Year 10 How to Revise

WHAT IS REVISION?

Quite often, there is a misconception that intervention such as P7 is revision, but that is not the case. Revision and intervention are separate strategies to ensure students achieve well at GCSE. 

 Here is the distinction between the two, as well as a definition of what we mean by gaps: 

•      Revision is revisiting things you have learned and practicing answering exam questions at home. 
•      Intervention is for reteaching the gaps that you have as an individual, delivered by a teacher. 
•      Gaps are what you have been taught but cannot yet show you know/do in an exam. 

HOW LONG SHOULD I REVISE FOR?

 

At this stage students should be doing, on average, 4 x 20 minute sessions a day with more at the weekend. This should be spread across their subjects but with a heavier weighting on English Maths and Science. One session may be creating flashcards using the pages of a revision book, or 20 minutes running through a set of flash cards already created. 

It is essential to write a revision timetable for use at home. Below is an example to use which shows you the number of 20 minute sessions you should do for each subjects along with a way of spacing them out across the week. It is really important that you change subjects every 20 minutes as if we do one subject for too long we begin to be unable to remember any more information.

revision timetable example.pdf

 How do i revise?

One excellent way of revising is through creating flashcards that you or your family and friends then use to test you on. You can buy a set of 800 blank flash cards off of Amazon for less than £10.  

You use these by writing revision notes on 1 side of the card and a prompt on the other i.e. 

Only found in plant cells?     [Front of card]

Vacuole Cell wall Chloroplasts   [Back of card]

 

Once you have created these, you then test yourself by trying to remember everything on the back. You will cycle through these cards all the way up to their exams, as this well help you to memorise key content. 

If you want to maximise the effectiveness of flash card, there is a system that you can employ detailed below. This a great activity to do with your family after mealtimes or breakfast, so that they can help you with your revision. You could even make a game of it, and negotiate rewards on how many you get right or how many sessions you complete!