Captains' Corner

Exam Preparation and Study Techniques

As we approach the mid-year exams, now is the perfect time to reflect on how we all study. Here are the Top 10 Study Techniques from our Year 11 students:

1. Cue cards: These can be used individually to help memorise content and test yourself. Cue cards are also a great way to study in groups and help each other revise.

2. Practice questions: These are a great way to simulate exam conditions, both in structure and content. It is a great way to see what you know and what you need to revise. And remember- the more the better, you can never do too many practice questions.

3. Teach it: Get together a group of friends or family, teach them the everything you’ve learnt. If you can help someone else understand, chances are you’ll understand it yourself.

4. Brain dumping: Close your notes and write down everything you can remember about the topic, see what you can remember off the top of your head, and what you haven’t quite got yet.

5. Rewriting notes: When you write something, it is often much easier to remember. Rewriting notes in a way that you understand can help you memorise any tricky content.

6. Summary sheets: Another variation of rewriting notes is to summarise key points on one A3 piece of paper, make it aesthetic and it is the perfect bedroom decoration.

7. Kahoot/Blooket/Quizizz/Quizlet: Similar to practice questions, these are a fun way to go over content in a competitive environment. With a short amount of time to remember material, it really helps you to know if you can perform under the pump.

8. YouTube videos: Having a visual representation of what you have learnt, from another way of explaining may be the thing to give you that lightbulb moment.

9. Group revision: Team work often makes the dream work and many hands make light work. Split up content between a group and come together as experts in your specific topic to teach it to your peers. 

10. Beating Anxiety: Exams can be really stressful, it can easily feel really overwhelming. To help combat this, create a study timetable… and stick to it. This will add structure to your revision and allow you to know that you will have time to get to everything. Another way to ease anxiety is to create a checklist. Ticking things off once you have completed them is one of the best feelings, and it will give you a motivation boost.

These are just some of the ways to study. Whatever works for you is the best way to study. 

Good luck to everyone taking exams in the next couple of weeks, or those going through assessment periods. To the Year 9 students about to start their first lot of exams, don’t worry, you’ve got this!

Heidi, Emma and Hayley