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Revision techniques

Revision is an essential part of learning and become increasingly important as you move towards your final exams in Year 11. 

How to approach your ongoing revision

  • FOCUS
    • Identify a distraction that you need to get rid of to help you to focus better.
    • Choose a subject you need to prioritise improving in. Which topics and techniques have you had difficulty with.
  • DON'T GIVE UP
    • Find examples from your past work of revision techniques you have already tried: flashcards, summary sheets, diagrams, mindmaps, practice questions? Leave them out to refer back to over the coming weeks.
  • HAVE A GO
    • Redo a question you got wrong in the recent past. See if you have learnt from the mistakes you made and improved on it. This is at the heart of effective revision: revisit and improve.
  • KEEP IMPROVING
    • Find some good work that you've done and stick it up in front of you. Be proud of it and let it remind you about what you can achieve.

 

Why do we need to revise?

  • REVISIT: Choose a topic in a subject that you have not worked on for some time. Go back over it to see what the topic involves. Choose 3 revision activities that you could do to practice this topic (e.g. recall and rewrite content, answer questions, make some revision materials).
  • PLAN IT: Decide on a time each week when you can carry out one of these revision activities. Write this up somewhere and display it to commit yourself to carrying out this revision.
  • DO IT: Tick off each revision activity that you carry out 
  • REVIEW IT: Test yourself on this topic to see how your recall and skills have developed

 

Making and using flashcards

  • REVISIT: Choose a topic in a subject that you have not worked on for some time. Go back over it to see what the topic involves. Choose 3 revision activities that you could do to practice this topic (e.g. recall and rewrite content, answer questions, make some revision materials).
  • PLAN IT: Decide on a time each week when you can carry out one of these revision activities. Write this up somewhere and display it to commit yourself to carrying out this revision.
  • DO IT: Tick off each revision activity that you carry out 
  • REVIEW IT: Test yourself on this topic to see how your recall and skills have developed

Making and using summary sheets

  • REVISIT: Find any summary sheets you've previously made and go through them again (consider redrafting some of them). How does your recall compare to last time? Use the techiques in the video to sort out those you need to continue to focus on.
  • MAKE: Choose a subject and topic and make yourself a summary sheet for it. Use your notes, revision books and any other materials to find key knowledge that you need to include.
  • USE: Use your summary sheets to try out the the techiques in the video.