YEAR 11 TIPS | WHAT I WISH I KNEW - GRADE 9 GCSE ADVICE

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares practical strategies for improving GCSE exam performance. Key tips include practicing past papers under exam conditions, refining time management, and adjusting exam techniques by prioritizing easy questions and returning to difficult ones later. The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on weak areas and recommends useful resources such as GCC Science, Physics and Math Tutor, and YouTube channels for English. The goal is to help students maximize their marks by practicing effectively, understanding their weaknesses, and utilizing free and efficient study materials.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on practicing past papers from multiple years, including specimen papers, to familiarize yourself with different exam formats.
• 😀 Always complete past papers under exam conditions, with no distractions and within the set time limit to improve time management skills.
• 😀 If you run out of time during practice exams, it's a sign to work on improving your time management strategies for the future.
• 😀 Before starting an exam paper, review all the questions first, so you know which ones to tackle first based on your strengths.
• 😀 If you come across a difficult question, fold the corner of the page and move on to the easier questions to secure more marks.
• 😀 Your final grade depends on the total marks, so prioritize maximizing marks in the questions you can answer easily before tackling the harder ones.
• 😀 Identify the topics you struggle with by analyzing your performance on specific questions, and focus on those weak areas to improve.
• 😀 For topics you're struggling with, focus on doing more specific practice questions related to those topics (e.g., forces in Physics).
• 😀 Use useful resources like 'My GCSE Science' for topic-based videos and exam questions to reinforce learning.
• 😀 For Math, use platforms like 'Corit Math' and 'Math Made Easy' to access additional practice questions and explanations.
• 😀 For English and essay-based subjects, rely on resources like YouTube channels (Mr. Sally's, Mr. Bruff, Miss Sty Ray) for helpful tips and strategies.

Q & A

Why is it important to do past papers under exam conditions?

Doing past papers under exam conditions helps you simulate the real exam environment, improving your time management and focus. It also allows you to identify areas where you may struggle with timing, so you can adjust your strategy for the actual exam.

How can running out of time during practice papers help you?

Running out of time during practice papers highlights weaknesses in your time management. It allows you to analyze how you approach questions, helping you refine your strategy for balancing speed and accuracy during the actual exam.

What is the suggested approach if you encounter a difficult question during a mock exam?

The advice is to mark the difficult question (e.g., fold the corner of the paper), move on to easier questions, and return to the difficult one later. This ensures you maximize marks on questions you can answer, rather than spending too much time on challenging ones.

Why is it important to focus on weaker topics during revision?

Focusing on weaker topics helps improve your overall performance. If you consistently struggle with certain areas, such as forces in Physics, dedicating more time to those topics will ensure you get better and improve your grades.

What resources are recommended for science revision?

Recommended resources for science revision include GCC Science for topic videos and exam questions, and Physics and Math Tutor for practice questions. These platforms provide comprehensive materials for different subtopics across the sciences.

How can YouTube be useful for English revision?

YouTube offers various educational channels, such as Mr. Sally’s, Mr. Bruff’s, and Miss Sty Ray’s, which provide valuable exam tips, strategies, and subject-specific advice. These resources are especially useful for essay-based subjects like English.

What is the benefit of using topic-specific questions in revision?

Using topic-specific questions helps reinforce knowledge in areas where you may be weak. If a certain topic, like forces in Physics, frequently appears in your exams and you're struggling, doing more questions on that topic can improve your understanding and performance.

What is the general strategy for exam success suggested in the video?

The strategy includes practicing past papers under exam conditions, identifying and focusing on weak topics, improving time management, using multiple resources like online platforms, and refining exam techniques such as prioritizing easier questions first.

Why is it important to prioritize easy questions first in an exam?

Prioritizing easier questions allows you to secure quick marks and manage your time effectively. By answering the easier questions first, you can build confidence and leave harder questions for later, ensuring you maximize your overall score.

How can the Personer revision guides help in essay-based subjects?

Personer revision guides are helpful because they condense complex information into concise, easy-to-understand formats. These guides are specifically useful for essay-based subjects, offering structured insights and efficient revision techniques.