How to Revise for Your GCSEs: Top 5 Techniques

You may have experienced frustration in your attempts to solve the ‘puzzle’ of revision. Are you somebody who reads through your notes, but they just do not stick in your head? Do you think that revision is just a waste of time? Or have you tried lots of different revision techniques but none of them seem to work? 

Revising can sometimes feel like opening a padlock. You may have to try lots of different combinations of resources and revision tools before you can ‘unlock’ exam success. The key is to remain consistent and committed to finding the methods that work best for you. You must be prepared for the combination of the lock to change, based on the subject you are studying or the progress you are making. Most importantly, you must know when to stop revising so you do not use the lock to breaking point. 

As a GCSE and A Level teacher who has prepared hundreds of students for their exams, I will show you what combinations you can use to achieve your GCSE revision success. 

Key Takeaways

• Be consistent in your revision. Taking a “little but often” approach is much more effective than cramming the night before your GCSE exams

• Be prepared to adapt your revision approach. You may be told by a teacher that you need to focus on knowledge rather than exam skills. This requires a different approach to your revision

• Use a variety of revision strategies. A revision technique may work in one subject, but it may not be effective in another

• Effective GCSE revision is about balance. Knowing when to work hard and when to focus on rest and self-care is incredibly important to avoid burnout before or during your GCSE exams

Best Ways to Revise for GCSE

Structured Approach to Revision

Many students' first mistake is to jump into revision without planning it through. A GCSE revision timetable with help you to:

• Divide up your time effectively across your GCSE subjects and topics. This will help you to avoid dedicating too much of your time to revising your favourite subject

• Ensure you have enough time to effectively revise all of your GCSE subjects. This will avoid cramming the night before each exam

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses across all of your subjects. You can then allocate more revision time to improve your weakest topics

• Decide your grade goals. Defining what grade you would like to achieve in each GCSE subject will help provide a benchmark for your revision journey

An example of a revision timetable with small revision periods of a range of subjects with identified rest periods

To learn more about how to create an effective GCSE revision timetable, read our guide here. 

Active Learning Methods

Active learning encourages students to take a proactive role in the learning process. A study by Harvard University in 2019 showed that students performed better in assessments after using active learning methods than simply listening to lectures. 

You can employ active learning in your GCSE revision by:

• Creating a quiz on a specific topic. Invite your friends to answer the quiz and see who gets the most answers correct

• Designing a problem-solving activity which requires someone to work out the correct answer in order to progress until you have the solution

• Organising yourself and your study buddies into two teams. Create a statement or question that you can debate. One team will argue in support of it while the other will argue against it. Create opening and closing statements before deciding which team has won

• Designing a presentation, either a PowerPoint or a poster, on a key topic. Deliver this to someone who does not know anything about the topic. If you have done an effective presentation, the person will have learnt something new!

Key Revision Practices

Review Content Thoroughly

In my experience, one of the biggest hurdles to effective revision is when students feel overwhelmed about how much knowledge they have to learn and remember. Revision can sometimes feel like climbing a mountain when you cannot see the summit. To combat this, you must split your revision into manageable ‘steps.’ This revision technique is called ‘chunking’ and it can help you climb to the top of Mount GCSE! 

The process of chunking is:

1. Split larger amounts of information into smaller sections

2. Identify similarities or patterns between sections of knowledge

3. Group information into manageable units

An illustration showing the process of chunking in revision

This is an effective revision technique because:

• Your short-term memory can only handle a small amount of information at once

• Chunking allows information to move from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. This happens because your brain makes connections between events. Chunking helps to make your brain make these connections and, as a result, remember more information

• ‘Chunks’ of information can be made into flashcards, summarised revision notes or practice exam questions

• You can identify your weakest ‘chunks’ and target your GCSE revision in more manageable tasks

• You can ‘space’ out and ‘interleave’ these chunks throughout your revision, as shown below:

A diagram showing how to approach spacing and interleaving in your revision. Instead of studying each topic in one large block of time, you should do small sessions going between each topic

Practise Exam Techniques

Once you have consolidated your knowledge of your GCSE subjects, you should begin to practice retrieval. Retrieval is the section of revision that students find the hardest! It is the ability to recall information from your long-term memory when you need it.

Working through past exam papers is the best way to practice retrieval because:

• You can see if you still have gaps in your knowledge based on how difficult you found the paper. In the early stages of your revision process, use past exam papers to inform your next steps to target areas of weakness

• You cannot achieve a Grade 9 by just having great subject knowledge. You also need to work on your exam skills. Writing answers in the style expected in your exams ensures that you know how to answer the different question styles that you will encounter

• Once you are far along in your revision journey, you can complete past papers or exam questions in timed conditions. This works on your time management to give you plenty of practice in completing your GCSE exams in the given time

Seek Feedback

Revision can feel very lonely. It is important to avoid revising in complete isolation. There are key categories of people that can help you during your GCSE revision journey

Time Management for Revision

Create Realistic Expectations

When you are either creating or following your GCSE revision timetable, you need to set realistic expectations for yourself. In my time as a teacher, I have known many students who have been disappointed on results day because they had placed unrealistic expectations on themselves. To pitch your expectations correctly, you need to consider:

• Your current position. You may love a Grade 9 in Biology but if you are achieving a Grade 3 two months before your exams, this is an unrealistic, but not impossible, target. Try to set achievable goals. In the example above, why not target a Grade 4? This would allow you to achieve a good pass at GCSE Biology

• Your next steps. If you are attending college or sixth form, it will clearly state what grades you will need to attend. The earlier you know your next steps, the sooner you can target your revision to achieve these grades. If your course requires a certain number of Grade 4s or Grade 7s, optimise your revision by selecting which subjects you could achieve these in

• The time you can devote to revision. Making significant progress in subjects takes a lot of time and dedication. If you have three hobbies or a part-time job, the amount of time you have to revise at GCSE is limited. In these situations, you need to prioritise your time. Could you stop one of your hobbies? Should you only focus on improving your grades in one subject rather than two subjects? These are challenging, but valuable, decisions that you may need to make

Balance Study & Rest

Effective revision requires periods of rest so your brain can recover from the hard work it is doing. When you create your GCSE revision timetable, ensure that you include small, manageable study periods with regular days off.  This will help you to create good study habits and actually stick to your schedule. 

Maintaining Mental Well-being During Revision

Stress Management Techniques

Various studies have shown an increase in exam-related stress among GCSE students. 

Whilst stress is normal when it comes to GCSEs, too much stress and work can cause a student to burnout. As a teacher, I have unfortunately seen several students go through this and it has a significant impact on their wellbeing and academic success. 

The signs that you are experiencing burnout could include feeling:

• Very tired. You could be sleeping too much or struggling to fall asleep at all

• Unable to motivate yourself to work as hard as you have been

• Angry or that all that work you have done is pointless

• A lack of interest or happiness in subjects that you used to enjoy

• Alone. You may feel like no one understands what you are going through

It is important not to ignore these signs. If you are experiencing any of the feelings, you should speak to a parent, a GP, a teacher or a trusted adult. These people can begin to understand why you feel like this and can direct you to further support.

As the saying goes, the best method of treatment is prevention. There are many things that you can do to manage your stress levels during this difficult time. Throughout your GCSEs, and particularly during the exam season, you should:

• Talk to your family or friends if you begin to feel stressed. They are likely to understand how you are feeling and help you cope with the pressures of GCSEs

• Prioritise self-care. Ensure you are eating healthily, getting enough sleep and doing regular exercise. This will help you with your energy levels and concentration as well as releasing endorphins, which will make you feel good about yourself

• Try different relaxation techniques. YouTube provides many videos on guided meditation and mindfulness sessions for free. These techniques can help you decrease stress and anxiety

• Don’t give up everything that you love! Your GCSEs do not mean you have to stop riding your bike, playing computer games or listening to music. Set aside some free time in your revision schedule for hobbies or activities that you enjoy

Staying Motivated

Revising regularly for two years can feel like a big commitment. It is natural that, throughout your GCSEs, you will experience drops in your motivation. Staying consistently motivated is one of the most impactful ways you can improve your GCSE grades. To stay motivated:

• Set achievable, short-term goals each week for each subject. An example of this could be to remember one Macbeth quote without looking

• Ask for help. If you feel like you are struggling or will not meet a goal, talk to a teacher, friend or trusted adult. Asking for help does not mean that you have been unsuccessful, but that you have used the revision tools available to you to progress

• Reward yourself for meeting your weekly goal. Make the reward meaningful to you

• Keep positive! Some weeks will go better than others. Having a positive mindset will help you persevere through the tough times and celebrate your achievements. The diagram below shows the process of learning. Never be afraid to fail as this is the only way to learn

A diagram showing the process of learning, which includes failure

How Save My Exams Can Help

The advice above shows that using a structured and proactive approach can crack the secret to your GCSE success. But did you know that the biggest secret in the world of revision is Save My Exams?

Save My Exams offers high-quality, affordable revision resources, specifically tailored for GCSE students. By joining Save My Exams, you will have access to an abundance of revision tools at your fingertips including:

• Course-specific revision notes created by our team of world-class teachers with extensive experience

• Detailed topic questions with model answers. In some subjects, we can give instant feedback to you through AI marking!

• Pre-designed flashcards to test your subject knowledge

• A collection of past papers across various subject areas and exam boards 

Do not just take our word for it. Save My Exams has a community of over 1.5 million monthly users dedicated to their exam success. With access to a seven-day free trial and subscriptions from as low as £4 a month, the biggest mystery will be why you have not joined already!

FAQs

What is the best way to revise for GCSEs?

There is no “best” way to revise for GCSEs. You may have to try multiple different techniques to find the best way to revise for you. It may also depend on your subject. In History, a great revision technique is to make a storyboard of an event. However, this technique would not work in Maths. Ensure you have a range of techniques in your revision.

How do I memorise content at GCSE?

Repetition, repetition, repetition! Effective revision at GCSE requires a “little but often” approach. Try the Pomodoro method:

• Decide on what you will revise and in what way

• Set a timer for 25 minutes (a Pomodoro)

• Be fully focused on the task until the timer rings

• Rest for 5 minutes

• After four Pomodoros, take a longer 15–30 minute break

How do I find out more about Save My Exams?

Visit our website which explains more about SME and answers your most commonly asked questions. For additional help, you can contact us at: [email protected]

References

Study shows that students learn more when taking part in classrooms that employ active-learning strategies — Harvard Gazette

Active learning | Teaching & Learning - UCL – University College London

The Learning Pyramid - Education Corner

Has education-related stress increased among GCSE and A-level students since the introduction of linear assessments? | BERA

Burnout: What it’s like to suffer the symptoms at school or university - BBC Bitesize

Supporting Child Mental Health During GCSEs - Edumentors

Here at Save My Exams, we develop high-quality, affordable revision resources; consider signing up for a Save my Exams subscription to help you get the most out of your revision. We support over 1.5 million students each month in preparing for their exams and achieving successful results, we’d love to help you too.