Revision Strategies

A comprehensive guide on revision

 Contents Page

The psychology of memory 3

Getting Started 6

Dos and Don'ts 10

Dealing With Distractions 12

Using past papers 13

Using examiner reports 14

Using mind maps 17

Using Flashcards 19

Using Timelines 20

Performing on the Day 22

References 24
The psychology of memory

In 1968, Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed a three-stage model for memory, comprising of three components:
sensory memory, working (i.e. short-term) memory and long term memory.

Sensory memory briefly holds incoming sensory information. Short term memory is a memory store that
temporarily holds a limited amount of information. Most people can hold only 7 ±2 meaningful items in short
term memory (Miller, 1956). Long term memory is our vast library of more durable stored memories

Improving Memory

We often blame our memory for poor academic performance ("I'm no good at remembering names / dates /

rules / verbs / characteristics") when really, we should be addressing our faulty input and storage system. There

is a big difference between short-term and long-term memory. If you study a topic one night and can recall

most of it the next morning, don't be fooled into thinking that you will be able to remember it accurately in two

month’s time.

If the goal is to improve your long-term memory, then the key to success is based

on the efficiency of encoding information. Reducing the burden on the limited short-

term memory, and channelling information into long-term storage, is based on the

creation of patterns and the avoidance of randomness.

Information shifts from short term memory into long term memory through a process called encoding. More
effective encoding into long term memory increases the likelihood of retrieval. This is more likely to occur when:
 - There is effortful processing - i.e. encoding that is initiated intentionally and requires conscious attention
- There is deeper processing - we are more likely to recall words when we use semantic encoding (i.e.
examining what each word means) rather than superficial structural encoding (when you just look at the
word)
- There is elaborative rehearsal - you need to expand on the meaning of the information in some way. For
example you may want to:
- Think about how it applies to your own life/personally meaningful information can also be
remembered more than non-meaningful information
- Stimuli that triggers emotional responses are typically remembered better. This happens
because arousing stimuli triggers the release of stress hormones. This creates
neurotransmitters to increase activation in the amygdala, a brain structure that helps
encode the emotional aspects of experiences into long term memories
- Relate it to concepts or examples you already know
- Organising information in a hierarchy takes advantage of the principle that memory is enhanced
by associations between concepts
- Distinctive cues are more likely to be encoded and thus recalled. When revising you may want to
include something obscure or out of context.

Some specific methods can include:

● Chunking

○ The average person can only hold seven 'items' in short-term memory, grouping items together

into 'chunks' can increase capacity. This is generally used for remembering numbers (think of

how you remember phone numbers by grouping the seven digits into 2 or 3 chunks) but can be

applied to other listings in various subjects.

○ This work because they are easy to rehearse in the working memory and can thus be

transferred into long term memory.

● Repetition

○ Studies indicate that 66% of material is forgotten within seven days if it is not reviewed or

recited again by the student, and 88% is gone after six weeks. Don't make life harder for

yourself - build in a brief daily and weekly review of material covered. It will save you having to

re-learn material from scratch.

● Use of mnemonics

○ These are various word games which can act as memory aids. This allows for personalisation

and creativity.

○ On a similar note, acronyms can be really useful tools There are still some acronyms that I can

recall to this day - even though my GCSEs were years ago. For example, I still remember

‘Granny’s Xbox Uses Volts In My Room’ to remember the Electromagnetic spectrum (e.g.

Gamma, X-Ray, Ultraviolet, Visible Light, Infrared, Micro and Radio waves) or Kids Prefer

Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach for the taxonomy order ( Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order,

Family, Genus, Species)

● Use of imagery

○ Using imagery during your revision can also help. According to the dual coding theory, encoding

information using both verbal and visual cues codes enhances memory because the odds

improve that at least one of the codes will be available later to support recall.

○ For example, when drawing maps or timelines you may want to consider quickly drawing

diagrams to help you recall information.

Getting Started

Getting started is always the hardest bit. Here are four questions to help break down getting started.

Where?
Find a quiet place to study (e.g. a room at home, the library, etc.) that
becomes associated in your mind with productive work. The room should be
well lit and ventilated, but not too comfortable! Turn your room into a positive
learning environment. Keep books and notes on the desk to a minimum and
decorate your walls with colourful notes and key facts. Music is fine as long as it helps you to study
and blocks out distracting noises (Smith, 1985). The very best sound to study is thought to be that of
Mozart.

What?
Remember that it's all about being active and focused on tasks, not time! Know at the start of a
session what you want to have completed by the end of the period. Make the tasks specific and
realistic, not vague and large.

You need to first plan out all the subjects you would like to revise. Once you have picked a subject,
then the specification can be broken down into subsections and topics. A useful starting point may be
to list out all the topics on the course and use this as a revision checklist. Alternatively, you could ask
your teacher for a revision checklist.

It is a good idea to sort out your filing system. If you haven't already done so, get your subject folders
and notes organised immediately. Invest in some ring binders, dividers, plastic pockets, etc. Have a
separate folder for each subject (a permanent reference point) and then keep a 'current folder' for
managing notes in progress.

Example
 For example, if I wanted to revise A Level Geography, I would type into Google: ‘Edexcel Geography
A Level Specification’. This leads me to this link
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/geography-2016.html

I would then click download

I would then use this specification as a checklist. Of course, if you find this process really daunting,
don’t worry. Your teacher should be able to provide you a checklist with less jargon.

Allow yourself an ample amount of time to allocate time to revise subjects. Put the schedule on
display so that your family can see when you are available. It will also reassure your parents that you
are in control.

How?
This booklet will provide you with a variety of ways to revise. Remember that everyone revises
differently and so different techniques will work better for certain people and that’s okay. I personally
like checking the specification, reading the relevant sections in a textbook, making notes using a
variety of colours and then testing myself with past papers.

Example

This is an example of the notes I made for my Geography A-Level:

Always work with a pen and paper at the ready. Getting started is often the most difficult bit, so start
by 'doing'. It usually helps to begin with a subject you like, move on to other less favoured areas, and
then finish up with a favoured topic to maintain the interest.

Interleaved practise is often advised for students who have to revise numerous
subjects(Rohrer & Taylor, 2007). In their experiment, two groups of students
were taught how to calculate the volume of geometric shapes - e.g. a sphere,
cone etc. Some students learned using blocks - e.g. they tackled 4 problems on
spheres, 4 on a cone etc. - whilst other students had to practise with the sequence of questions
mixed. The two researchers found that mixed practise (i.e. interleaved) is far better. The superior test
performance after mixed practice is, in our view, attributed to the fact that students in this condition
were required to know not only how to solve each kind of problem but also which procedure (i.e.,
formula) was appropriate for each kind of problem. It also allows for a greater time for consolidation of
memory to occur.

Personally, I prefer to study one topic at a time as I like a sense of closure but the science suggests
the contrary. Try it out yourself and always remember that different techniques will work differently for
different people!

When?
Try to schedule your study for times when you are more mentally alert. Baddeley et al. (1970) suggest
learning in the morning than in the afternoon. However, such studies often don’t account for age
differences where synchrony between age and ideal revision periods may be more important (May et
al, 1993). Nonetheless, getting revision done earlier in the day may also mean you have more time to
relax but of course, some people prefer revising in the evenings. What is important is sleep. It is
speculated that sleeping helps to consolidate the information we have learnt (Stickgold, 2005) and so
always try and get regular sleep.
Dos and Don'ts

Do’s

1. Short bursts of revision (30‑40 minutes). These are most effective. Your
concentration lapses after about an hour and you need to take a short break (5‑10
minutes).
2. Find a quiet place to revise ‑ your bedroom, school, the library ‑ and refuse to be
interrupted or distracted.
3. Make sure you don't just revise the subjects and topics you like. Work on your weaker ones as well.
4. Make your own revision notes because you will remember what you have written down more easily.
Stick key notes to cupboards or doors so you see them every day.
5. Practise on past exam papers or revision tests available on the web
6. Learn to relax. Work on relaxation techniques, such as taking slow deep breaths.
7. Drink lots of water.
8. Continue exercising. It is very easy to get caught up in revising. I always notice that I gain weight over
the exam period as I am often sat on a table for a long period of time. Physical activity can provide relief
from stress. The brain uses 20% of oxygen in the blood so you need to think about your posture and
exercise to make sure your body gets enough. 30 minutes of sport or a short walk will do the trick.
9. Eat properly. Make sure you eat sensibly and have a balanced diet. Avoid too much
chocolate, cola, caffeine and foods with lots of additives.
10. Get lots of sleep
11. Believe in yourself and be positive. If you think you can succeed you will; if you
convince yourself that you will fail, that's what will probably happen.

Don’t

1. Force yourself to revise constantly. The body needs breaks. When you're tired, concentration is more
difficult, you get distracted much easier and learning and memorisation is less effective. There comes a
 point in an evening study session when it is counter-productive to stay at the desk - nothing is going in
and you are only tiring yourself further. Use breaks effectively, particularly after completing a task.
2. Cram before an exam. Cramming deceives one
into thinking they have mastered material; The
‘forgetting curve’ suggests that we forget almost
50% of what you have learned (Murre & Dros,
2015)
3. Copy from a textbook. Beware of transcribing and
highlighting blindly. Merely re-writing the text from
the book into your notes does not ensure
retention. Try to put things in your own words and
devise your own examples - this will make the material more meaningful and lead to deeper processing.
Dealing With Distractions

● "I just start daydreaming"

Become an active learner. Always work with a pen and paper. Focus on a specific task, not a specified time for

your study.

● "I often fall asleep when I'm supposed to be studying"

Try to get to bed on time over the coming weeks. A tired brain is very unproductive. Get some genuine rest at

the weekend. Be sure to get regular exercise, even just a walk around the block at night to clear your head.

● "I'm constantly interrupted by other people"

Study in the location most likely to offer peace and quiet. Ask for consideration from family members over the

final run up to exams. Never have a TV, phone, computer games, or music system within arm's reach while you

are trying to work. Make a rule of not taking phone calls within certain defined periods.

● "I keep thinking of other things while I'm studying"

Divide the study session into smaller, short-range goals which demand your full attention e.g. vocabulary or

poetry test. Keep a 'reminder pad' beside you, a little notebook to jot down something that strikes you

(someone to call, a job to do, etc.) and deal with it after the study period. Having made a note of it, you can

more easily re-focus on your work.

Using past papers
● Make use of past papers

These should be your constant companion in all revision tasks. For each topic you revise,
consult the past questions on this subject and then attempt answers to them. Check your
answers, fill in the 'knowledge gap' where necessary, and file away the correct 'model
answer' in your notes for future reference. You will also start to notice any trends in the
questions asked. This practise concurs with an array of research that has demonstrated the effectiveness of
repeated testing (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006), potentially because testing promotes long term retention of
material (Bjork, 1994).

● Follow the marks

Marking schemes are an invaluable aid to exam preparation (available online from DfES, AQA, etc). You can
see how the marks are allocated for each question on the paper and what quantity or style of answer is
required in each case. This knowledge will greatly inform your revision work and helps to remove the mystique
of the exam.

● Track your progress

As daunting as it may sound, tracking your progress can help act as a motivational tool. I found it really useful
to track my marks for my A Level Maths exam and I noticed that generally I performed better each time.

Example

Here you can see that I have tracked my marks for my Maths papers. Colour coding was helpful too to help
me realise that I had in fact improved my grades
Using examiner reports
You can largely determine the end result by simply heeding the voice of experience. The job of examiners is to
give you marks, not to take them away, but they are powerless to help you if you fall into the most common
traps. These are the biggest pitfalls they have identified:

● Not reading the paper correctly

Examiners say that this is one of the most regular and fatal errors. They call it the 'triggered answer'. You have
your pre-prepared answer ready but you don't look at the exact terms of the question and therefore supply the
wrong information in your answer.

● Not finishing the paper

Mismanaging your time within the exam can easily cost you a full grade. The biggest exam 'crime' is to leave
suitable questions unattempted. Remember: it is much easier to get the first 20% of the marks for any question
than the last 5%. Therefore, if you find yourself stuck for time as you struggle through your third answer out of
five, do not spend your remaining time extending and perfecting that answer. Instead, move on to questions
four and five, even if your attempt is sketched or in point form. If you have answered only three questions
instead of five, the highest mark you can get is 60%.

● Ignoring the marking scheme

You must take the marking scheme into account when you allocate time to each question or part of a question.
If the marks allotted to a question clearly indicate that a few paragraphs are sufficient, do not write an essay on
the subject. Avoid the temptation of writing everything you know about a topic – just give the appropriate
amount of information.

● Repetition

Make the point once. There are no extra marks for restating facts, even if you phrase them differently.
Examiners say repetition is a very common mistake. It is also a time-waster and an irritant.

● Missing part of a question

Sometimes, part of a question can be carried onto the next page and, in the pressure of the moment, you don't
see it. As a consequence you might fail to do a compulsory part of a question or miss out on the chance to take
an option that would have suited you better. Always take time to familiarise yourself with the whole paper before
you start answering it.
 Example

You can find examiner reports yourself by going onto the exam board website, then click on the exam
materials section and then try and find a document titled ‘Examiner Report’.

One of the best features of examiner reports include the fact that they come with examples, giving you a
clear idea of what the examiner is after.
Using mind maps

You may find it easier to make mind‑maps than tak-ing linear notes. Mapping your notes by radiating key words
out in a pattern of links from a central point will make best use of your memory. If you use colour and images on
the maps, you'll be increasing the number of cues for recall

How to mind map:

1. Start with the theme in the middle of the page.

2. Then develop your main idea.
3. Each branch must relate to the branch before it.
4. Use only key words and images.
5. Key words must be written along the branches.
6. Printing your keywords makes them more memorable.
7. Use highlighters and coloured markers to colour code branches.
8. Make things stand out on the page so they stand out in your mind.

Mind Maps can be mostly text…

Or they can include more images. Look at this one summarising William Shakespeare’s life

Karpicke and Blunt (2007) compared concept marking to other techniques and found it was an effective tool for
revision. Whilst retrieval testing lead to greater recall, the two methods can be combined. When you feel
confident, try concept mapping without your notes. The cognitive effort required to make the connections will
enable recall as it will lead to deeper processing (Blunt & Karpicke, 2014).
Using Flashcards

Flashcards can be really useful to testing one’s own memory. You can use them to create
helpful cues for recall. Some people like to write their notes onto flashcards, however, in
doing so you may fall into the trap of simply rereading your notes. Instead, use them as
prompts for retrieval. Perhaps use imagery too

1. On the front of the card, write a key term or question

2. On the back of the card, answer that question or write a definition for the term
3. Try to guess the answer/definition on the front before checking the answer on the back.

A central problem of learning is how to interrupt the process of forgetting. Self-testing or retrieval practise is a
powerful way to learn. The act of retrieving knowledge from memory makes it easier to recall later. Ideally
retrieval must be repeated again and again with spaced out sessions. The recalling process must require some
cognitive effort - i.e. that straining or scrabbling around sensation we often feel when we try really hard to
remember a piece of information (Roediger & Butler, 2011)

How is this relevant? Well, I often find testing myself difficult without the resources to verify my answers, thus
the advantages of testing are decimated. Quizlet is an excellent free, online application that can potentially
make regular testing more accessible. I used to test myself randomly - e.g. if I was food shopping and think “Ah
what neurotransmitter is involved in muscle activity” - and now I can verify my answers with confidence
Using Timelines

Timelines can be really useful in subject like History to remember key events. Here are a few techniques to help
make effective use of them

1. First read your textbook or your notes to get a comprehensive understanding of the events that may
have happened.
2. Remember when I said that imagery was a really useful tool as it allows for an additional cue for recall?
Derive an image for each event that occurred.
3. With practice, you can repeat the procedure without drawing and instead rely on mental pictures.

Remember the key aspect is not how good your drawings are. The drawings are a provisional step on the way
to visualising - i.e. it is more important to make images in the head rather than on paper.
 Eventually your timelines will turn from this

to
Performing on the Day

● Get a good night's sleep

While the temptation is to stay up half the night 'cramming' in more facts and figures, the evidence suggests this

approach is counter-productive. In the context of a two-year course, an extra night's studying can make very

little difference to your knowledge. However, having a mind that is refreshed, alert, and ready to respond to

circumstances will obviously be of far greater benefit.

● Arrive in plenty of time

To perform well on the day, you need to be relaxed and to feel in control of the situation. This is difficult to

achieve if you have missed breakfast and are stuck on a bus in traffic or standing on a train for 45 minutes as

the exam time approaches.

● Have your equipment ready

Each exam has its own requirements. Apart from properly functioning pens, pencils, rulers, etc, you may need

a calculator for the Maths or Science exam. Drawing pencils may be required for diagrams in some subjects. A

lot of nervous energy can be expended on last-minute hassle if these items aren't checked in advance.

● Think positive

On the day of the exam, remind yourself of the good things (the material you know well, the revision you have

completed, all the past exam questions done, the good grades achieved) rather than dwelling on areas of

weakness. Having that self-belief will give you the confidence to trust your judgement within the exam hall and

'hit the target'.

● Allow time to read the paper carefully

The importance of reading the paper carefully and choosing your questions wisely cannot be emphasised

enough at this stage. The natural inclination is always to start writing immediately and launch into a favoured

topic. Resist the urge. Take your time. Be smart and size-up the paper before answering.
 ● Beware of post-exam analysis

The more you participate in the exam post-mortem, the more confused and disheartened you are likely to

become. You can't change what has happened, you can only focus on the present and this will need your full

attention.
References

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Bjork, R.A. (1994). Memory and metamemory considerations in the training of human beings. In J. Metcalfe &
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