Students who undertake advanced level qualifications (A-levels) at sixth form or college are primarily assessed through exams that they sit at the end of their final (second) year that test their knowledge, skills or abilities in the subjects they have been studying. A-level exams are a significant milestone in a student’s academic journey, and proper preparation and revision are key to increasing their chances of success.
In 2023, 186,380 (66.6%) of students in England took three A-levels. 75.4% of students gained A-levels at grade C and above (across all subjects), and 3,820 achieved three or more A and A* grades (Ofqual). The latter would have likely started planning and preparing for their exams early, had good time management and organisation and adopted revision techniques to help them retain more information and understand the questions asked.
This blog post aims to offer valuable insights, study techniques, and tips to help students navigate the challenging process of A-level revision and perform at their best in their exams.
The Importance of Effective Revision
Revision is “the process of rereading a subject or notes on it, especially in preparation for an examination” (Collins English Dictionary). It can also include summarising notes, highlighting essential points, using mnemonics and testing knowledge.
Students will be given a lot of information in their classes/lectures and will read extensively during their studies. However, they cannot remember everything and may find they forget what they have learnt, which is normal. Our brains naturally start forgetting soon after learning something new, but revision helps with this, and it is a critical step in the exam preparation process. When students regularly, consistently and effectively revise, they strengthen the neural connections in their brains, which helps to reinforce knowledge and improve memory retention.
Students who are well-prepared and revise properly for their A-level exams will be more confident and less anxious than those who do not do any revision or try to cram at the last minute. Proper and effective revision helps students remember and recall information better and understand what they have learned, which can lead to better exam performance.
Creating a Study Schedule
A study schedule is also known as a revision timetable or plan, which is essentially a diary or calendar. It is where students plan their study goals, manage their time and include their lessons, revision, breaks and leisure time. When students break down their revision, it can make it more manageable and less daunting.
There are various types of study schedules. Most are weekly and have the days of the week across the top and the time down the side. Students can create them in Word or Excel, create a handwritten version, buy a planner pad, or use specific apps, e.g. MyStudyPlan.
When creating a study schedule, students need to set realistic goals and structure them to suit their learning style and academic needs. Here are some tips on how to do this:
- Divide time on the plan into one-hour or 30-minute blocks, whichever suits you.
- Figure out the number of revision days before exams to know how much time is left.
- Decide how much revision to do daily and add a start and finish time.
- Make a list of all exams and divide revision time for each subject; some may need prioritising, depending on their complexity and if it is a difficult subject.
- Revise different subjects during the day, as no one can study the same subject all day.
- Be sure to include regular breaks, eating, sleeping, socialising and leisure time to avoid burnout and be realistic about how much time to devote to revision.
- Check the plan at the start of the day and commit to sticking to it, as it will increase productivity.
- Be flexible, and do not be afraid to revise the study schedule in light of unexpected events or if it is not working.
Effective time management and setting achievable goals can have many benefits for students, as it helps them to:
- Manage and balance their time and stay organised.
- Stay motivated and focused.
- Be self-disciplined and keep on track with their revision
- Prevent procrastination and promote productivity.
- Feel less stressed, overwhelmed and anxious.
- Meet their goals and feel more prepared for their exams.
- Achieve success in their exams.
A study schedule must be realistic and not too rigid for students to stick to it and to help them manage their time and meet their revision goals.
Active vs. Passive Learning
A-level students can learn in various ways, and there are two main learning methods to help them revise for their exams – passive learning and active learning.
Passive learning
When a student passively learns, they receive information without actively participating, and it is more teacher-focused (traditional teaching), for example:
- Sitting through a lecture and listening to a teacher rather than engaging but may write notes.
- Reading books, journals, newspapers and blogs.
- Watching videos and attending webinars online.
- Listening to podcasts.
Passive learning requires students to absorb and assimilate information and consider and translate what they have heard, read or watched without providing feedback or really engaging with the process.
Students can use passive learning to revise (passive revision), for example:
- Reading through their notes.
- Typing out their notes.
- Highlighting information in texts.
- Listening to lecture recordings.
Passive revision techniques may not be as effective as active learning, as they do not require students to engage that much or use their brains. Therefore, they are unlikely to take in further information or retain what they have read or listened to.
Active learning
This type of learning differs from passive learning, as it is not just receiving information, but students engage and interact as they learn. It is more student-focused and can include group discussions, presentations and practical exercises where students can listen, think, discuss, challenge, analyse the information, and provide feedback.
Like passive revision, students can also revise actively. They may use techniques such as:
- Mind maps.
- Mnemonics.
- Rhymes.
- Practice questions.
- Study groups.
- Flashcards.
Active learning is more effective than passive learning as it helps students to:
- Develop skills, e.g. critical thinking and problem-solving, as they consider and evaluate their own understanding of the subject, test their knowledge and reflect on their own experiences.
- Better retain information and memorise facts, as being an active participant and engaging can help students understand their study materials better and connect the dots between topics.
- Recall information in the long term, as they have to think, use new knowledge and skills and understand subjects more deeply.
- Stay engaged and interested as they are not just receiving information and providing no feedback; they are thinking, discussing, evaluating and acting.
- Check their subject understanding as they can actively participate, ask questions and receive feedback.
Students will learn passively and actively during their A-levels, but active learning and active revision techniques are more beneficial when revising for their exams.