How to Revise for GCSE Computer Science: Tactics That Work

Are your exams fast approaching? Has your teacher asked you if you have started revising? Or, has the realisation that revision is crucial in helping you achieve the best possible grade finally dawned? The problem I witnessed in all my years of teaching, was that students struggled to know where to start when it came to revision.

Computer Science is not like most other subjects; there is a large dependency on knowing how to program, a skill that needs practice and patience to get to grips with fully. Revising for Computer Science can be daunting at first, how do you remember all those key terms and understand those complex programming concepts?

In this article, I will share the strategies I used with my students to help them achieve the best possible success when it came to exams, be that mocks or the real thing. Not all strategies work for every student, try them all and find the ones that work for you.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear plan to improve your understanding, tackle past paper questions with confidence, and feel prepared for exam day.

Revision tactics covered:

• Using past papers effectively

• Active recall with flashcards

• Creating a mind map for programming concepts

• Practising pseudocode and flowcharts

• Breaking down mark schemes

• Teaching someone else

• Time management strategies for the exam

• Understanding command words in exam questions

Using past papers effectively

Past papers are one of the most powerful tools for GCSE Computer Science revision. They help you understand exam structure, familiarise yourself with command words, and practise applying knowledge under timed conditions.

• Start with untimed practice, answering questions with your notes.

• Progress to timed conditions, mimicking the real exam.

• Mark your work using the mark scheme to identify gaps.

• Track mistakes and revisit weaker topics.

When using past papers, it’s easy to focus on the topics you know best. Struggling with a question can feel discouraging, and many students end up revising by answering questions they were already confident with, just to feel a sense of progress.

Instead, try to choose questions you know you’ll find difficult - especially those on topics you’ve always struggled with. Practising these will have the biggest impact on your exam performance.

In my experience, the best place to start is with the most recent exam papers. These are more likely to reflect the style and content of upcoming exams. Some students use older papers and then feel caught off guard when the question style has changed, which can lead to unnecessary panic.

Active recall with flashcards

Active recall is a scientifically proven technique that helps you remember key facts by forcing your brain to retrieve information rather than passively reviewing notes.

• Create flashcards with a question on one side and the answer on the other.

• Focus on key terms, pseudocode syntax, and hardware components.

• Use digital tools, including the flashcards available on Save My Exams, for spaced repetition.

• Regularly shuffle and test yourself to reinforce learning.

In GCSE Computer Science, you can’t expect to answer an exam question if you don’t understand the key terms. For example, a question asking you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of encryption relies on your understanding of the term encryption.

Flashcards are a great starting point for revision. Computer Science is full of technical-sounding terms, but once you’ve mastered them, exam questions become much easier to tackle.

Creating a mind map for complex topics

Mind maps help you visualise connections between different Computer Science topics, making complex ideas easier to understand and recall.

• Start with a central topic (e.g. ‘Programming Constructs’).

• Branch out to subtopics like selection, iteration, and sequence.

• Use different colours to group related ideas.

• Add example code snippets to reinforce understanding.

A great example of a topic where I’ve seen students use mind maps effectively is Computer Networks. Mind maps help visualise the relationships between different aspects of networking, making recall much easier. Key branches might include types of networks, network hardware, and network protocols.

In my experience, students who use mind maps well tend to be creative. Not only does this technique help with revision, but they also enjoy designing their mind maps. The best ones use colour, drawings, and effects to emphasise key terms and important points.

If you prefer a digital approach, MindMeister is a great online tool that my students have used to create and collaborate on mind maps.

Practising pseudocode and flowcharts

Programming is a practical skill, and the best way to improve is through consistent practice.

• Write pseudocode for common algorithms (e.g. sorting, searching).

• Convert pseudocode into flowcharts to visualise logic.

• Compare your answers with mark schemes to improve accuracy.

The most important factor in improving your exam results is practising how to read, interpret, and write code. Pseudocode and flowcharts play a key role in the planning stage and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Most of my students preferred pseudocode, as drawing the correct flowchart symbols and ensuring clarity for an examiner can be tricky. Writing pseudocode often makes algorithms neater and easier to read.

However, don’t forget that some exam questions may require one format over the other, so it’s essential to practise both.

A great place to start is our past paper exam questions, which include student-friendly mark schemes and sample answers to help guide your revision.

Teaching someone else

Explaining a concept to another person forces you to organise your thoughts clearly, strengthening your understanding.

• Pair up with a classmate and take turns explaining topics.

• Create a short video or write a blog post about a tricky concept.

• Use the Feynman Technique: Explain it simply, identify gaps and then refine your explanation.

Once you’ve mastered a concept, you should be able to teach it to someone else. In the classroom, this was a great way to spot gaps in students' knowledge and understanding - and the same technique works brilliantly for revision.

Try explaining a tricky topic to a relative, sibling, or friend. Peer feedback can be a powerful tool, helping you identify areas where you need to improve.

A great topic to test this method with is The Von Neumann Architecture - give it a go and see how well you can explain it.

Time management strategies for the exam

Efficient time management can prevent panic and maximise marks in your exam.

• Use the ‘Two-Pass Rule’: Answer easy questions first, then tackle harder ones.

• Allocate time per question based on mark value (e.g. 1 mark = 1 minute).

• Practise timing yourself with past papers.

When preparing students for exams, I always told them to use the number of marks as a rough guide for how many minutes to spend on each answer. In a 90-minute exam with 80 marks available, aiming for one mark per minute worked perfectly. This approach also ensured they had at least 10 minutes at the end to check their answers.

This strategy was particularly useful for students who tended to finish exams too quickly, helping them pace themselves more effectively.

Understanding command words in exam questions

GCSE Computer Science questions often use specific command words like ‘describe’, ‘explain’, or ‘evaluate’. Understanding these is key to answering correctly.

• Learn the meaning of common command words.

• Practise answering questions using the correct level of detail.

• Use past papers to identify how marks are awarded for different command words.

Command words are key indicators of how much detail is required in a response. I always begin exam revision by showing students the exam board’s list of command words, ensuring they are fully prepared.

Take ‘discuss’ as an example. When a question includes this command word, it immediately signals the level of detail needed to achieve full marks. A discussion question requires students to cover all major points related to the topic, consider both sides of the argument, and draw a reasoned conclusion.

Understanding this beforehand gives you a clear structure to follow, preventing you from writing a basic response that limits your marks.

Breaking down mark schemes

Understanding how marks are awarded can help you structure answers more effectively.

• Study past mark schemes to spot common answer patterns.

• Highlight keywords and required points for full marks.

• Practise writing answers that align with mark scheme expectations.

It’s extremely important to analyse mark schemes, especially for programming questions. This is valuable revision time, as it helps you understand how marks are awarded when multiple variations of an answer are possible.

I always encouraged my students to answer a question first, then swap with a peer and use the mark scheme to try awarding marks. We would then discuss their decisions, and I would demonstrate my process as an experienced exam marker. Repeating this task helps you become more confident in tackling high-mark questions in the real exam, as you’ll know exactly what the exam board is looking for.

I also highly recommend studying the examiner's report after each exam series. These reports provide valuable insights into how responses were marked, common mistakes, and useful tips for structuring answers effectively.

Improve Your Grades with Save My Exams

At Save My Exams, we’re here to help you get the best possible grade in GCSE Computer Science. Our expert resources are designed to make revision straightforward and effective, so you can feel confident going into your exams. Created by experienced teachers and examiners, our materials are tailored to your exam board and packed with everything you need to succeed:

• Clear and concise revision notes that break down tricky topics into easy-to-understand explanations

• Exam-style questions with detailed mark schemes, so you know exactly what examiners are looking for

• Past papers with mark schemes to help you practise and perfect your technique

• Flashcards for quick-fire revision and easy recall of key facts and definitions

Whether you're brushing up on the basics, testing your knowledge, or fine-tuning your exam strategy, Save My Exams has everything you need to stay on track. Start revising smarter today and take the stress out of exam prep!

Explore Our GCSE Computer Science Revision Resources

References

MindMeister

OCR