Top Tips for Science Revision

Tip 1 – Build on a solid foundation of knowledge

Knowledge is the core foundation of exam success; after all, you can only get application marks once you know what to apply. But it can be daunting if you need help with where to start. That’s why we have started each chapter with a Knowledge Organiser that clearly lays out all the key information for you to follow in the correct order.

Tip 2 – Make knowledge easier to retrieve in an exam

The next step in revision is Retrieval Practice. This is where you will practice remembering the information you have learnt, in short answers (you can look up the answers in the Knowledge Organiser if needed!). The more your brain gets used to retrieving information, the easier it will be to retrieve it when you need it in an exam.

Tip 3 – Make it a habit

The best thing you can do is make revision a habit; set aside 30 minutes daily to practice Retrieval questions from your Oxford Revise book. You’ll be surprised how quickly questions become easier! I can see from the analytics on my YouTube channel that most students do their revision the night before the exam. Please don’t start then!

Tip 4 – Practice exam questions and how to lay out your answers

Practising exam-style questions is one of the best ways to revise; you get used to discussing multiple topics at the same time, as will happen in the actual exam. Using the Oxford Revise examples, you also can see what the examiners are looking for and how best to lay out your answers to show off what you know.

Tip 5 – Understand what the question is asking

You need a secure understanding of the command words used in an exam. ‘Describe‘ is what something looks like, while ‘explain‘ is the why of something. If you write a ‘describe’ answer for an ‘explain’ question, you’re answering a question that hasn’t been asked, and you won’t get the marks.

Within the Oxford Revise books, we have included many exam and revision tips too (they’re on the right-hand side next to the exam practice questions). These tips explain how to answer each type of question and what sort of clue you can pick up from the wording.

Revision books