Top 5 ways to revise for an exam

Unfortunately, not all revision methods are created equal – it depends on active/passive recall, effort, and overall yield. If you want high grades, try using some of these study techniques in order to better review your work for an upcoming exam!

1. Past papers

I’ve said this so many times before, but past papers are one of the best ways to revise for an exam. Past papers can give you an insight into what the examiner might expect from you, making you better equipped to answer the exam questions. They also test you on a wide variety of topics using active recall, which can be very helpful.

2. Practice questions

Like past papers, practice questions tend to be very exam-style as well. They also incorporate active recall which improves your memory of the test content. However, practice questions are different from past papers since practice questions tend to be on very specific topics, whereas whole practice papers cover the entire specification.

3. Flashcards

Whether you prefer digital or paper flashcards, all flashcards have the same great benefit of active recall, making them a great method of revision. However, they test you more on pure knowledge, rather than your ability to apply the knowledge as you would during an exam, making them less useful for revision.

4. Blurting

Blurting is essentially when you try to regurgitate information on a specific topic. Again, this includes active recall which makes it a good revision method. Unfortunately, it does have the same problem as flashcards, since it only tests you on knowledge rather than application. However, it is a great way to memorise long quotes and detailed statistics.

5. Making mindmaps

Although mindmaps don’t usually include active recall (unless you make them without looking at your notes), they are still a great way to revise. This is because they can help you visualise and order the information that you’re learning. However, mindmaps won’t help you with your exam technique.