How to Use Past Papers to Revise

When students have to revise for exams, there is a whole range of strategies that they turn to. Whether you like flashcards, mind maps, or something else entirely, it’s likely that you’ve skimmed through a fair few past papers before an example.

Past papers are one the leading method of revising, allowing students to get practice that’s as close to the real thing as possible. Especially considering the availability of past papers for GCSE, A-Level, and IB examinations, this is one of the most accessible methods for highly effective revision.

In this article, we’ll explore exactly how you should use past papers to revise, demonstrating why they’re such a powerful tool for success. If you’re shooting for top grades, be sure to stick around!

Use Past Papers Practice Your Skills

The revision process can become incredibly monotonous, especially toward the beginning of your first exam. After you’ve covered all the content and feel confident you understand all the major concepts that will come up, your revision can stagnate. With no further progress to make, it can feel like you’re running in circles.

That’s where past papers come in. These documents allow you to put your skills to the test. Instead of going over information, you’ll have to recall your revision and put it to use. Moving through each past paper sequentially will allow you to test all of the skills included in your specification.

What’s more, these are actual exam papers from previous years. Due to that, students can see how questions are structured and how the exam paper as a whole flows. As this point, a student probably already knows how each exam works. But, past papers are a great way to double-check their understanding and make sure they can put their understanding of the subject to the test.

Understand Specific Exam Requirements

Using past paper mark schemes can be almost as useful as the practice you get from the paper itself. Within each mark scheme, examiners will have broken down every single point that could get a student a mark.

In many subjects, there are 3-8 markers which require students to recall lots of information. By looking at mark schemes, you can see exactly where these marks come from. By incorporating this information into your studying, you’ll be able to produce exam-perfect answers every single time.

Using the mark scheme can also help you grade your own work. From there, you’ll be able to chart your progress over different papers. This can be a huge source of motivation for students, as they can see how they’re improving as they progress through each paper.

You can find some popular past paper websites here:

• Pearson Past Papers
• AQA Past Papers
• OCR Past Papers

From there, you’ll be able to select the type of qualification that you’re studying and instantly get access to a range of past papers and mark schemes.

Use Time Pressure

No matter how prepared a student is for an exam, if they can’t get all the information down in the time limit, they’ll be missing out on points. If you’re not only of the 19.4% of students that qualifies for extra time, then you’re likely going to be feeling a lot of time pressure within the exams.

By practising with past papers and following them to the designated time limit, you’re able to build up your exam stamina. Not only does this mean you can learn to concentrate for extended periods of time, but you’ll also be much more comfortable when writing quickly. Instead of having to think about what to write, this practice will help you get a leg up during your exams.

It’s always a good idea to replicate exam conditions as closely as possible. Past papers under timed conditions are just about as real as your practice sessions can feel.

Topic-Based Revision

Once you go through a past paper and mark your work, you’ll be able to find areas where you’re weakest. If you’re continually getting a question wrong that’s on a certain topic, then your past paper marks can actually point you toward areas where you should spend more time studying.

Instead of revising all your topics equally, you can instead focus on topic-based revision. Take a past paper, score yourself, and then focus on the areas that you found hardest. Maybe you got questions completely wrong, or just dropped a few marks here and there.

Whatever it is, use past papers to guide the rest of your revision. Whatever you struggle with most while sitting the past paper is where you should begin your revision. Use this as a complementary revision tactic, using it alongside your other preferred method of revising for your exams.

With these tips, you’ll be one of the students reaching the best grades in no time.

Source.

Final Thoughts

Using past papers is one of the most effective ways of preparing for your upcoming exams. When navigating through exams that previous years of students have had to sit, you can mentally and academically prepare yourself for success.

No matter what subject or level you’re currently working at, past papers are a leading revision strategy that you should turn to. If you want to push your learning even further, then couple your past paper studies with an online tutor. Working with an online tutor can help to further boost your grade, providing you with expert help throughout the revision process.

At TutorChase, our team of top tutors can guide you through your exams and help you come out with top grades. Be sure to reach out to our team to find the perfect tutor for you.