Ideas and techniques to
help you get the most from your revision time
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 understanding
Why revise?
 It reduce panic – gives you control and confidence
 It means that exams reflect what you can do, not what
you didn’t bother to do!
 It can help identify problem areas
 Achieve better results!
Where to start? When to do it?
 Work out how much time you have – being realistic.
 Don’t forget to factor in a bit of free time also!
 Take into account your ideal time day of work – work
out when you will best revise
 Break it down into manageable “chunks” e.g.
‘revising French verbs’ sounds more manageable than
‘revising for GCSEs’
Hints for an ideal revision area
Get the basics right
 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 are any gaps ask your subject teacher….
Learning Styles
V
Symbols
isual
Text
Auditory
Kinaesthetic
Visual Learners
 Visual learners have a preference for seen or
observed things e.g:
 Images
 Pictures
 Charts
 Diagrams
 Record information in words and symbols
 Colour
 Work from lists
Visual Learners
 What can they do to revise?






Create cue cards and arrange them in order
Hang notes on walls/doors/near desks…
Re write notes/different subjects/topics in colour
Create models/charts/tables/mind maps
Use highlighters
Use visual mnemonics
Auditory Learners
 Auditory learners have a preference for:
 Listening
 Hearing an explanation of something rather
than reading about it
 Talking/discussing
 But, they are easily distracted by noise!!!!!
Auditory Learners
 What can they do to revise?
 Download and listen to podcasts
 Record notes and play them back
 Discuss with friends
 Say facts over and over again
 Make a song
 Remember who said it!
Kinaesthetic Learners
 Kinaesthetic
learners have a
preference for:
 Physical experience
 Trying things out
 Physical repetition e.g. flashcards
Kinaesthetic Learners
 What
can they do to revise?
 Copy notes over and over
 Go on interactive revision sites
 Simultaneously talking-walking, walkingreading
 Move hand and feet in rhythm
 Construct things whilst studying
What about all 3 learning styles?

Revising can become boring!
 Your brain can feel like it is going to explode if
you create another cue card or listen to that
podcast again!
 Mix the INPUTS!!! – use more than one
revision technique e.g.
 Create cue cards
 Stick them on the wall
 Walk around the house with them
 Talk them over with your family
Examples of revision strategies…
Final Advice
 It doesn’t need to be a marathon session; little and often is
usually best.
 Recognise your own emotional state - if you are tense or
worrying about something else, it might not be a good time
to work.
 Don’t be afraid to STOP if it isn’t going well. Try to work out
what the difficulty is and when to come back together later.
 Ask!
Work smart or work hard?!
Useful websites
 www.getrevising.co.uk
- lots of advice about revision
 www.support4learning.org.uk
- advice for parents about education
 www.teachers.tv
- you can watch videos aimed at teachers and pupils
online – there are revision programmes/ literacy and
numeracy programmes on each week.