Revision for assessments is really important. This page will help you with the general skills needed for revision. Have a go at a few different methods so that you can work out which way works best for you. However you revise, remember these key points:
1. Don’t revise for too long all at once. Revise in half hour slots with a 5 minute break in the middle.
2. Start early. Don’t leave it until the day before the assessment/exam otherwise you will have a lot of
work to do in not much time.
3. Get help if you don’t understand something. There is no point learning something from memory if you
don’t understand it. Ask your teacher to explain it.
Condense your notes
- Create a simplified set of notes
- Use colours and highlight key points
- For each topic/lesson bullet point the keyinformation you need onto a index card.
- Go through each index card and read carefully.
- Write out what you can remember and then check back with the index card.
- Or tell a friend/family member about that topic and get them to check whether you have all the information on the card
- Take the cards with you so you can revise anywhere anytime!
- Take a large piece of paper (A4 or bigger) and turn the paper landscape.
- Start in the centre and create a central image which represents the topic you are revising.
- Add the main themes (i.e. different topics/course elements), giving each theme a different colour. For each theme draw a branch off the central image and write the theme name along this branch. You could add an image here as well.
- Add second, third and fourth level branches to add more detail. Don’t forget to use the same colour for each theme/topic.
- Use pictures and images as well as words. You could also add boxes around important points.
- Stick your mind map up on a wall so that you can refer to it whenever you need to.
- This website allows you to make an online mindmap which you could then print. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maps/maploader.swf
- Record yourself reading out your condensed notes then listen back to them.
- Start off revising by yourself so that you have some knowledge.
- Then go revise with a friend so that you can teach each other topics you do not understand.
- You can also test each other by creating questions or asking the other person to summarise their memory card.
- Identify the key words in each topic and write yourself a ‘dictionary’.
- Use the same technique as with the memory cards: revise, recall, check.