10 Revision Tips for Children's Exams - Dandelion Training & Development

Exams and assessments frequently bring with them stress and anxiety. Whether it is about the exam itself, finding motivation or the fear of failure, many young people struggle with the impending timetable. Whilst some stress is motivational (it shows us that our exams matter to us) we can reduce the unnecessary stress by taking control early on and being prepared.

For parents, the exam season can be just as difficult. You want the best for your children and the best opportunities. However keeping home life peaceful and planning opportunities for time out, as well as offering a quiet space where they can revise without distraction can make the whole home more peaceful.

So I’ve collated my top ten tips for revision to make home and study a little more peaceful and under control:

#1 – Get your notes in order

Spend some time getting your school/college/university notes in order. Having everything together means that you can get organised and have everything at arms reach. Collect subjects together and if you have any revision guides, text books or support notes group them with your notes.

#2 – Identify the topics you have covered in class

Speak with your teacher and identify the topics that you need to revise. Having a clear idea of which topics you need to revise means that you are well equipped and prepared. The better your preparation the more confident you will feel about your revision.

#3 – Ask for some past papers

Ask your teacher for any past papers that they have that you can use as part of your revision. If you have completed any past papers at school or have your mock papers make sure that you have some feedback so that you can use these to identify key areas you need to refresh or cover.

#4 – Make a revision timetable

Great now you can take time to create a revision timetable. The more comprehensive your revision timetable the more focussed your revision can be. Taking time to create a timetable which covers all subjects and topics means that you know everything is covered well before the exam.

You should aim to complete around 20 hours of revision a week, breaking this into 90min-2hour blocks so you cover 2-3 subjects a day. This means you could work for 3-5 hours a day Monday – Friday and take the weekends off revision and still be prepared. See note #6 before writing your plan.

#5 – Revise in different ways

When you plan your revision plan a range of different types of revision, just reading notes will slowly drive you crazy and does not allow you to see that you have taken it in. You can make mind-maps, make key note cards, practice quizzes or exam questions, read your notes or text book or test a friend

#6 – Factor everything into your planner

When you create your plan factor in all things that are necessary – include; breaks, meal times, fun things, exercise, commitments, study groups, days off. You can colour code subjects to make your plan more visual.

#7 – Take time off

Whilst it can feel like revising all the time will help it actually has the opposite affect. Our brain learns in patterns. By working in shorter spells and coming back to information so you need to recall it your brain strengthens the patterns. Recalling information a few times with breaks in between would allow you to learn faster than just staring at the notes for 6 hours. Working smarter rather than harder really does help revision! Therefore taking time OFF is important to allow the brain to rest then you can come back and recall the information later to consolidate it. For instance, revise one topic for an hour – take a break – then come back to it and see how much you recall and strengthen the gaps.

#8 – Sleep

Sleep allows our body to rest, refresh and restore itself. A lack of sleep can make us feel overwhelmed, stressed and anxious as our body feels under threat. Therefore ensuring that you stop revising at least 2 hours before bedtime and getting at least 8 hours sleep is a great way to ensure that your brain can revise more effectively and you feel in control.

Whilst you are asleep your brain also consolidates the learning that you have done. The brain is able to process the new data and patterns and sort everything through, so when your parents say ‘it will feel better after a good nights sleep’ – they are right!

#9 – Develop a positive mindset

Spending some time to work on your mindset is a really good way to prepare for exams and assessments. This means training your subconscious mind that you feel open and able to revise and learn. You can then focus your conscious mind on success and confidence by practicing using positive language when talking about your revision and exams. Keep your sentences short, factual and positive ‘I am revising every day’ ‘I am hardworking and capable’ ‘I revise smartly and well so I am well prepared’ ‘I enter my exams with confidence’

#10 – Plan how to celebrate

The great thing about exams – we know when they will be finished. So once you have a clear revision planner and have started implementing it – then plan some fun activities to celebrate which will keep you motivated to stay on track. Rewarding yourself with something fun means you have a high and some well earned time out once the exams are finished.

Further help

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