This article was first published in July 2018.
Film with GCSE and Nationals revision tips and advice, from exam survivors The Mind Set
Tips for using past papers
If you don’t ever practice a full past paper in the allotted time, then you’re going to come to the exam and spend two hours doing a one and a half hour exam and obviously not finish it.
I use loads of past papers, I think by the end of it I went through pretty much every past paper there was, because really there’s only so many questions they can ask.
Knowing information about a subject is one thing, whereas applying it to a question in a test is a whole different thing.
Command words are really important to revise because you can know the stuff, but if you don’t understand what the question’s actually asking you, you could lose half the marks. For example, if it says describe and explain something, and you just describe or you just explain, you’ll only get half the marks even if you answer if really, really well.
They specifically tell you, what types of questions are going to come up and what sorts of topics the examiners usually cover.
If you’re struggling with past papers at any point within your revision, don’t worry. I find that by writing down the questions and answers you got wrong, you can then learn from it after.
It was my teachers feedback that really gave me that insight and yes, you need to do better here. Your teachers always going to help and always going to be there for you.
If you take a look at the examiner report, which you can also find on the website, then you can see a comment from the exam board about why people didn’t do well in a particular question, so that then you know what you need to brush up on.
Checking on your progress isn't just about using past papers.
- Check out command words carefully to understand what the question is asking of you!
- Use past papers to make sure that you are managing your time well. Set yourself a time frame to complete each question
- Go through past paper answers with a different colour pen to highlight any marks you lose or mistakes you make
- Test yourself. Find out if your revision has been effective by using past papers or ask someone to test you
- If your notes are all bullet points, past papers might be the first chance you have to write in clear and linked sentences!
- Examiner reports can give you an idea of where students went wrong in previous exams
- Repeat your testing – it is important you test yourself more than once. Try it ten minutes after revising a topic, one day after, then a week later.
Command words and their definitions
- Describe: say what you see - no need for reasons
- Explain: give reasons
- Outline: give a brief summary
- Analyse: go into detail
- Compare: what are the similarities and differences?
- Contrast: what are the differences?
- Calculate: use numbers given to work out the value of something
- Define: give the meaning of something
- Evaluate: consider both sides - pros and cons
- Justify: give evidence to explain something
- To what extent: Judge the importance or success of something - has it worked or not
- Argue: present a case with evidence or reasons
- Assess: Weigh up / give an informed judgement
- Comment on: give your opinion on something
- Debate: give different perspectives
If you need support
You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.
If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.
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