Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
WELCOME
This booklet is aimed at helping you to prepare well for your exams
and to do the right things during the exams to give yourself the best
chance of success.
CONTENTS
REVISION BASICS
 Where do I start?
 What will I need to revise?
 Where and when should I revise?
 How do I make notes?
 How do I know I am revising properly?
ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM
 Dealing with exam nerves
 Exam technique
WEBLINKS
 Helpful sites
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”
In other words, the biggest problem with revision is making a start. Here goes….
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
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The best place to start to revise is to create a revision plan. This should identify
periods of free time, and the topics you need to cover. Create regular slots of time to
cover all topics. This is called time management.
Decide which subjects you feel weakest and strongest in. You might need to give more
time to some subjects if you have difficult topics to revise.
Only you can make this decision but show the timetable to your teachers and ask them
what they think.
What will I need?
The answer is not that much, actually. However there are some basics you should get sorted
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You will need a pen/pencil/highlighter/file paper or something to make notes on
Get some folders to keep your notes in. All of this stuff is cheap and easy to get hold
of.
You will need your textbook/exercise book and handouts for each subject
It is really helpful to have a copy of the exam specification. This is the document
which tells you and your teachers what to cover for the examination. Make sure you
know the exam syllabus you will be entered for in each subject.
Get as many past papers for each subject as possible. These will allow you to see the
types of questions asked and practise them
Some students like to use revision books. Some of your teachers sell these cheaply in
school, or you can buy them from WH Smiths, Waterstones, www.amazon.co.uk or any
bookshop. You might prefer not to use them. Buy one for one of your harder subjects
and see if it helps. You can still do very well without them, however
Where and when should I revise?
There are 3 important things to remember here:
1. You really need to be alone most of the time
2. Make sure there are no distractions
3. Have all your revision materials nearby
This sounds simple, but many of us get distracted easily. However, it has been shown that
working in these conditions produces better quality revision. In other words, time spent in
these conditions revising is time well spent.
It is also important that you are in a room with good lighting. Sit close to a window or have
good artificial lighting in the room you revise in.
Some people do work with music in the background. If this is you, then keep the noise to a
low level. TV really does not help you to revise so switch it off! Radio programmes, which
require you to concentrate, don’t help.
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
When on study leave, the temptations are huge for many of you. You have lots of free time,
you might be at home on your own, and your friends are in the same boat. You must be
disciplined. Don’t say you will not step out the door for 4 weeks but at the same time, the
period of the exam is a short one in the your overall life. Work hard and look forward to
relaxing lots in the long summer holiday. There is life after exams!
How do I make notes?
This is a common question. The answer is to find a way which you feel most comfortable
with. This means that you might have to try lots of different ways to get it right for you.
Here are some examples:
 Set yourself the task of turning a page of textbook notes into 10 sentences of your
own
 Use a spider diagram: this allows to you to add stuff later
 Mind Maps can work in the same way, except you can use pictures and symbols more to
help you to remember
 Some people organise their notes onto cards for specific topics which they use to test
themselves
 Some people create ‘storyboards’. These are visual aids to help you learn by drawing
pictures and symbols to represent the key facts.
Don’t copy out large chunks of text. It is a waste of your time. What you need to keep doing
is changing large amounts of stuff into smaller and easier to remember amounts of stuff.
Start making notes on small topics to build up your confidence. This will prove to yourself
that you can do it.
How do I know that I am revising properly?
The big judge of this will be the exam! However rather than wait until you get there, you can
test yourself in lots of different ways before then
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Some revision books have test sections. These can be used to test your understanding
of certain topics
You can design your own factual questions as you make your notes
Involve your friends and family. Get them to test you
Past papers are an excellent way to keep your revision focused. These papers are
exactly the same level you will face in the real exam. Your teachers will do examples
with you in class and you can do your own as well at home.
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
The trick is to keep checking your progress. You can then decide whether you need to revise
some topics more than others. This ensures you make the best use of your time.
How do I remember things?
You will with practise. Lots of exams require you to explain and argue, rather than just
remember facts.
Here are some ways that work for many people:
 Mind Maps
 Timelines
 Use colour in your notes
 Mnemonics (Colours of the rainbow: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain: the first
letter of each word represents a colour)
 Create songs/stories and record them! There are lots of examples of these on
YouTube.
How do I deal with stress?
Most people suffer from stress at one time or another. The first thing to do is - learn how
to recognise it. Stress can cause tiredness, weakness, headaches, or a sinking feeling in the
stomach. It can also cause cramp - especially in your back, shoulders and neck. Many people
can't relax properly because they feel stressed.
The first thing is to recognise it. The second is to overcome it.
There are many trusted ways to cope with stress:
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Sleep: Go to bed at the right time
Exercise: walking, running riding a bike. Do whatever you can, even 15 minutes a day
can help
Diet: eat the right foods, proteins, carbohydrates for energy, lots of fruit, water
Control your breathing: take deep breaths, breathe out to bring your stress under
control
Meditation/Music: these can help you to relax
Be good to yourself
By now, you should be into the routine of revision, having put together your timetable and got
your stuff together. Revision is a tough period in your life so it is really important to treat
yourself as you go
For example:
 You could reward yourself with some TV after a period of revision
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
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You could say that you will treat yourself to a bar of chocolate after an hour or
revision, or read a bit of your favourite magazine
You could say that I will ring my friend after I finish my revision
How you reward yourself is your decision. Be careful that you don’t spend more time
rewarding yourself than actually revising!!
Talk to your teacher
For those of you doing GCSE and AS/A2 exams, you will have study leave before the exam.
This can be a really useful time, as it allows you to concentrate on revision. Sometimes you
hit problems. You can still talk to your teachers, however. Go into school, and see if you can
arrange a time to speak to them. They will be able to put you back on the right track
THE DAY OF THE EXAM
Dealing with exam nerves
We all get nervous before exams. If you accept this, you have made the first move to
keeping your nerves in check. Nerves mean you actually care about the result, so that’s a
positive thing. Nerves mean you have put a lot of work into the exam and you want to do well.
If you feel really nervous, remind yourself that the only way to deal with the nerves is by
trying hard in the exam. Try to think positive: you have worked hard, done what your
teachers have asked, and revised. You should actually succeed!!
Exam technique
There are 10 basic rules to follow, which have been shown to work in improving the way you
handle the exam paper itself.
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Times, dates and places for each exam: make sure you know these
Night before: get a good night of sleep. Cramming does not work!
Get equipped: bring spare pens etc to avoid wasting time and nervous energy
Read the front cover of the paper. Be really clear on what questions you must do
Before you chose, read each question carefully
Make your choices and stick to them
Make brief notes to help you to answer your questions: Write down good ideas as they
come into your head in the margin or on the question paper
Stick to the question
Leave space if you think you might want to come back to an answer later on in the
exam
Always check your answers
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
Once one exam is done, forget it. Move on.
What about different types of exams?
As you know, not all exams are the same in style and format. Here are some general bits of
advice about these
 Multiple choice: avoid guessing. Try to work out the definite wrong answers to narrow
down your choice
 Oral exams: especially in languages. Practise answering the types of question you are
likely to be asked before the exam. Record yourself and listen to your responses to
check your errors.
 Where you have practical exams such as in Art/DT/PE, your teachers will give you
specific advice about how they work.
Some exam myths
Even after all this work, you might still panic and stress! Here are some examples and also,
the right thing to think when you hear these things
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“I won’t pass”: The chances are, you will. You have worked hard, remember
“I won’t understand the questions”: well, read them carefully.
“They will try and trick me with the questions”: no they won’t. Examiners want to see
you at your best. Trick questions are not the way to do this
“I will do worse than everyone else”: not so. All your friends are thinking the same
thing
“I will forget everything when I go in”: This is where you need to remember your
relaxation techniques
“I can’t write fast enough”: make sure what you do write counts and really answers the
question. You have more time in the exam than you think
Your biggest enemy is sometimes yourself. Having a positive outlook is really important.
Match this with the hard work you will have put in, and you can look forward to results day
with confidence
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
WEBLINKS
These websites have been suggested by your teachers
GENERAL REVISION LINKS
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revision
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse
http://www.projectrevision.co.uk
http://revisionworld.co.uk/gcse-revision
http://www.gcsepod.co.uk/home/
http://www.youtube.com (YouTube has lots of revision clips for almost every subject. Type in the
subject or the topic and you will find lots of great clips)
EXAM BOARDS
http://www.aqa.org.uk
http://www.ocr.org.uk
http://www.exexcel.org.uk
http://www.wjec.co.uk
MATHS
http://www.mathsrevision.net/gcse/index.php
ENGLISH
http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/
www.wjec.co.uk/index.php?nav=106
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemicemen/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/proseheroes/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramainspectorcalls/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramaviewbridge/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramabloodbrothers/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/christmascarol/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen
http://academicwriting.wikidot.com/practical-exercises-on-the-topic-discursive-essay
http://www.galaxy.bedfordshire.gov.uk/webingres/bedfordshire/vlib/0.children_teenagers/vhc_how
_newspaper.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/english/lit_form/newspaper/revision/1/
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm
RE
http://www.gcsere.org.uk/
http://www.rsrevision.com/GCSE/index.htm
http://www.reonline.org.uk/ks4/indexx.php
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/11_16/site/re.shtml
http://www.prayingeachday.org/educationsites.html
http://www.request.org.uk/
SCIENCE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/biology/
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/biology
http://www.biology-resources.com/documents/experiments
http://www.revisionworld.co.uk/gcse-revision/biology
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/physics/
http://revisionworld.co.uk/gcse-revision/physics
http://www.passmyexams.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa/
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics
http://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology
http://www.docbrown.info
http://www.chemguide.co.uk - A level / high level GCSE
HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk
http://www.johndclare.net
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gcse/gcse09/geography/b/Pages/default.aspx
FRENCH/SPANISH
http://www.frenchrevision.co.uk/
http://spanishrevision.co.uk/
http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/languages/new/french_materials.php
http://web.aqa.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/
http://www.studyspanish.com
http://www.20minutos.es
http://www.todo-claro.com
PE
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/pe
IT
YEAR 10 2012 SUMMATIVE PROJECT BRIEF: TRADE FAIRLY
http://www1.edexcel.org.uk/D201_SPB_0912_PS_v2/html/SPB201Index.htm
YEAR 11
UNIT 1 2011 SUMMATIVE PROJECT BRIEF: WILDCARE
http://www1.edexcel.org.uk/D201_SPB_0911_FINAL/html/SPB201Index.htm
UNIT 3 2011 SUMMATIVE PROJECT BRIEF: TAKE IT AWAY!
http://www1.edexcel.org.uk/D203_SPB_0911_FINAL/html/SPB203Index.htm
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
ART
Axis Art
www.axisweb.org
Artcyclopedia
www.artcylopedia.com
Artlex Visual Arts Dictionary
www.artlex.com
The Association of Illustration
www.theaoi.com
Comprehensive Guide to Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions in the UK
www.artguide.org/
Contextual References
www.masters-of-photography.com
The Design Museum
www.designmuseum.org/design/
www.Graphics.com
www.kerboodle.co.uk
MUSIC
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/
www.musicatschool.co.uk/games/revision/index.htm
TEXTILES
www.aqa.org.uk
www.design-technology.info/
www.costumes.org
www.style.com
www.fairtrade.org.uk
www.premierevision.fr
www.fashion-era.com
www.sda-uk.org/materials/textiles/alternatives_to_cotton.htm
www.londonfashionweek.com
BBC GCSE Bitesize (google this)
Technology at GCSE (google this)
HOME ECONOMICS (CHILD DEVELOPMENT)
http://www.abm.me.uk – Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, help and advice on Breastfeeding
www.ace-ed.org.uk – Advisory Centre for Education, information on state education, special education
+ school admissions
http://www.askamum – information on a wide range of topics, home of Mother + Baby + Pregnancy +
Birth Magazine
http://www.babycentre.co.uk – wide range of information on conception / pregnancy / development /
feeding
http://www.babyworld.co.uk – product reviews on a range of baby equipment
http://www.b4baby.com – children’s clothing
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
http://www.babydays-e.com – information on baby equipment
http://www.bookstart.co.uk – information on the Book Start programme
http://www.boots.com – information on health, equipment for babies and care of babies and children
http://www.bounty.com – information and features on planning for pregnancy, babies and toddlers
http://www.bbc.co.uk – lots of information on all aspects of child development and caring for children
http://http://www.capt.org.uk – Child Accident Prevention Trust, useful information on safety
products and child safety
http://www.childhealth.co.uk – advice and information on child health problems
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com – information on being a new parent, development + learning,
health + safety issues
http://www.dh.gov.uk – Department of Health, information on infant care, pregnancy, childbirth,
immunization + weaning
http://www.direct.gov.uk – Department for Education and Skills, information and advice about
learning + education
http://www.fisher-price.com – information on toys and learning through play
http://www.food.gov.uk – Food Standards Agency, information diet, healthy eating, current guidelines
and legislation
http://www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com – National Childbirth Trust, information on antenatal care,
pregnancy, birth + care of children
http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk – suggests activities for young children to help different areas of
development
http://www.raisingkids.co.uk – information on development and learning from birth onwards
http://www.rospa.com – Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, advice on accident prevention
and safety
http://www.safekids.co.uk – information on health and safety including food allergies, internet, pets
and play
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/ – information on Early Years Foundation Stage
http://www.surestart.gov.uk – information on Sure Start initiatives
http://www.qca.org.uk – information on the Foundation Curriculum and Early Learning Goals
HOSPITALITY AND CATERING
http://www.ffvib.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food
http://www.nutrition.org.uk
http://www.foodtech.org.uk
http://www.bbcbitesize.co.uk
http://www.data.org.uk
http://www.pastry.com
http://www.foodstandardagency.co.uk
http://www.deliaonline.com
http://www.bestfoods.com
http://www.thefoodsite.com
http://www.channel4.com/food
http://www.nigella.com
http://www.fabflour.co.uk
http://www.uktv.co.uk/food/homepage/sid/566
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College
Y11 revision guide
2012-13
‘STRONG IN ACTION, GENTLE IN MANNER’