Westwood
College
A Revision
Guide
for
GCSE Success
JNS/11
Contents:
Achieving GCSE Success
- Revision tips
GCSE Revision
– Support Sessions/Revision Material/Websites
Revising at home
- Know how you learn best
When to start your revision
- Creating and using a revision plan
Beating exam stress
Being prepared for the exam
- The day before the exam
- On the day of the exam
Tackling the exam
Avoiding common exam mistakes
JNS/11
Achieving GCSE Success
Year after year students don’t do as well as they could at GCSE because they don’t revise well and
they make very common mistakes in exams. This Revision Guide can help you make the best of what
you have learned during your GCSE courses.
Revision tips
•
Start your revision in good time.
•
Plan/devise a revision timetable. Plan the time that you intend to revise each subject and
make sure that you stick to it.
•
Ensure that you know your examination dates/times and
when the subject revision sessions are available.
•
Find a quiet place where you can work undisturbed. Make
sure that you are comfortable and have all the books/notes
that you need to hand.
•
Spread your subjects out over time so you cover each one
several times.
•
Plan for half-hour or, at most, one-hour slots. Any more of
one subject and nothing extra is likely to sink in.
•
Have regular breaks – these will help you to absorb the
information and avoid overload.
•
Get into the habit of revising at set times. Establish a routine and stick to it – remember to
leave time for relaxation.
•
Plan to revise specific topics or aspects of a subject. Make a list of all the topics that you
need to revise and highlight those parts of your work that you are not sure of and give them
extra time.
•
Attend the lunchtime and after school revision lessons that are available and make sure that
you work hard and ask questions in the remaining lessons in each of your subjects. Remember
that your teachers are there to help you and want you to be successful.
•
A healthy mind needs a healthy body. Lots of sleep and regular exercise will help you stay
alert. Eat a balanced diet and drink lots of water – fresh fruit and vegetables will help to
keep your energy levels up.
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GCSE Revision – Support Sessions/Revision Material/Websites
Art
Support Sessions:
Classics
Revision Material:
Web pages:
Dance
Support Sessions:
Tues and Thurs Lunchtimes; Tues, Wed and Thurs 3:45pm – 5pm
Department produced booklets on ‘Roman City Life: Rome’ and
‘Roman Town Life: Pompeii’ – each available at £1.50
GCSE Classical Civilisation for OCR Students' Book (Oxford Uni. Press)
www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans
Tues Lunchtime revision
Tues 19th April ‘Revision day’
Design & Food Technology
Support Sessions:
Food Tech – Wed 3:45pm – 5pm
Revision Material:
Coursework and revision materials available on the VLE.
Web page:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
English
Support Sessions:
Revision Guide:
Web pages:
Tues 3:45pm – 5pm
Mon Lunchtime – English Language revision
Tues Lunchtime – English Literature revision
GCSE English Revision Guide AQA A Study Guide & AQA Study Guide Duffy /
Armitage pre 1914 poetry
Publisher CGP
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
www.universalteacher.org.uk
(useful for revision notes)
www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/eng_a_assass.php (past papers)
French, German and Spanish
Support Sessions:
Wed Lunchtime – French revision; Fri Lunchtime – German revision
Revision Material:
Past papers, soundfiles and speaking test preparation available to download
from the mflmultimedia drive
Revision Guides
GSCE French Revision Guide
Publisher CGP
GCSE German Revision Guide
Publisher CGP
GCSE Spanish Revision Guide
Publisher CGP
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesjze/
Web pages:
www.languageskills.co.uk
www.linguascope.com
www.languagesonline.org.uk
Geography
Support Sessions:
Revision Materials:
Web pages:
Thurs 3:45pm – 5pm
Revision material available on the VLE - 'Geog, Year 11, Revision Materials'
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
www.s-cool.co.uk
www.sln.org.uk/geography
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History
Support Sessions:
Revision Material:
Web page:
Mathematics
Support Sessions:
Revision Guides:
Revision Material:
Web pages:
Media Studies
Revision Material:
Web page:
Music
Revision Material:
Web pages:
Physical Education
Support Sessions:
Revision Material:
Revision Guide:
Web pages:
RE
Support Sessions:
Revision Material:
Revision Guides:
Science
Revision Material:
Revision Guide:
Web Pages:
Fri Lunchtime
Revision materials available on the VLE
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
Thurs 3:45pm – 5pm
‘Collins: GCSE Maths: Revision Guide and Workbook’ Publisher Collins
available at £4.50
MathsWatch CD ROM – Available at £3.50 each
GCSE Higher and Foundation revision materials available on the VLE
www.mymaths.co.uk
USER: westwood
PASSWORD: radius
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
www.s-cool.co.uk
Revision materials available on the VLE
www.mediaknowall.com
Revision materials available on the VLE
Edexcel GCSE Music Revision Guide Publisher Rhinegold
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
Monday Lunchtime ‘drop-in’
Thursday 12th, 19th May and Monday 23rd May 3:45pm – 5pm
Past papers available on the VLE
Essentials of GCSE PE Publisher Lonsdale
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
www.s-cool.co.uk
www.teachpe.com
Monday and Wednesday Lunchtimes
Revision materials available on the VLE
GCSE Religious Studies OCR B Ethics Revision Guide (Hodder Education)
GCSE Religious Studies OCR B Philosophy Revision Guide (Hodder Education)
OCR GCSE Religious Studies B: Christian Philosophy and Applied Ethics
Students book - Publisher Heinemann
Revision materials available on the VLE
GCSE Gateway Additional Science
Publisher Heinemann
www.gatewayscienceonline.com
SCHOOL CODE: ph6r
USER: westwoodcollege
PASSWORD: stud3nt
www.s-cool.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
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Revising at home
Know how you learn best
Everybody has a way of learning that suits them well. What works best for you? Do you remember
things better if you write them down in a list or perhaps draw a spider diagram, or maybe record
some notes by making a podcast?
Try some of these to see what works for you
•
Music in the background sometimes helps, but don’t try to revise with the TV or radio on.
•
Read through a topic and make brief notes on cards which can be used for further revision
later.
•
Instead of writing notes in words, draw a picture.
•
Make up word patterns, mnemonics and rhymes to help you memorise facts.
•
Redraw diagrams and check how well they match the original.
•
Use flow charts to sequence events or activities. Use linking words between boxes to
illustrate the nature of the sequence.
•
Draw concept maps using key words from topics.
•
Use colours to highlight key words in your notes or revision books.
•
Work with a partner to help and test each other on, for example, explaining the meaning of
key words (and spelling them correctly), rearranging chemical equations, performing
calculations, recalling linked facts or dates, drawing conclusions from evidence.
•
Use a Revision Guide or Website to help provide subject specific help and practice questions.
•
Work through past exam papers as these will help you to know what to expect.
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When to start your revision
For revision to be successful, it will need both determination and planning. There is no correct time
to start your revision, but as a guideline, you should start serious revision about 6 – 8 weeks before
your first exam.
There are many good reasons for planning when to revise and starting early, these include:
•
To set up a routine and to help discipline yourself
•
To share revision time fairly between each subject
•
To spread out your revision and help you keep a balance between revision and leisure time
•
To avoid a last minute panic
•
To help you to achieve better grades
Creating and using a revision plan
A revision plan will help you to know what you want to do and when you want to do it. There are many
ways to begin drawing up a revision timetable, but one way is to divide each day up into three sessions
– morning, afternoon and evening.
In order to plan your revision:
•
Make a list of the subjects for which you are taking exams in
•
Plan which subject/topic you will revise in which session for one week
•
Revise one or two subjects in each session - slots of 30 to 60 minutes are most effective
•
Balance your revision fairly between each of your subjects and consider if some of your
subjects will need more revision sessions than others
•
Be realistic, there is no suggestion that you should work for every hour in each session, or
indeed work in every session.
•
Record all other commitments on your plan, this could include relaxation and leisure time as
well as activities, jobs, lessons and time to complete any remaining coursework.
•
Pin up your weekly revision plan in a prominent place and try to follow it as best you can
•
At the end of each week, quickly review how well your revision has gone and then plan for the
following week.
•
Keep planning you revision on a weekly basis until you have taken your final exam
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Beating exam stress
We all worry about revision and exam time can be very stressful. Whilst a little bit of stress can be
good for you as it pushes you to work extra hard, too much stress can be overwhelming and stops you
from performing at your best.
Stress is part of the body’s natural response to changes around you. It changes how your body works
and puts your mind into different moods. Signs of stress include:
•
Not being able to concentrate
•
Feeling tired and having difficulty sleeping
•
Becoming irritable and short tempered
•
Feeling emotional and sensitive
•
Wanting to be alone
•
Suffering from headaches and skin problems
If you are organised you are far less likely to suffer from stress. We all suffer from stress at times
and here are some tips that you may find helpful to cope with those stressful moments:
•
Start your revision as soon as possible.
•
Establish a routine and stick to it. Make sure that you have proper meals and that you sleep
well and keep to your work plan.
•
Take regular breaks when revising. Having plenty of short breaks keeps you fresher for
longer and will help you to learn more.
•
Be realistic and don’t try to do too much work each day.
•
Don’t try to study right up to the time you go to bed – you need time to switch off.
•
Do leave enough time in your revision for fun. Do something that you enjoy and make time to
see your friends.
•
Get plenty of exercise - your mind will feel more alert and it can help you to sleep better.
•
Be positive. Don’t beat yourself up about things, instead be nice to yourself. Make a quick list
of five things that you have done that you are proud of – this will put you in a good mood and
you will learn more.
•
Try breathing exercises. If you start to panic then focussing on your breathing can often
help to calm you down. For example, breathe in deeply to the count of 5, hold for 4 then
breathe out to the count of 6 – do this a number of times.
•
Always do your best.
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Being prepared for the exam
The day before the exam:
•
Ensure that you have all your examination equipment ready
- a couple of black ink pens and sharpened pencils, a
rubber, a ruler, a clear pencil case or bag to store them in,
and any relevant subject specific equipment, for example,
a calculator, a protractor, a pair of compasses etc…
If you do take a calculator into any exam, remember to
leave the removable back at home.
•
Check your exam timetable for the time and the place of the exam.
•
Make sure that you know your candidate number and the centre number (30215) of the
College.
•
Look through summaries and past papers briefly to help refresh your memory on a few of the
difficult or essential points.
•
Try to get an early night.
On the day of the exam:
•
Get up early and have a good breakfast.
•
Don’t panic – try to stay calm and be positive.
•
You may find it useful to look at some brief notes or revision cards.
•
Arrive at College in plenty of time before the exam and make sure that you go to the toilet
beforehand.
•
Try not to discuss the exam with anyone before you go in the exam
room – finding something out that you don’t know will make you feel
worse.
•
Ensure that you do not take a mobile phone into the exam room.
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Tackling the exam
•
While waiting for the exam to start, read the instructions on the exam paper so you know
exactly what to do.
•
Read each question carefully - twice is better than once. Check how many marks are available
for the answer. Write neither too much nor too little.
•
Answer the questions that you feel most confident with first. Don’t spend time on questions
you are unsure of until you have been through the whole paper once.
•
Plan each answer and allocate enough time per question.
•
Make sure that you do answer the question; don’t simply repeat it or make up a question of
your own.
•
Check all calculations. Does the answer make sense and have you included the units?
•
Check information in graphs, tables and pictures. Did you read them correctly?
•
Check your spellings of specific words, but if you are not
sure of the spelling write your answer anyway. You may
get the mark.
•
If you have to draw diagrams, charts or graphs, use a
sharp pencil and draw accurately, using a ruler where
necessary.
•
Don’t forget that you can make notes or practise
calculations on the question paper; you don’t need scrap
paper.
•
Write legibly and don’t assume the examiner thinks that
you know everything – state the obvious.
•
Once you have answered all the more straightforward questions go through the paper again,
tackling those questions which are more difficult. If on the second reading a question is still
very difficult, move on to the next question.
•
Try to put something down in an answer space rather than leave it blank.
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Avoiding common exam mistakes
•
Read the question correctly so you don’t miss the point.
•
Check how many marks are given for each question and
write enough but not too much.
•
Look at tables, graphs, drawings and photographs very
carefully so you don’t miss anything.
•
Use the correct words and try to spell them properly.
•
Answer the question; don’t just repeat it.
•
Keep an eye on the time and pace yourself.
Always be positive and go to each exam thinking about passing with good
grades. Never go to an exam thinking that you might fail; you’ve worked hard,
so you deserve a good grade - Good Luck!
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