Designing a Timetable (Part 1) - Creating a Revision List


Exam Technique: Preparation & How to Revise


Yes it is only the beginning of the year and most students are enjoying their final days before school starts.  So you are probably wondering why I am talking about revision so early on in the school year.  If you start your revision now at the beginning of the year it will mean you are well prepared for your exams in the summer and the mocks in the winter.  Feeling prepared will relieve exam nerves and stress (see my post on coping with exam stress).  You won't need to have the late night cramming session or be exhausted before taking the exam.

Sometimes actually creating a topic revision list can be more daunting than actually the process of revision.  It is important to have a good grasp of what you need to revise as well as how to revise and sometimes this is overlooked.  This blog post is going to concentrate on the what of revision!

Students Preparing for a Race
Start Revising at the Beginning

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Steps to Success


  1. Ask your teacher for a list
  2. Ask your tutor for a list
  3. Look at your textbooks
  4. Look at past papers
  5. Look at the syllabus
  6. Go on the web
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STEP 1: Asking your teacher


Such a simple step yet sometimes overlooked.  A teacher should have a brilliant grasp of the subjects you need to know and they may have even produced a list themselves when creating their lesson plans.  Also the list of topics they could give you may also help your classmates so the teacher may be more than happy to produce a topic list if you ask.

A word of warning though you cannot solely rely on this or saying the teacher didn't tell me it was going to be on the exam so I never learnt it.  You need to be a self-sufficient learner.  Teachers can only teach so much in the time allotted and will often focus on the class needs rather than one person's individual needs.

I would also ask your teacher for a list fairly early on.  This has some benefits.  The first is you will have plenty of time to build and put your revision timetable into practise.  Secondly you could even get ahead of your class and thirdly this can encourage a deeper foundation of learning so you will be more familiar with the topic areas.

STEP 2: Asking your tutor


Another person who can help you is your tutor.  A good tutor should have a solid understanding of National Curriculums and exam topics.  You could even show them the list the teacher has given you and ask them to add to the list. 

Often tutors are more willing to support you on a one-to-one basis so they will be able to identify where you need the practise.

For more information on private on-line or home tutoring contact me (RK Tutors).

STEP 3: Hit the books

It goes without saying that you should have the official text book for the exam you are sitting.  For example, if it is an Edexcel GCSE I'd start by buying the official Edexcel textbooks.  This is because these textbooks often go through in-depth which topics could be on your exam.  They also have lots of worked examples for you to look at.  It will also help you identify areas that you get stuck on and you can even ask your tutor or teacher for extra support in these areas.

Please note I wrote textbooks (plural) not textbook.  You want to read around the subject.  Firstly, this can give you a deeper understanding and secondly some textbooks may include topics that other textbooks do not.

STEP 4: Past papers


Looking at past papers can often help you identify some of the areas you know and some of the areas you don't know so you can find out where to brush up.  It also provides you with worked examples so you are applying your knowledge base to your revision.  It also gives you an opportunity to practice exam technique.

Practising under timed conditions can also help you see the topics you are finding trickier because you are having to think harder about these questions.

With papers, particularly for GCSE and SATs, I would try to practice all the papers available to you including with the exam board, general and past papers.  Tutors and teachers can often supply an ample amount of question material.

STEP 5: The syllabus


Another place to go is back to the syllabus as often the topics are outlined here.  The teachers and tutors use this material when choosing an exam board and to help them create lessons for their students.  Syllabi can be found usually on the internet often for free.

STEP 6: The internet


Today there is a wealth of information (also free) on the internet.  Somebody somewhere probably has the same question as you when it comes to what are the revision topics so why not use a search engine such as Google to find a basic topic list.  Be careful though as often these are not in depth and I would rather use these as a starter guide and expand on the list.

Location: United Kingdom

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