26th November 2024
This is the first of a series of blogs about how to revise most effectively for exams. Specifically, I am thinking about mock exams, but they are equally as applicable for the main summer exams, and for instilling good revision habits in children of all ages.
#1 Make a realistic revision schedule.
This is best done with your child, so that you ensure their buy-in and helps with accountability (more on that in a later top tip!). Also, remember that what works for one child, won’t work for another, so stop listening to people who tell you what you MUST do, or that there’s a RIGHT way. I want to help you find the way that will be most beneficial for your child’s individual personality, their learning style, and their exam aims.
I like to print out a monthly planner and then block off days/chunks of time when revision will not be possible. For example, the first day or two of the holidays might not be practical, and Christmas Day is probably a no-no for many families.
Then I look at the time available and divide it into blocks of workable time, with built in rest breaks. Depending on concentration span, this could be 45 minutes work, 15 rest, and repeat. Or 60 minutes work then a 30 minute break. I wouldn’t recommend revising for more than 60 minutes at a time without a break as there’s only so much a brain can absorb at one time. It may take a little trial and error to find the most effective work pattern for your child, so keep your schedule flexible. Remember that there’s only a certain amount of work that can realistically be achieved in a day. For GCSEs, I’ve found the sweet spot to be around 4 hours solid work in a day. A huge amount of ground can be covered in that time, but more than that and the returns are minimal.
Once you’ve worked out how many blocks of time are realistically available across the revision period, it’s time to divide into subjects. There are different ways to do this. Some children do not like to feel constricted by subject, so I would keep the subject planning loose. However, in these cases, it is helpful (again for accountability purposes) to decide in advance how many blocks will need to be spent on each subject otherwise the temptation is only to revise the subjects you like, not the ones you find difficult.
Stick the schedule somewhere easy to see and ask your child to tick off as they work through it.
Once you and your child have looked at the time available and broadly what needs to be covered, it becomes clear that their commitment will reap rewards. I am a big believer in quality over quantity – locking your 16 year old away for the whole Christmas holidays will almost certainly not have the desired outcome. And discuss timings: I had one child who was an early bird and liked to get all his revision out of the way before lunch. I had another who valued sleep over everything. He scheduled his revision for afternoons and evenings.
If the schedule is agreed in advance it has multiple benefits:
- You all know what is expected
- There will be no panic revising (which isn’t effective anyway)
- Leisure and social time is as ringfenced as revision time (psychologically this is important)
I hope you’ve found this top tip useful. The next one will be on discovering your child’s learning style and how to relate this to efficient revision strategies.
Please comment with your thoughts, experiences and any questions; we’re all in this together!