Description: Science and Maths tutor Zaynab shares her tips on how to pass exams with flying colours.
Stress Levels
Exams can be an extremely daunting and stressful time in many students’ lives. Sometimes we may underestimate the amount of content we have to cover and then start revising too late. This can result in cramming, lack of sleep, and an increase in anxiety. Many other things can result in achieving poor grades. After having studied to get into Medical School, I have truly been able to appreciate the impact of having the correct study techniques to achieve those high grades.
Revision
The first and most absolute essential thing required to begin your journey towards achieving A*s is establishing a revision timetable. This involves deciding how early do you need to begin revising prior to your exam. Time management is essential. Have a look at your specifications and download them! Then decide how many topics you have to cover before the exam and plan the number of revision sessions for each topic based on how much there is to cover. Allow time for breaks and other activities that you may have to do.
Active Recall
Seems simple so far. However, this is where most people tend to fall short. It’s important that you plan your revision sessions as well. Your revision style is purely personal however I would highly recommend exploring ‘Active Recall’ methods. Active recall methods have many benefits including the improvement of retention spans. There are many studies that support these claimed benefits.
Example
To warm-up, we will begin by doing some ‘Blurting’ on the chosen topic for fifteen minutes. This involves getting a plain sheet of paper and writing down everything that you know about the chosen topic within ten minutes. Then, with the remaining time from your fifteen minutes, compare your blurting sheet to your notes and add in any corrections or missing details using a different coloured pen. This is a useful starting point that will help you identify any gaps in your knowledge or concepts that you may have a weak understanding of.
Time Yourself
After blurting, set yourself some exam-style questions to complete for twenty minutes. These questions should not exceed a total of fifteen marks to allow you enough time to complete them. I would strongly advise that these questions be done under exam conditions so that you can gauge your true understanding of concepts and what your improvements need to be made in.
Mark Your Answers
After completing the exam questions, spend fifteen minutes marking your answers and reflecting on them. I would advise that you create a reflection sheet with a table, showing how much you achieved for each question, what your misconceptions are, and a note to remember what to include in those style questions for the future. This conscious process will help you to recall the mistakes that you want to avoid, should you encounter that type of question in the future.
Keep Material Organised
Finally, in the last ten minutes of your revision session, create some revision material that you can quickly access when you are free and have a little bit of time to revise! This could be in the form of flashcards or a PowerPoint. You can include the questions that you have been getting incorrect along with the mark scheme answer, or a flowchart of a concept that you are struggling to recall.
Remember To Put Yourself First
By structuring your revision in this manner, you decrease the amount of time wasted and have maximised your productivity. Managing your time and planning your revision sessions allow you to have more free time outside of your studies, where you can pursue a hobby and take care of your physical and mental well-being. This also reduces the amount of stress and anxiety you face as you near your exam date, allowing you to know how to pass exams with flying colours
By Tutor Zaynab. Contact Us.