Exams and Revision Top Tips

So that your planning can be effective you must first know what type of exam(s) you will sit. This will influence both the revision and preparation that you undertake. Your exam(s) may be in the form or a mix of:

• Long answer questions

• Open book

• Timed essays 

• Short answer questions

• Multiple Choice Question papers (MCQs) 

Once you know what exam format you will sit you can begin planning a revision timetable.

Why create revision planners?

A revision planner puts you in control of your revision, helps to make sure you know what material you need

to cover and prevents the exam date from sneaking up on you. Read our  Guide to Time Management for more useful tips. 

When making your planner(s) think about:
 

1. Which exams or deadlines are soonest, giving you the least amount of time to revise for them
2. Any commitments you cannot move or change (e.g. classes, work shifts, family events)
3. The number of subjects or topics that you need to cover
4. Any rest/leisure time, or 'time off' ​​​​​

Look at our example weekly revision timetable and consider how you can create your own effective revision timetable.

Top tips for timing your revision: 

1. Start revising as soon as possible

• It's a good idea to start reviewing your lecture notes soon after the lecture. Starting your revision in this way will allow you to revisit difficult material more frequently until you no longer find it difficult (known as spaced repetition).
• This helps you manage revision throughout the year and avoid last-minute cramming.
• By engaging with the subject regularly, you improve your retention of exam material and over time, the knowledge will move from your short term to long term memory. 

2. Little and often: revise for shorter periods, regularly throughout the day

• The recommended maximum number of revision hours in a day is 6; provided you are covering all the relevant revision material it can be flexible.
• Think about using techniques such as Pomodoro to break this down into shorter, intense periods of work that are punctuated by breaks. For example, revise for 30-40 minutes and have a 10-15 minute break, then revise for another 30-40 minutes, and so on.
• Revising for more than six revision hours in a day or revising for longer periods at a time is likely to be unproductive because your brain will become fatigued.

3. Revise when you feel most alert

• Choose the time in the day when you are most focused. If you’re an early bird, start first thing; if you feel groggy in the mornings, start later in the day.
• If you can't do this because of other commitments, choose to do revision activities that are better suited to how alert you feel. For example, if you have to revise in the afternoon but this is when you are tired, create some revision materials such as flash cards rather than completing a past paper.

Your study space can make a big difference to your ability to revise effectively. Your study space can be just as important as who you study with and how often you study.

If you can’t concentrate or if you’re not comfortable, it can be difficult to learn effectively. It's important to create a study environment that fosters productivity and minimises distractions.

Reflect on what will work for you. Do you work better at home or in the library? Do you need silence to concentrate or does background noise help? Use the different study spaces available on campus, and other tools such as noise cancelling headphones, to create the right space for you. 

Use the image below to think about how you can create the right revision space at home.