Tips to help the student revise for the new year mock exams

It is a regular practice for both year 11 and year 13 students to sit a pair of mock exams shortly after the Christmas holiday. These assessments are relatively new, having being introduced after covid, to ensure students would have a set of mock grades in the case of a lockdown later on in the year.

Another purpose of these mock exams is to help get students in the mindset for their summer assessments, allowing them to practice and gain experience building up a revision timetable, and of course sitting the actual exams themselves. Another function of these mock examinations is to acquire statistical data for schools to compile their teacher assessed grades (TAGs).

After the break of the festive season many students may find it hard to get into the mindset of exams, and all their attendant preparatory work. Assessments are no student`s idea of the perfect way to start the new year, but these challenges must be faced head on. The following list should help any students who are having difficulty shaking post-holiday fatigue, and get them back on course.

1. Create a list of which areas of each subject need the most work.

For most people their natural inclination is to focus on what they are already good at, and neglect that which needs the most amount of work. Habits like these will ensure that you never put the effort in on those deficient areas that need improvement. Exams will not be so considerate as to avoid your weaknesses: they are designed to find them. Be honest and write down those areas of each subject that you are weakest in, and which you know need the most amount of work.

2. Create a revision timetable

Timetables are usually things that we are given, that we are presented with, and which we must follow stringently. Making your own timetable may be a new experience, but it will certainly be an instructive one. If you have been granted revision time during your school day you can include this in your timetable, but should also include time at home for revision. Using the list you have created in the previous section, you will need to allocate more time in for those aspects of your courses that you have decided need the most amount of revision time.

3. Beware of distractions

Distractions are the bane of the revising student! You should make a promise to yourself: no wasteful internet use when you are carrying out your scheduled revision. There are many revision apps that you can use to effectively disable your phone while you are revising. With no specific assignment to complete, it may feel like you are facing an endless task when revising. Keep in mind what you are working towards: you are preparing yourself to confront an exam, the more effective your revision, the easier you will find the challenge of the exam hall.

4. Revision tools

You may feel that assimilating the huge amount of information of your multiple subjects is beyond you. There is simply so much to remember, from scientific knowledge, mathematical equations, to historical dates and geographic natural processes. There are a number of useful memory devices that you should avail yourself of. Mnemonics are a memory technique that have been used for centuries. They work by associating a large and disparate amount of information with something that is easier to remember. This could be coupling the first letters of a list to the words of a song, or assigning information to objects in a room. The human brain is better at remembering some things than others - songs and pictures as opposed to lists for example - and by exploiting its strengths you can help mitigate its weaknesses.

5. Complete an exam at home

You can have a thorough grasp of all your subjects, but if you freeze up during your exam, you will not produce work that is representative of your true abilities. Most people find the experience of exams to be daunting, but you can help overcome these fears by practicing at home. Of course you wont be able to replicate the full experience of the exam hall, but you should do all you can to simulate it. First of all acquire some past papers - your teacher may be able to help you here, but if not the relevant exam boards will have them available online. Don`t worry if you cant get the papers that correspond to the exact module of your course, remember the purpose of this exercise is to help you become accustomed to an exam environment, rather than specifically testing your knowledge.

Follow the strictures outlined by the exam itself: you should not look at the questions before the timer begins, and you must stop working once the clock is up. No internet use will be permitted during the exam, and you should request no one disturb you until you have finished. You should repeat this practice a number of times before your mocks, and you will be surprised how well prepared you will feel when the day of the actual test arrives.