REVISION

Did you know that studying for one hour a day over eight days is more effective than cramming for eight hours in one go? Little and often is the key—build strong study habits and avoid last-minute stress!

We’ve created some student leaflets packed with useful tips and revision techniques. Take some time to explore them and try out different methods to find what works best for you.

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to revision. Try using flashcards, mind maps, quizzes, and past exam questions to make your learning more active and engaging.

Learning and remembering new information can be tough. Research shows that going over topics regularly—not just before exams—can really help with memory. Make it a habit to review your notes each week.

Keeping active can boost brainpower! Exercise helps with focus, memory, and mental wellbeing. Don’t forget to take regular breaks and stay active while studying.

Work smarter, not harder. Long study sessions can be exhausting and less effective. Plan shorter revision blocks with regular breaks to keep your mind fresh.

Feeling overwhelmed? Break topics into smaller, manageable chunks and look for patterns or connections to make learning easier.

Our brains can only hold so much at once. Use a mix of revision techniques to help store and recall information more effectively.

Avoid distractions when you're studying—switch off your phone, turn down the music, and create a calm workspace that helps you stay focused.

Be proactive. Talk to your teachers about upcoming topics so you can prepare in advance. Doing a bit of research or practice before lessons can boost your confidence and understanding.

Don’t stick to one subject all day. Mixing up topics and using short revision sessions will improve your memory and make learning more interesting.

Finally, space out your revision over time. Trying to learn everything at once can be overwhelming. A realistic revision timetable will help you stay on track and reduce stress.

Supporting Your Child with Revision at Home

There are a variety of revision techniques that can support your child’s learning. Methods such as flashcards, mind maps, quizzes and practising exam questions can all help to reinforce knowledge. Encourage your child to explore which strategies work best for them.

We’ve recently launched new parent and student revision leaflets filled with practical tips to help young people study more effectively. Please take a few moments to go through these together and try out some of the strategies at home.

Preparing for exams can feel overwhelming, but regular review of content over time can make a real difference. Research shows that revisiting material each week helps improve memory and understanding. Supporting your child to build these habits early is key.

Did you know that physical activity boosts brain function? Exercise doesn’t just improve wellbeing—it can also enhance academic performance. Make sure your child takes regular breaks and stays active while studying.

Effective revision isn’t about working for hours on end. In fact, short, focused sessions with regular breaks can be much more productive. Help your child manage their time by encouraging a balanced approach.

To make learning more manageable, encourage your child to break information into smaller chunks and look for patterns or connections. This makes it easier to remember and reduces stress.

Our brains can only hold so much information at once. Using a mix of revision techniques can help make the most of your child’s memory. Encourage variety to keep learning engaging and effective.

Distractions like phones, TV and loud music can impact revision quality. Try to create a calm and quiet space at home where your child can focus without interruptions.

Being proactive is a valuable skill. Encourage your child to plan ahead and talk to their teachers about upcoming topics so they can feel confident and prepared.

Research shows that revising one subject for an entire day is less effective than mixing it up. Short bursts across different topics help strengthen memory and improve recall.

Finally, revision is most effective when spaced out over time. If your child feels overwhelmed, help them to create a realistic revision timetable that allows for regular review, rest and balance.

How can it help you?

• Doing something little and often – spacing – beats doing it at once, or cramming

• The time in between revision allows you to forget and re-learn the information, which cements it in your long-term memory

• It cements information into your long-term memory

• We can learn more information over time than in one longer session

• It helps you revise more efficiently

• Research suggests there is an ‘optimal gap’ between revision sessions so you can retain the information

• If the test is in a month, you should review the information around once a week; if the test is in a week, create time once a day

Spacing and Timing of Revision

Spacing is a revision technique which is all about spacing out your revision so you don’t get swamped and overwhelmed.

It means introducing time intervals into your revision sessions, as well as spacing out the days which you use to revise for topics.

To commit something to memory, it takes time and repetition.

The brain requires a physical “prompt” in order to keep something in long-term memory. Otherwise, it is designed to let it go.

1.Know what your revision goals are and set aside blocks of time.

2.Don’t work too much – work smarter, not harder.

3.Establish good habits and a structured revision routine.

4.Don’t procrastinate- don’t waste precious time worrying or thinking about what to do –just do it!

5.Review your work – prompt your brain with short review exercises.

Create the perfect revision plan

1.Organisation: determine where you need to focus your time – e.g. which subjects, topics, what you know, what you struggle with etc.

2.Planning: map out what you are going to revise and when. Use a timetable or revision planner to do this. Choose a mixture of a subject’s topics to focus on each day to make sure you are spacing them out.

3.Review: build in different revision techniques to help you do some quick 5–10 minute reviews of your topics throughout your revision plan – e.g. reading through notes, highlighting information, making post-it notes.

4.Transformation task: these are 30 minute activities to help you take in information – e.g. writing summary sheets, flashcards or mind maps for topics.

5.Practice testing: test yourself on the area that you have reviewed, such as with quizzes or by testing yourself with a friend.

6.Exam questions: complete an exam question or questions on the area you have reviewed and mark this yourself, using a mark scheme.

Five hours of time, spent in smaller chunks and spaced periodically, is a far more effective way to learn something than five hours spent the night before.

Reduce

Reducing content forces you to engage with it.

Recall

Produce content when revising: force yourself to create things that use memory recall.

Test yourself:  who, what, where, when, why.

Produce flashcards with questions on the back of them so that you can test yourself.

Rethink

This is about using your knowledge in different contexts (like the exam).

Review

Don’t just revise what you already know. Review your learning and focus on the areas you are weaker at.

Repeat

This is about repeating and going over what you have learnt, regularly

The students’ tried and tested favourite method of revising!

• They engage you in ‘active recall’ – this creates stronger connections for your memory to recall information

• They promote self-reflection – also known as metacognition, which firmly commits knowledge to your memory

• Metacognition – When you make and use flashcards, you take control of your own learning. You have to decide what to put on each card, how often you’re going to use them, and then evaluate how well you know the information on each card

• They can help you memorise facts quickly

• Flash cards help you to practise the same information over and over again – and as we know, practice makes perfect

Bitesize (All subjects) 

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