The Secret To Getting An A*

As the saying goes, "fail to prepare; prepare to fail".

There are many important aspects to doing well in exams, with the main one being `preparation`.

It isn`t just about how much work you do, it`s about how effective that work is. Many people fall into the trap of feeling good because they have just spent two hours reading their Biology revision guide. The only thing less effective than this, is doing nothing...

Everyone is different and prefers different techniques for learning material. The key is to choose the technique that works for each individual section. Some parts might lend themselves best to mneumonics, some to creating concept maps (mind maps). Writing summary cards is another method that many people find helpful.

Having taught for many years and seen all the different techniques incorporated into revision, I can confidently tell you the number one technique that works time after time, whether it is for GCSE, A level or any other type of written exam...

The magic tip is simple: Do as many past papers as you have time to do. After each one, spend an equal amount of time going through each question with the mark scheme. Analyse what you did well and where you need to improve. Get to know how the examiners mark and the key phrases they look for in each type of question. You will soon see the same phrases coming up time and time again. If you run out of papers to do, start again - there will still be lots of things you can learn from them second time around.

Give it a go and watch the magic!