EDUCATION
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MOCKS
BY BERTIE HUBBARD , CO-FOUNDER MyTutor
AS MOCK EXAMS IN THE UK COMMENCE , MANY PUPILS FACE THE DAUNTING TASK OF CRAMMING AND REVISING IN TRIAL FOR THEIR FINAL GCSE AND A-LEVEL EXAMS LATER IN THE YEAR . UNDOUBTEDLY , THERE IS A DEGREE OF ANXIETY THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH REVISION AND EXAM SEASON . AS SUCH , MyTutor - THE UK ' S MOST TRUSTED TUTORING PLATFORM - HAS COMPILED THEIR TOP TEN TIPS ON HOW TO ENTER THE EXAM SEASON WITH THE TOOLS AND SKILLS NEEDED TO TACKLE MOCKS .
1 . Revise
Despite the temptation to ' just wing it ', this method is not a fail-safe way to pass exams . In fact , you will be saving yourself time in the future by preparing revision notes and cards earlier so that the task seems less daunting when you approach them again . The more you prepare now , the less you have to do later
2 . Reflect on your revision technique
Use this time to experiment and find out which methods of studying are more effective to you . There is no one way to revise , so now is a good time to evaluate how best you learn and adjust accordingly .
3 . Timing is key
Getting used to how long it takes to complete a paper or write an essay is key to understanding how long you ought to be spending on a certain question . Doing past papers under timed conditions is great practice for acclimatising to exam settings .
4 . Familiarise yourself with the questions
Do some digging to find out what kind of questions the papers will ask . For example , if they are requiring evidence from specific case studies ? Is it asking for more than one example or specific , tailored responses .
5 . Understand what they are asking you
There are certain buzzwords in exam questions that require different responses . For instance , ‘ examine ’, ‘ describe ’, ‘ assess ’, ‘ evaluate ’ and ‘ discuss ’, which are important to be mindful of before answering the question . You may want to spend some time practising these various responses with a teacher or tutor to get confident .
6 . Feedback is important
Taking the time to read where you went wrong is crucial . There is no better way to improve than to ask for help , and to learn from your mistakes . Not only this , but it will help you get to know the exam technique .
7 . Study the mark scheme
The good thing about mocks is that they tend to be past exam papers , this usually means there will be existing mark schemes that you can access online or via your teachers . This is a useful way to compare your answers to what is expected of you in the exam .
8 . Re-testing
Once you ' ve taken some time to analyse where you may have gone wrong , and have studied the mark scheme - give the question another crack ! This will consolidate your learning and ensure you have properly understood where you previously went wrong .
9 . Refrain from comparing results
Although it is tempting to ask your peers what they scored on essays and papers , more often than not , it doesn ' t benefit you for the real exam . Risking having your confidence knocked will only set you back !
10 . Remember , it isn ' t the end of the world
If you are somewhat disheartened by your mock exam results , just remember , this isn ' t the real thing ! There is a lot of pressure surrounding exams , and getting your desired grade straight away but if you don ' t , you reconsider your approach and try again . Be mindful to look after yourself , give yourself frequent breaks and and don ’ t give up - the point of mocks is that you still have time to improve , and with hard work and dedication , this really is possible .
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