Exam Success 29 April 2016
Exam Success Context The uncontrollables The controllables Practical Advice Emotional Well Being
Context Pastoral preparation up to this point Fighting ground Why do we do mocks and Jan Assessments? What do we learn from mocks and how do we use info? What do students learn from mocks? Study – where is it taking place, when , how? Easter ‘Holiday’? Year 12 – how do I make sure I have a place in Year 13/prepare for alternative routes
We might not say it but… What students say
We like it when you … Keep a conversation Remind us that we can find solutions going – even when we Walk the dog, run with us, sound like we don’t want book us something in…we to talk. may not seem grateful Help us get organised Offer to test us on revision (equipment?) cards, help make up Check we’re happy memory games, plaster house with post-it notes Note key deadlines and Help us remember that nudge – get us to be early there will be life after Let us know when a exams! (we like it when there is something in the teacher has emailed! diary to look forward to)
We don’t like it when you… Nag (we prefer encouragement) Remind us if our last set of results were bad Talk about what you wish you had done in your exams/or how easy you found study Dwell on things that haven’t gone well Don’t try and hijack our revision schedule (if we have one) – we may not want to visit Great Aunt Edith
Variety! Students have these materials, but they may need reminding… R Relevant I Interesting N Naughty G Giggle
The mostly uncontrollables Exam Dates – students have their exam timetables Access Arrangements Special Consideration (Access and Special Consideration have all been notified to the exams office. Please keep us updated if there are any personal circumstances that we should have on record for the exams office).
Pastoral Preparation Assemblies – ideas/ highlighting distractions Tutor/Year Head/Tutor programme Learning Mentor coaching Revision programme, week by week iLearn sessions – students to sign up from 31 st March
Gordano Sixth Form AS/ A2 Revision Programme 2016
Weekly Focus Week of Week starting Programme date: 1. 22 nd Feb Get Prepared 29 th Feb Revision Planning and Timetables 2. 7 th Mar Revision Techniques part 1 3. 4. 14 th Mar Revision Techniques part 2 21 st Mar Avoiding Exam Slip ups 5. 6. 18 th Apr I Learn 2- Specialist Revision Workshops
Week 1 – Get Prepared ! 5 Ps of Succes ccess: s: Perfect fect Preparati paration on Prevent ents Poor or Performa formance nce This week’s focus is all about taking the steps you need to get prepared before you begin to revise. Revision is so much easier if you have everything you need to hand, all in one place . * Use the Personal Checklist at the back of your booklet to do a Revision Folder Audit *
Step 1: Find or print off the Syllabus (sometimes called the specification) for each of your units for your Subjects. To do this you will need to make sure you have the correct Exam Board and the specific Unit Content – this details exactly what the exam board wants you to have covered in the Unit. Here is an example via a link to OCR A level Biology specification: http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/81028-specification.pdf It might be that you already have a Subject Course Handbook with these statements in, or perhaps a Subject Checklist ; all are a great start to creating your own bespoke Revision File. It’s really worth getting familiar with the different Exam Boards’ websites. Each allows you to search for Past Papers, mark schemes, examiners reports and more, but they can be quite different from each other.
Step 2 – Past Papers and Mark schemes – Paper Copies Study smarter by using the Exam Boards’ previous unit papers from the last 5 years. This will test your understanding and gain a good insight into how the questions are asked and how marked are scored. You will need to create a Past Paper resource file for each of your subjects : Question Paper, Mark scheme and Examiner’s Report for previous exams. Organise them in order in your own bespoke Revision Folder, ready to use.
Step 3 – Get your own notes organised Spend some time on each Subject Folder , • getting all your notes in the correct order, • dividing up different sections, • adding in Home works • adding in a ‘Post it’ or two if you know there are areas of missing work. Step 4 – Additional Revision Materials – Sourced and Included Set aside time to explore the Subject area on Firefly or on Talmos , where you will find revision material that has been added there by the Subject Staff. Studies show that physically writing something down (especially repeatedly) you are much more likely to remember it, as it moves from your Short Term to Long Term Memory. http://www.onbeyondz.net/learning-to-learn-note-taking-and-study-tips.html
Revision Task Subject Subject Subject Subject 1. Find and Print off Syllabus / Checklist 2. Get Past Paper Printed Copies. 3. Locate and print the Mark scheme for each Question Paper. 4. Organise your subject folder – notes in correct order 5. Identify any missing work or gaps in your notes. 6. Locate and add in extra Revision material from Talmos etc. 7. Organise your own bespoke Revision Folder 8.Traffic Light code your Syllabus / check list 9. Create your Top Priority To Do List 10. Devise your individual Revision Timetable
Week 2 – Revision Planning and Timetables 5 Ps of Success: Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance For week 2 using the checklist and syllabu s to identify your priorities and create a realistic & useful Revision Timetab le to see you through to the Exams in May / June.
Step 1: Traffic Lights for your Syllabus / Checklist. Now you have a printed copy for of the Syllabus Subject content, or maybe a specific check list for each Unit, you will need to go through and highlight the statements / learning outcomes with your own bespoke Traffic light system. Red Highlight s = Found difficult / not confident Amber Highlights = Ok at the time, not so sure now. Green Highlights = Very confident if asked to recall or answer questions.
Step 2: Top Priority to Do List Now you have identified your worst to best areas, it’s time to create a Top Priority to Do List, for each Subject and Unit. Starting with the Red Areas you have decided have proved the knottiest, add these to the top of your list and then onto to the Amber Ones, then Green. As you are aiming to get a great grade in your subject, you will need to access questions from the entire syllabus, so your Red Areas will really need addressing first. As you go through them and get stronger in these, you should hopefully feel your confidence building about the rest of your course. Great Website and App for Apple and Android for helping organise workload / prioritising, creating a to do list and task management is: TO DOIST https://en.todoist.com give it a try on your phone or pc.
Step 3 – Create your Revision Timetable. Now you know what you will be revising in which order, the next step is to add your topics into a Revision schedule or timetable. We would suggest with 12 weeks until the AS exams and a little longer until the A2s you should be thinking of spending at least 2 hours revising / reviewing each day, and spreading your subjects evenly throughout the week. For each Subject topic you revise, be realistic about the time you think it will take. Some areas are bigger than others and build this into your schedule. Don’t be too hard on yourself !!! You will work much better if not tired, so try not to revise past 9 pm and have some proper me time / relaxation. Revision takes much longer if you Multi – task, (or as sometimes known as Multi-Fail), you can get through the topics faster and with a better focus without those Social Network Distractions. Save them for later for when you have finished.
There are two ways of creating your timetable: 1 . The Old Fashioned Paper and Pen Way • Print of a blank calendar • Add a to do list on the bottom • Schedule in what you will be revising when. http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/create.html 2 . Sign up to one of the fantastic free Revision Websites , click on create your own e- copy revision timetable. http://www.s-cool.co.uk/forbidden/timetable http://www.revisionworld.co.uk/create-revision-timetable https://getrevising.co.uk/planner Once your bespoke timetable is done, you are ready to get really get going with Revision!
Week 3 – Revision Techniques 1 5 Ps of Success: Perfect Preparation Prevents Poor Performance For week 3 - Revision Techniques that you have found successful in the past and expand on your repertoire to try out some ideas that are all about studying in depth and recall of detail. It’s all about finding a Revision Technique that works for you and allows you to answer all the Exam Questions with knowledge and precision .
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