1. Exam Preparation Revision

2. There is a knack to passing exams. Much of it revolves around thorough preparation throughout the duration of a course and during the weeks leading up to the exams themselves. Amongst other things, this means lots and lots of revision. For revision to be effective, it needs to be really well organised and as active as possible. Together with the support of your teachers and UCC’s tailor-made website, this revision planner will go a long way towards helping you to achieve this.

3. Before you go any further, complete the table shown on the front cover of your revision planner. Next, have a good look through the planner from cover to cover so that you become familiar with its contents. Form Tutors: The centre number is 42151. To find candidate numbers, do the following:- On your SIMS registration page, click the Report tab at the top  Student List  Registration Group List  Select Years  Uncheck All  Select Reg Group  Selected Only  OK  on the right, look at Select Data Area  select the dropdown in the second box  Registration Details  drag and drop Exam Number onto the group list  project, print or save the list.

4. Exam Timetable Day Date Time Room Subject / Paper Duration Done ( ) Fill out your exam timetable so that you are clear about what exams you are preparing for and when and where they are taking place.

5.  For each of your subjects, make notes about what you need to revise and then evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.

6.  Effective revision is organised and planned well ahead of time. Produce a revision timetable. Use mornings for heavy revision, afternoons for lighter revision and evenings to go over things again or to test yourself. Give a bit more time to your weaker topics.  Migrate between subjects and build in frequent short breaks, maybe 30 minutes on and 10 minutes off. At the end of the day stop, eat, relax, get some exercise and go to bed at a sensible hour.

7. Plan your revision by filling out the daily timetables in your revision planner, one for each day, including evenings, weekends and holidays.

8.  Effective revision is also active and should involve different ways of going over each topic a number of times until your brain is able to process and retain the information.  We all learn through repetition and a mix of seeing (diagrams, videos, symbols), hearing (discussing, teaching, recording) and doing (making, showing, acting out). You won’t realise it at the time, but the more you do of each the more you will remember.

9.  Break a topic down into small chunks of information and organise it as a list, mind map or something similar. Link it to something that will trigger your memory, something like an image, an example or the fingers on each hand. Then return to it, go over it again, perhaps show it in a different format, play around with it and use it to build up a bigger picture or to answer a question. The more that you repeat something, the more likely you are to remember it.

10.  Mind maps and revision cards – strip your notes down to key points, terms and simple diagrams, whatever suits the subject and topic.

11.  Mnemonics and association – link key words and information to the letters of a memorable word or phrase, a familiar place, image, body parts, tunes, objects or even shapes, colours or numbers.

12.  Quizzes, practice questions / papers and model answers – test yourself, mark and weigh up your strengths, identify and address your weaknesses, understand how to write a good answer.