Study Support

What to do to revise:

  1. Make a plan. Decide on the times you will be able to study for all your subjects over the time up until the exam and ensure you are able to cover all the course evenly. How much time depends on many factors but you should aim to spend between 6 and 10 hours revising for Biology over the weeks running up the exam.

  2. Keep to the plan! Keep a record of when you revise and make a note of problem areas you still need to ask about.

  3. Ensure you have a good place to study. Best to work at a desk or table without distractions. Switch off your phone and screens when you are revising. If you listen to music try to avoid songs with lyrics. Take regular short breaks to keep your concentration level up.

  4. Good revision is an active process. Rather than reading notes etc 'reprocess your notes' by making up flashcards, draw mind maps (or use web resources like mind mups), make up a set of quiz questions for a friend etc, past paper questions (or see Firhill website for questions by topic: N5 and Higher) .

  5. Ask when you are stuck. You can consult websites, ask others in your year group, some pupils even ask their teacher for help! There are drop-in supported study sessions for Biology most lunchtimes and/or after school for learners from all classes (see pupil notices).

What to use

  • Notes jotters. You are revising, not learning from scratch. Using your notes jotters should remind you of the original activity you carried out to help jog your memory. Copying out notes can sometimes help but often just reading them is enough, best to use the time on practice questions.

  • Study guide - see your ring bound folder (check the SQA pages for the most up to date content)

  • BBC Bitesize. The BBC regularly update their popular online revision facility.

  • Scholar This is useful 'extension' for those chasing A and B grades.

  • Other school's and teacher's websites.

  • Problem Solving - problem solving is an important skill and can make or break your pursuit of a particular grade. Problem solving resources will have been given to you by your teacher - but if you're looking for more practice then try these as well: N5 and Higher.

  • Textbooks. There are coursework books specific to national 5 commercially available and we have older books which cover the same content for over night loan (see a member of staff in department).

  • Practice questions. Practice, practice, practice! The more questions you try and get feedback on the more likely you are to get a grade that reflects your ability in Biology!

  • Exam format Make sure you know what length and format the exam is. Bitesize has some useful pages (N5 and Higher). Use the course report on the SQA website to find out what were the tricky questions and common mistakes in previous years.

  • Learn the meanings of the "command words" used in SQA Biology exam questions.