Are you taking your exams this year? Here’s how to best use exam past papers to get ready for them!
Have you started revising for your GCSE, A Level, or university exams yet? If not, there’s still time, with exam season beginning in the middle of May and running until late June. Even if you have started revising, there are always opportunities to level up your revision and give yourself an even better chance of doing well when you sit the real exam.
Everyone learns differently. Some people prefer the written word, while others like audio or video content. Some people learn by doing, and others by watching. Perhaps you like to use flash cards, study with a friend, or play revision games to test your memory. But no matter how you like to learn and revise, using past exam papers should be a part of your revision process.
We recently showed you where to find past exam papers for GCSEs and A Levels. But once you’ve got them, how can you make the most of them? Read on for our top tips.
Read Each Question Twice…
…or even three times!
One of the most common avoidable mistakes students make in exams is not reading the question properly, and therefore not answering it properly. By using past papers, you can familiarise yourself with the ways that questions are worded.
Practice reading each question at least twice and making sure you understand exactly what is being asked of you. It can be helpful to underline or highlight key words. Command words (those that tell you what to do, such as “outline”, “explain”, “analyse”, and “compare”) can be particularly useful in making sure you understand a question or instruction properly.
Understand the Format
Though the questions are different, exam papers tend to follow a similar format each year. Before diving into a past paper, it’s important to understand this format. This will help you know what to expect when it comes to the real exam.
Read the exam guidelines and instructions, paying particular attention to the number of questions, question types, and time limits. You should also make a note of how many marks each question is worth so that you can pace yourself and allocate your time accordingly.
Mind-Map Your Thoughts and Create a Plan
In many exams, you will be asked to write a longform answer or an essay in response to a question or prompt. When you study past papers, practice mind-mapping your thoughts and creating an essay plan before you begin writing.
This can help you to organise your ideas and create a more cohesive response to the question. Even though it will take a few minutes out of your writing time, it is time well spent and the result will be a stronger answer and a better mark.
Exam technique–which includes planning, pacing, and focus–is almost as important as knowing the subject matter well. Using past papers well can refine your exam technique as well as improving your subject knowledge and writing skills.
Practice Under Exam Conditions
Even when you know your subject really well, exam conditions can still be stressful. That’s why it’s important to practice so that you feel calm and know what to expect on the day. Therefore, try to do at least some of your past papers under exam conditions.
Time yourself, complete the papers in silence and without distractions, and only give yourself access to the materials you will have in the actual exam (for example, notes, books, a calculator, or specific pieces of equipment.)
If you want to make this more enjoyable, sit a “mock exam” with a friend or two and then plan to reward yourselves by doing something fun afterwards. This will also give you the chance to compare notes and help each other out with future revision.
Study the Marking Scheme and Examiners’ Reports
To do well in an exam, you need to understand what the examiners will be looking for. Luckily, most exam boards have marking schemes available for you to study alongside past papers. These outline what is expected, how papers will be marked, and what benchmarks you’ll need to hit to improve your final result.
Examiners’ reports from previous years can also be extremely useful. In these reports, examiners outline what students did well and any common mistakes that were made.
Identify Areas of Difficulty
When you are completing a past paper, you’ll probably find some questions easier than others. If you struggle with any questions, make a note of them. This will help you to understand what you should come back to later and focus on in your revision plan. Studying past papers equips you with important knowledge about your strengths and weaknesses.
Don’t be afraid to ask for extra support at this stage. Once you know what you’re struggling with, you can speak to a teacher (or a classmate with different strengths) and ask for some extra help and resources for your revision.
Mark Yourself and Ask for Feedback
Once you’ve finished a past paper, look at the marking scheme or answer sheet and try to mark yourself. This will be easier for papers with right and wrong answers (such as multiple choice or numerical questions) than for essay-style questions, but you can still have a go.
If possible, try to get feedback from a teacher, too. They will be able to give you an expert opinion on what you did well, where you can improve, and any areas where you might need some additional support before the real exam.
