Start early

Getting an early start on your revision is only a good thing. The more time you allow yourself to revise, the more room you’ll have to cover each subject without needing to cram. You’ll have more time to practice what you need to learn and consolidate it into your memory.

Make a revision timetable

Creating a revision timetable should be your first step. This will allow you to spread out your study time evenly and avoid cramming during the days leading up to your assessments. You can also allocate more time to any subjects you’re struggling with.

Set mini goals

Have a few mini goals you’d like to achieve by the end of each day. You can add these in when making your revision timetable. This’ll give you an idea of how much revision you need to do and what’s coming up. You’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed and can break your study down into smaller chunks.

Mix it up

Work out which learning styles work for you. This could be visual, auditory, kinesthetic or through reading and writing. Once you have a few different revision techniques, mix up which ones you want to use so that revision doesn’t become repetitive or dull.

Revise with others

You may benefit from teaching others what you know or testing them on what they know. Not only is this a great way to help your friends but you’ll see where there’s still holes in your own learning. Having a small study group can also be a great way to come up with unique methods for remembering key ideas.

Practice papers

Use practice papers to familiarise yourself with the format of your assessment and how questions may be structured. Time yourself to avoid getting flustered when sitting the actual assessment, and you’ll be able to gauge how much time to roughly spend on each question.

Take breaks

Revision is only effective when split up by breaks. Don’t overwork yourself and make sure you’re giving your brain some space to breathe. You’ll get distracted less and be able to focus for longer. Use these breaks to fit in any exercise or healthy eating, which will only improve the quality of your revision.

Move around

A productive way to spend your study break. The benefits of exercise on revision include increased focus, improved memory and the chance to readdress any hard topics with a fresh mind. A simple walk around the block can be all it takes to improve your quality of learning.

Eat healthy

Choose healthy foods to eat during your study breaks. The quality of what you put in will dictate the quality you put out. Swapping crisps or chocolate for nuts or fruit will leave you feeling less lethargic in the afternoon and with more energy to learn. But do remember balance. You don’t have to cut out your favourite treats completely. Moderation is key.

Sleep

These GCSE revision tips won’t be effective unless you get sufficient sleep. Prioritise getting 7–9 hours a night. Sleep is a powerful tool for not only committing what you’ve learnt during the day to long-term memory, but it also improves your cognitive ability to learn again the following day. You’ll be better able to concentrate, and feel more motivated, after a good night’s rest.