Revision Tips

These days are very important for the students who are doing O’Level this year since these are the last days their revision. So this article is targeted for all those students who are sitting in the Cambridge O’Level exam this year.

Everyone feels nervous about taking exams. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your revision time and keep those nerves under control.

It’s important to remember that an examination is a test of learning, not memory. Examiners want to see evidence that you have drawn on your knowledge to develop a reasoned argument, rather than replicate course notes and textbook facts. Revision should be a process of consolidating understanding rather than cramming as much information as possible before the morning of the exam.

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Study skills

Where to study
Creating good conditions to study in can help you make the most of the time you spend revising. Here are some suggestions:

•           Find a quiet place to study and make sure you are sitting comfortably
•           Make sure your desk is well lit
•           Keep background noise to a minimum
•           Avoid studying in an area where there will be distractions (like television!)
•           Have everything you need to do your revision to hand before you start

How to study

There is no ‘right way’ to revise, as long as the method you choose enables you to gain a solid grasp of key facts and consolidate your knowledge. Some students are happy to read their classroom notes from start to finish, others prefer to simplify the information as much as possible, turning everything into skeleton notes, diagrams or mnemonics. In practice, most students find that mixing techniques suits the varied nature of the subjects being revised, and provides essential variety when studying.

•   Turn your notes into revision tools;

o    write ideas and facts on to cards to use as ‘prompts’

o    create memory aids such as diagrams or mnemonics (e.g. initial letters to make a word you need to remember or SMART objectives: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic; Targets). These will help you remember key facts

o    write key facts/notes out and display these around the house where you will see them

o    record yourself reading notes to listen to

•    Study with a friend and test each other’s knowledge, but remember you are meeting to revise rather than to chat!
•    Work through past question papers – and use a watch to time them so that you can practise timing your answers.
•    Choose study and revision guides sensibly. It’s not hard to find help with revision – as well as established published revision guides, there are hundreds of websites offering help and advice. The problem is not how to find such help, but how to judge which is the best source for your needs. Save valuable time and get recommendations from your teachers
•    Remember course notes are also a valuable source of extra help
•    Keep yourself more alert by changing revision methods during a session. For instance, try switching from note taking to memorising; from reading to asking someone to test you
•    Attend any revision classes that your teachers may be running at school and get their advice on revision methods
•    Look after yourself – Sometimes revision can become a competition – who stayed up latest, who worked longest, who’s worrying the most. But the more tired you are the less efficiently you’ll work. You need to rest as well as study, eat well, drink lots of water and make sure you pace yourself. Don’t rush, and equally don’t over-revise by doing too much too soon

Source: University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, 2012, Revision Tips [Online] Available from: http://www.cambridgestudents.org.uk/examtime/revisiontips/