Exams and Revision Top Tips

Using the tabs on the left of the screen you can find out lots of useful information and examples of how to revise effectively and prepare for you exams well.

However, if you're short on time, we have created this short video as a quick guide. The video is interactive so please click on any of the links for more information along the way.

Exam & Revision video transcript

Exams can be stressful, but there are lots of things that you can do to ensure you revise effectively and perform well. In this short video guide, we will give you some useful tip for both your preparation before the exam and how to work on the day.

Before you start revising there are a few things that you should do to make sure your revision goes well. If possible, don’t start your revision just before the exam, try to start your revision as early as possible. It can be useful to set time aside during the year to go back to topics and recall information.

Find out the format of the exam, for example will it be made up of MCQs or is it essay based. Is it in person or online, how long is the exam, and will it be open book?

Once you know this you can begin to work out what topics you will need to revise.

Finally, think about suitable places to revise – do you need a quiet space? Are you happier revising with others? Try to plan where and when you will revise to best suit your learning needs.

We have 4 tips for revision. These are variety, timing, organisation and monitoring.

Revision can be boring, so variety is key to keeping you interested and avoiding procrastination. Try to add variety to how your revise, where you revise and who you revise with. Avoid simply copying out notes – this is well known to be ineffective for most people. Why not challenge yourself to never revise in the same way twice in a row.

Here are some effective active revision strategies that you could try. Click on the hotspots to learn more. Common and effective revision strategies include revising with others through questioning and playing games, using tables, flowcharts and mind maps to process details and using flashcards for self-testing.

As you get closer to the exam you should concentrate on your ability to answer questions so start to include more paper papers or practise questions into your revision. Past papers can also be useful as they can give you an idea of the topics that might be on your paper. Click on the link to look for past papers in your subject area. You could start by just answering one question from a past paper with your notes, then build up to answering them without notes and answering more than one until you are completing whole papers. Try to do this to the timings that you will have in the exam so that you can get a feel for how long you can spend on each question.

Tip 2 is all about timing. Planning is key to effective revision – you need to have a realistic idea of what time you have available and using a revision planner can help you to ensure that all the topics that you need to revise can be given sufficient time. Once you have planned when and what you will revise, think about how you can revise in short periods. Revising little and often is far more effective than revising for long periods of time, so take regular breaks and try to revise when you are most alert but try to do some revision every day.

Our third tip is to be organised. You do not want to waste time looking for resources. This is especially important in open book exams. Think about the best way to organise your materials. It might be better to group topics together and this might mean bringing together lecture materials and notes from different weeks. Use colour and labelling to make identifying each topic quick and easy so that in the exam, you’re not wasting time looking for information.

Finally, keep a track of how well you perform when you test yourself on a topic. Keep a log like the example here. Then you can make time in your planner to go back to subjects that you nee to work on and don’t waste time revising content that you are very familiar with.

So, exam day has arrived. Here are some helpful tips for the day. Be prepared – you don’t want to be stressing about finding pens etc on the morning of the exam. Avoid sugary breakfasts as this energy will wear off quickly. Arrive early to avoid stress. Listen to the invigilator carefully and use advice that you have been given by your tutors.

Once the exam begins, read all of the questions first and start with one that you feel good about. Use a tool like TAP to breakdown any long or confusing questions and make sure that you take some time to plan your answers if writing essays. Stick to the timings that you have practices in your revision.

To sum up. Be organised and prepared. Plan your time and revise little but often. Revise in different ways and with others. Keep an eye on what areas you need to revisit in your revision and use practice papers so that you feel prepared for exam conditions. In the exam, read all the questions first and plan your answers first. Don’t leave the exam without checking your work fully. We have lots more information and guidance in the rest if this guide, so use the tabs on the left of the page to find out more. Good luck with your exams.