Exam Success - Planning is Key

Many of you will have heard the saying 'failing to plan is planning to fail', something students tend to role their eyes at when parents or teachers quote it. However, there is no getting away from it - this saying is true.

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to make a revision timetable for your GCSE / A Levels / IB / AP / university and of year exams. Basically, to do well in any exams, you need to plan!

Why -

• it will take time to cover all the different units you are going to be examined on and you can't afford to waste any time trying to work out what to revise or where you are up to

• you need to keep up with content still being covered in lessons or lectures plus learn previous content

• you need time to practice by doing past papers

• you need a life! there will be important things you don't want to miss between now and the summer - maybe a big birthday, or a fitness goal. Maintaining everyday life and your mental health is fundamental!

There are many good online revision planning tools available. Find one that works for you, add all the units for each exam you are taking, add current commitments such as school/college/uni, plus things like exercise, important events etc and a little downtime. Also, importantly add the dates of your exams. These are easily available online if you haven't been given them - search for summer timetables with whichever examinations you are taking.

Decide how long you want a session to be - an hour is a good chunk of time to block out and stay focussed but you may decide to go a bit longer or shorter, it's up to you and the level of exams you are working towards. Let the software produce a timetable for you. Now... the next stage is important - print it out and stick it on a wall, somewhere that you look at regularly. As each revision session is completed, cross it off on the plan. This will keep you focussed, the topic you are going to be looking at will be stated on your timetable, just get your books and notes, sit down and start. The timetable will help you see how much you are achieving and will ensure you don't miss any important topics.

The Pomodoro method is a brilliant way to keep focus in your revision sessions. It is built around having a unit of time that must not be broken! Pomodoro means tomato, named after the little tomato kitchen timer, but any timer with an alarm will work, but it is better if it is one where you cannot watch the numbers tick down!

• 25-minute revision

• 5-minute break

• repeat 4 times

• Long break

If even this planning step seems overwhelming, give us a call, or message on WhatsApp and we will see what we can do to help, sometimes a chat can be your first step to improving your organisation.