How to Be Successful in Exams

Use of Effective Revision Strategies

Throughout their time in the sixth form, students are taught what constitutes effective and ineffective revision strategies. Often the easiest strategies prove to be the most ineffective. The following have all been proven by research to have little or no impact on learning:

• Rereading
• Copying notes
• Summarising
• Highlighting key words

The two most effective revision strategies are testing and spacing coupled with good motivation and organisation. Research shows that students who test themselves regularly remember significantly more information and are less likely to suffer from the negative effects of stress associated with exams. Students have been told that although testing and spacing out their testing may feel uncomfortable and more difficult than other strategies, they are the most effective. Please click here for further information on these strategies.

Good Organisation

As a school we are fully aware of the link between disorganisation and anxiety and during the run up to the mocks and final exams, students need to be calm and in control. At the start of term we give students time to plan out their directed study and create a plan of what their days would look like to ensure that they have time to complete the work set. Having a plan reduces the anxiety of not knowing and ensures that students are in control of their own day. During directed study we are encouraging students to plan out their time to ensure that they are as effective as possible. All teachers when setting homework provide time limits for the different tasks. This is to ensure that students to not spend a disproportionate amount of time on one task and then become anxious and rush to complete the other tasks. Please speak with your son/daughter about these timings and support them to keep within the time limits set.

Work During the Holidays

The courses that your students follow, whether it be an A level or BTEC, are extensive and as such require students to be working at a high level over the full 18 months of the course. Cramming for an A level or a BTEC exam is not possible due to the amount of knowledge required. The homework tasks that your students are set incorporate both Year 12 and Year 13 content. This enables students to revise throughout the course and again reduces the anxiety and stress linked to exams. Due to the fact that both A level and BTEC courses are studied over a period of 18 months, it is expected that students will spend time during the holidays on the work set by their teachers. All work set over the holidays will be targeted preparation for the exams, preparation for new topics or consolidation of already taught topics. We understand that this may be unpopular with students, however, this preparatory work completed over the holidays will ensure that the exams and assessments pass without increased stress caused by lack of revision and preparation.

Awareness of Common Revision Mistakes

Finally, the link below highlights the most common mistakes that students make during their studies and when revising for exams. We regularly discuss these with students and we would urge you to do the same to ensure they don’t fall into the same traps.

Please click here for more information.