GCSE - for those of you that aren't exactly sure what it is, stands for 'General Certificate of Secondary Education' and are very important examinations that are taken by 15-16 year old students all over the UK.
These results determine the courses you get into in A Level, which then determine whether you get into a Uni and will be used constantly during the process of applying for a job.
no biggie.
This year I am taking these important exams and the pressure is starting to get to me.
In total i have 17 exams, 6 science, 3 English, 3 maths, 2 psychology, 1 textiles, 1 media and 1 ICT. I have completed 8 out of 17 of these exams, and some have gone really well, some moderately well and other terribly.
Today's post however, isn't about me, it's about any of you that need exam advice, tips and tricks (they don't call me studious and organised for nothing ;))
1. know what your learning type is...
Fortunately, at the start of year 10, my Psychology teacher gave us a test to determine which learning type we dominantly are. Some of us got 2 learning types and some of us only one. We were separated into learning groups and shown our strengths and weaknesses when revising.
Knowing your learning type is extremely useful as for example you may be a certain learning type that requires the use of flashy colours when taking notes and diagrams in order for you to take in the notes learnt.
The three learning types that we were sorted into was, visual, kinesthetic and auditory.
To find out your learning style try using these websites, ensuring that an accurate result is achieved.
2. know the format of every single exam you are doing...
Knowing the format of the exam saves 5 minutes of trying to figure out the different sections.
3. Practice Practice!
Do as many past papers as there are on the website, and go over your mistakes. Another useful thing is reading the examiner reports which are usually located in the same section and labelled 'examiner report'. These reports are from the examiner discussing common errors to avoid when writing your exams as well as in subjects such as English, examples of the best and worst pieces of work in the country with an explanation as to why they achieved this mark.
Its helpful to look at these because after all these are the people that will be marking your work.
4. look at the mark scheme, and understand the keywords emphasised...
For example in English, the mark schemes are vague however for the top bands the word 'perceptive' is repeated. This tells you that you need to make concise intelligent points that consider both sides of the argument.
5. use recommended websites and resources...
Don't just rely on the notes your teacher gives you, go out of your way to find popular and effective revision guides and websites.
Examples of revision websites are:
o For English websites such as 'sparks notes', 'cliff notes' and also YouTube channels such as 'The English Teacher' are all very helpful.
o For maths I strongly recommend purchasing the Maths Buster program - which can be found in WHSmiths or I assume online at Amazon - I ordered mine through my school. This is extremely helpful.
I also recommend this book for maths as the format is so helpful and easy to read.
o For science I strongly recommend websites such as 'my gcse science' - which involves a fee that is definitely worth it. I also recommend bitesize and depending on your exam board a book that was directly made by that exam board.
6. REVISE OF COURSE
The key to passing is to do everything above but also revise - obviously.
Good Luck to anyone taking their exams currently, I really hope this helps!
Yours Faithfully
~ She Who Writes
(Disclaimer: All images were found on google! not mine)
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