How to Revise for GCSE Maths
One of the important aspects of revising for GCSE Maths is to plan your time strategically and be consistent with the effort that you put into your studies. It is best to start revising as early as possible and get into a good routine so that revision naturally becomes part of your day-to-day activities.
Remember, revision is a long process and should not be left to the night before your exams. If you were planning to run a marathon, you would train for it, you would not just leave it until the day before to practise. Revision takes time and effort; you will be rewarded, however, when you receive your desired grades that allow you to chase after your dream career. Make sure you take a balanced approach to revision and include regular practice as well as self-assessment so that you can track your progress and identify further areas to focus on.
To ace a maths exam, you need to master the course content and also be able to decipher exam questions to make sure you write down all the things that are needed to get marks. Students have different learning styles, so to master the content try different types of resources such as notes, questions and flashcards. The best way to practise exam skills is to complete as many past papers as possible.
At times, it might feel like GCSE Maths is tricky. With the right strategies, however, revision can make sure that you are prepared to achieve a high grade in your exam. And remember that progress is not linear, and it is likely that initially the progress will be small. Although, if you are consistent with your revision plan, then you will likely see more rapid improvements after a while.
Written by: Dan Finlay
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Contents
How to Revise for GCSE Maths
1. Create a revision timetable
It is important that you develop a personalised revision schedule. Determine how much time you can realistically dedicate to revision each day, while remembering that it is important to balance revision with hobbies. The timetable should also be flexible. Plans can change, so always keep some unscheduled time each day and each week to act as a buffer. It is better to study a topic little and often rather than cram it all together, therefore it helps to allocate specific time slots for the different areas of Maths. For example, you could spend 1 hour on algebra topics every Monday and 30 minutes on percentages every Tuesday.
2. Use past papers
Alongside revising the key content from GCSE Maths, you should practise real past papers regularly. It is important to familiarise yourself with the format of the questions and how different topics are tested. After each past paper, you should mark your answers and dedicate some time to review the topics where you lost marks. Initially, you might want to complete past papers untimed and with access to your notes, however, it is important to sit some papers under timed exam conditions so that you can experience how it will feel when you sit the papers for real.
3. Focus on understanding concepts
It can seem like there are a lot of methods and formulas to memorise for your GCSE Maths exams. However, it is often easier to learn the concepts behind a method or a formula, as this will reduce the amount that you need to learn by heart. For example, students sometimes confuse the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle. However, if you remember that area is a two-dimensional quantity and therefore should involve two lengths multiplied together, then you will be able to correctly choose πr2 (instead of 2πr) as the formula for the area. You can deepen your understanding by making connections between topics. Visual aids like mind maps and flowcharts can help with this.
4. Leverage online resources
It can help to make use of resources other than your class notes. Every student learns differently – some students might learn better by reading concise revision notes, whereas others might benefit from watching instructional videos to reinforce their learning. Engaging with online resources can really help, such as summarising a revision note into one paragraph or testing yourself with flashcards. Such active engagement is much better than simply looking passively at material online.
5. Practise regularly
Make sure you dedicate time daily or weekly for consistent practice. For a subject such as Maths, it is important to continuously practise to ensure that the knowledge stays in your memory. One mistake that students make is that they practise until they get a question correct, whereas you should practise until you get multiple questions correct in a row and then test yourself after a week. You should mix up different types of problems so that you cover all aspects of the specification. Practice is also essential to build up your speed at answering questions and your accuracy in your answers.
6. Join study groups
Many people think that Maths is a solitary subject, however discussing your methods for a problem with your friends is a powerful revision tool. You can even teach each other different topics to reinforce the learning from the classroom. You can set up or join a study group, either virtually or in person. This is a good way to stay motivated and hold each other accountable for your revision.
7. Set realistic goals
There are a lot of topics to learn for GCSE Maths, therefore it is important to break down your revision into manageable chunks. Set yourself specific, short-term goals for each study session. For example, the aim of one session might be to practise adding fractions. Also, set long-term goals for the whole revision period. For example, you might want to have completed three sets of papers by the Easter holidays. It can be overwhelming, so make sure you track your progress and celebrate small achievements.
8. Take regular breaks
Revision is a marathon, not a sprint! Therefore, it is essential that you take regular breaks when revising, otherwise you will end up burning yourself out. There are time management techniques which you could try. One example is the PomodoroⓇ technique. Essentially this is where you would set a timer and focus on a single task for about 25 minutes and then stop and have a 5-minute break. During the breaks, make sure you do a relaxing activity that will refresh your mind, such as listening to music or going outside for some fresh air.
9. Manage exam stress
It is completely natural to feel stressed or anxious as your exams get closer. However, there are proven techniques that can help, such as deep breathing and meditation. Ultimately, you should try different relaxation techniques and see what works best for you. It is important that you maintain a positive attitude and focus on the things that are within your control. For example, you can control how much revision you do, but you cannot control what questions will come up on the exams. Make sure you sleep well, eat well and exercise regularly as these will help both your physical and mental health.
10. Seek help when needed
Sometimes a topic just does not stick no matter how many times you read your notes. Firstly, you should try other revision resources such as videos and online forums for additional support. If you are still struggling, then remember people are there to help you. Don’t hesitate to ask teachers or tutors for clarification on those trickier topics. Just remember that your teachers or tutors might not be able to help you instantly, so you should also attend extra classes or revision sessions, if available, as these would give you more opportunities to ask questions.
How Save My Exams Can Help
Resources made by experts
Here at Save My Exams, we have a team of highly experienced ex-teachers that create the resources for GCSE Maths. Most of our content creators have experience of exam marking, which means that they are able to share the best exam tips with you in our revision notes for Higher and Foundation. A lot of the revision notes for the Higher tier have tutorial videos so that you can watch a demonstration of the skill or method.
Wide range of resources
You can be confident that Save My Exams has everything you need to ace your GCSE Maths exams. We have exam questions which are grouped into topics and split into levels of difficulty for both the Higher and Foundation tiers. And when you are ready to tackle full exam papers, we have a wide range of past papers available to help you for all UK exam boards: Pearson Edexcel, AQA, OCR , WJEC and WJEC Eduqas. And if you like quick, interactive revision sessions, then be sure to check out our flashcards!
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Key Takeaways
Create a realistic revision timetable and stick to it as much as possible.
Revise using a mixture of resources: notes, questions, flashcards and past papers.
Enjoy breaks away from revision by doing fun or relaxing activities.
Ask for help when you are struggling, everyone wants you to succeed.
Take advantage of all the amazing resources available at Save My Exams!
FAQs
How many hours should I spend per week revising for GCSE Maths?
The answer will be different for everyone as it depends on other factors such as the number of GCSE subjects that you are studying. The key is to start revising early so that you can revise for small chunks of time rather than trying to cram a lot of content into a short space of time.
What is the hardest Maths topic for GCSE?
Typically, students find histograms and conditional probability challenging until they understand the concepts rather than simply trying to memorise the formulas. However, I would say that vectors are probably the most challenging topic at GCSE level, as they are different to what students are used to. Check out our article on the hardest GCSE Maths questions.
How can I revise for Maths GCSE fast?
Revision is a long process, there are no shortcuts. If you have limited time, then start with a set of past papers and use them to identify key areas to focus on.
Is 7 in Maths GCSE good?
A grade 4 is a pass and a grade 5 is a strong pass. Therefore, a grade 7 is definitely a good grade. It also depends on what you want to do next. For example, if you want to study A Level Further Maths, then you might need a higher grade.
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References
Five reasons to meditate during exam season | BBC
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