Parent Guide to GCSEs

Examination Boards

OCR
EDEXCEL
AQA
WJEC

Further Information

Mrs. H Bicknell 0121 744 3835

Revision Tips 

There are many differing views as to what makes for good revision. Here are some thoughts on how to make your revision more productive:                        

• It is not the quantity of revision that you do that is important but more the quality of what you do. 
• Revise in short bursts.  The latter stages of a long stint of revision are usually not very productive.  When your mind starts to wander it is probably a good time to stop. 
• Set out a revision schedule.  Don't just set a time aside for a complete subject; be specific about which aspect of the subject you are going to revise, e.g. Monday 10th History - Transport.  Try to be as rigid with your revision schedule as you will have to be with your examination schedule.

Get your working environment right.  Here are some helpful tips: 

• Avoid noise; nature has designed it to be noticed. 
• Have all your needs nearby.  It is too much of a temptation to interrupt your  work to go and get something.
• Insist on your own space; then you can work in the way that is best suited to you
• Avoid last minute revision. This can clutter the mind and cause anxiety. 

on't stick your head in a book and try to cram information into it in the hope that it might stick.   Try to reproduce it on paper minus the book; after all, that is the way you will have to present information in the majority of exams.  It has been clearly shown that if you write information down as well as look at it, the learning is more effective.  Others methods of revising include creating word patterns, diagrams, pictures, lists, flowcharts.         

Use other human resources.  Work with a friend and get them to question you.  It is far easier to cheat yourself than someone else.  If you can find someone who is doing the same exam as you this can be invaluable as both can benefit from this type of revision.  When all else fails ask a parent! 

The Exam

 Here are the most crucial points to remember during the exam itself, along with the examiners' comments, to remind you of the importance of following instructions and being aware of such things as the mark allocation.

  1. Read the questions

• "Some candidates disadvantaged themselves by failing to read the questions properly."
•  "Often candidates simply recited their knowledge... without applying it to the questions."

2. Take note of the number of marks available

• "Candidates should be encouraged to pay attention to the mark allocation.  Questions worth two, three or four marks often elicited only short answers containing just one point. ... some candidates supplied lengthy responses to questions where only one mark was available."

3. Keep answers concise and detailed

• "Candidates often gave answers that were too imprecise to be awarded credit."
• "Not surprisingly, many of those candidates who included superfluous information in their answers found themselves short of time at the end of the examination."

4. Show your working out

•  "Only steps for which clear working is given score marks."
• "Candidates can answer by any valid method with clear working."

5. Include units where necessary

•  "Questions requiring numerical responses should have units given (when appropriate)."

 6. Do not repeat the question

• "A substantial number of weaker candidates simply restated the question and so failed to gain any credit."
• "...candidates were required to give an explanation ... rather than simply to repeat information already given in the question..."

7. Be careful with spelling and punctuation

• "...there are some situations where the examiners accepted only the correct spelling."

8. Take care with illustrations

• "Some lost credit by not labelling ... diagrams."
• "...the absence of labels or clarity often made this impossible to credit."

 9. Check your answers

• "Make sure the answer is reasonable."
• "...some did not seem to have taken the trouble to check what they had written.  If they had done so, and then made appropriate corrections, they might well have secured some more marks." 

Key terms used in Examination questions

Account for: Explain the process or reason for something being the way it is -  Explore the main ideas

Calculate: Find out by using mathematics 

Complete: Finish off 

Contrast: Show the differences ('compare and contrast' questions are very common in exams - they want you to say how something is similar and how it may be different too). 

Describe: Give a detailed account 

Discuss: Explore the subject by looking at its advantages and disadvantages (i.e. pros and cons, for and against).  Attempt to come to some sort of judgement 

Enumerate: Make a list of the point under discussion 

Examine: Look at something closely 

Explore: Look at something closely or investigate 

Evaluate: Give an opinion by exploring the good and bad points (pros and cons).   It's a bit like asking you to assess something.  Attempt to support your argument with expert opinion. 

Identify: Recognise, prove something as being certain. 

Indicate: Point out, make something known 

Justify: Give good reasons for offering an opinion or reaching a conclusion 

Outline: Concentrate on the main bits of the topic or item. 

Summarise: Give the main points of an idea or argument.  Leave out unnecessary details which could cloud the issue.

Notices & Warnings

Notice - Written Exams
Warning - Written Exams  
Notice - On Screen Tests
Warning - On Screen Tests
Warning - Mobile Phone 
Other candidate notices

Light Hall School Revision Resource Bank

Art

	Inside Art
	World Artist Directory

English

	Spelling it Right
	Grammar Lady
	Word Detective Questions about words and language.
	Guide to Grammar and Style: Articles on grammar and style
	English Grammar

Geography

	S-Cool - Geography
	National Geographic
	Rivers 2000
	The Environment Agency
	BBC weather
	www.meto.gov.uk
	Geography.org.uk
	Statistics.gov.uk
	www.multimap.com
	www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
	www.georesources.co.uk/
	Geo-Resources
	CIA World Factbook
	Spartacus web directory
	BBC Bitesize - Geography
	Internet Geography
	The Geography Site

History

	Learn History
	Revision spidergrams
	BBC Bitesize - History
	History Games

Information Communication Technology

	Guidelines and Assessment Material (Edexcel)
	Computing / ICT Revision Sites
	GCSE Computing / ICT Revision Guides

Mathematics

	BBC Bitesize - Mathematics
	S-Cool
	GCSE Maths Buster

Modern Foreign Languages

	WildFrench  (topic-based revision from the excellent WildFrench site)
	FrenchRevision  (past papers and practise your exam technique)
	French Video Resources  (practise your listening skills)
	Orthographe  (French writing exercises)

Music

	BBC Bite size
	GCSE Revision-Notes
	GCSE Music Notes

Physical Education

	Teach PE
	BBC Bitesize- PE

Religous Education (Life & Morality)

	GCSE RE site
	BBC Bitesize - RE

Science

	BBC Bitesize - Science
	The Fear of Physics
	GCSE Sience

Technology

Textiles

	BBC Bitesize - TextilesTechnology
	Young Embroiderers  (Pictures & Projects)

Food Technology

	Food Forum  AQA Food Technology Notes and Guidance
	s-cool.co.uk
	Soya Group
	BBC Bitesize - Food Technology

Resistant Materials

	Technology Student
	BBC Bitesize - Resistant Materials
	Design-Technology.info
	Design-Technology.org
	Exam Questions Advice