How to start your intensive revision for General Paper?
For JC students who are taking their A Level General Paper examination, they are in need of an intensive revision programme to better prepare themselves for their impending examination. In the development of the intensive revision for General Paper, they need to have the following considerations, so as to be thoroughly prepared before the examinations.
1) Material Preparation
Before commencing on the General Paper intensive revision, students need to undertake material preparation. It is crucial for students to organize their learning materials, so as to facilitate quick reference during their preparation phase. For example, students can sort their materials in separate files, such as notes, tutorial questions, essay questions and past examination papers. In addition, students need to develop concise notes and essay outlines in order to enable effective knowledge accumulation and content enrichment.
2) Scope of Study
Next, students need to create the scope of content for their study, so as to undergo adequate examination preparation in the study of General Paper. This means that students should identify and acknowledge the areas of examination in terms of the types of questions tested as well as the main concepts they need to explain. For A Level General Paper, students need to list out the content of various topics and technical knowledge for the various types of questions that can be tested during the examinations. The understanding of the areas of examination through this scope of study will aid students in knowing how much they need to prepare and how to improve their efficiency and effectiveness to prepare for the examination.
3) Consistent Practice
Students should also understand the importance of consistent practice during their intensive revision to improve their application of knowledge and assess their degree of understanding of the knowledge required. It is inadequate for students to read lecture notes and expect the acquired knowledge can be applied fluently and effectively during examinations. Contrary to conventional perceptions, students should spend more time attempting questions to enforce and integrate their conceptual understanding of various chapters and improve their technical skills to apply acquired knowledge to the context of the question.
For A Level General Paper, students need to practise writing questions of different types which have different requirements that will determine the appropriate type of essay structures. The trial practices of comprehension question will raise students’ capabilities to understand and infer the passage better and derive the answer in an orderly and effective manner.
Practice makes perfect. Students have to train their capacity to adapt and apply to the question context. Practices will expose their weaknesses and knowledge gaps, which are essential in identifying the areas of improvement. Undeniably, it is an arduous learning process, especially at the initial stages of the intensive revision. However, consistent practice will enable students to eventually surmount this obstacle and ascend to higher levels of learning before excelling in their examinations.
4) Evaluation and Correction
Besides the previous considerations, evaluation and correction are essential steps in ensuring that students are achieving progress during their intensive revision for General Paper. For evaluation, students need to examine their work to identify the errors committed and the cause of their errors. Students also need to devise solutions to avoid committing such errors in subsequent examinations. For example, if students cannot complete their essays on time, they should practise writing faster. From this evaluation and correction, students will be able to derive their personalised approach on how to handle the questions during examination.
5) Mental Resilience
Lastly, one must not ignore the value of inculcating mental resilience during the revision phase. Students are faced with high levels of stress during their study of A Level General Paper, particularly during the examinations. As the examinations can last as long as three hours, it is vital for students to imbue the tenacity within themselves by undertaking mock examination preparation or timed practices. Also, students need to be self-disciplined, meticulous and motivated in order to remain focused in the final goal of achieving sterling grades for the A Level examinations.
In sum, students must have an effective revision plan to study effectively. It requires a systematic and effective plan and students’ determination and diligence to implement the revision plan. It will be a rewarding experience for the students as the intensive revision programme will make students better learners and thinkers to excel for their final examinations.
This article is contributed by Mr. Simon Ng, founder and principal JC GP tutor of Generalpaper.com.sg, who has 20 years of teaching experience. Currently, Mr. Simon Ng provides specialized GP Tuition and Economics Tuition. Please visit www.generalpaper.com.sg/gp-notes to read more of our JC General Paper articles.