Timed exam practise • Essay plans for longer questions Phase 3: test yourself • • Revision workbook Own notes Text book refresher Relevant websites e. g. quizlet Phase 2: make revision notes – learn content Gojimo Quizlet • Cornell notes • Flashcards Revision book • Mind maps Graphic organisers Mnemonics Post it note revision Read, cover, write, check

HOW to revise? . . . …Variety is the spice of life revision! It is essential to try LOTS of options for revision techniques and try them out.

10 Revision ideas 1. Mindmaps 2. Mnemonics 3. Flashcards 4. Post-its / mind maps / posters 5. Alphabetti no-forgetti 6. RAMBAM Key T ip 7. Foldables Using of the a mixture s 8. Revision Books to pro e help yo u gress b than 9. Past Paper Practise using etter just one o r two 10. Graphic Organisers.

1. What is VARK? 2. How can I use VARK to help me revise?

Revision styles

Examples…Mindmap – Links the points you have to remember in a thought shower. Choose one topic, identify its central theme, connect the main ideas, use colour, images and key words.

Simplemindmapping app – for smart phones and tablets.

Examples…Mnemonic – A word that is formed from the first letter of a fact that needs to be remembered. Write the facts that you need to remember. Underline the first letter of each fact. Arrange the letters in a form you will remember it. It can be a real word or a made up one, as long as you will remember it!!!

Examples…Flash Cards – Make some cards with important facts on. Carry them with you and look at them whenever you can. Get family members to test you using the cards.

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Examples…Post-IT notes – Write single words on these and stick them up around the house – when passing the notes explain theory, or definition etc.

Examples… Alphabetti no-forgetti 1. Put the letters A-Z down the side of a piece of paper. 2. Read a page of text and choose only the key words to place next to the correct letter on the sheet. 3. After you have written 10 words, write these 10 words onto a separate piece of paper/cue card and see if you can use them to jog your memory and summarise the text you have just read. 4. Carry on for another 10 words, writing these onto the A-Z sheet. 5. Write these 10 words onto the cue cards and use all 20 to remember the text, etc.

Examples… RAMBAM

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Past Paper / Exam Question Practise • Look at past paper and previous exam questions. • What is expected of you? • What do you need to do to get high grades? • What knowledge do you need? • What skills do you need? • Complete questions and check your answers online or ask your teacher to have a look at your attempt.

Graphic Organisers The list of these is huge: • Venn diagrams for agree / disagree • Ripple diagrams for most important cause in centre and less important causes moving outwards • Simple cause / key features / consequences arrow diagrams • Structure diagrams • Pie charts

Concluding the revision session! Always test yourself after your revision session. What have I learned? Could I answer this exam question now? Could a member of the family ask me questions about the notes?

Useful websites for students • Students need to sign up to this but it is free and interactive and covers many subjects. https: //getrevising. co. uk. • Sam Learning - http: //www. samlearning. co. uk • BBC Bitesize - www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize • www. passmyexams. co. uk (Science) • www. examsolutions. net (Maths) • http: //www. revisionworld. co. uk • http: //www. s-cool. co. uk/ • Past papers can be downloaded from the exam board websites, e. g. www. Aqa. org. uk or http: //qualifications. pearson. com/en/home. html

www. getrevising. co. uk