A-Level Chemistry Week 5 Exam Preparation Tips

TLDR: almost there! Make sure you are mentally and physically prepared and trust the work you’ve done so far.

Not long to go! In the final “leg of the race” it is more important than ever to look after your mental and physical health. There’s only so much good that cramming can do and at this point, you can’t afford to burn out or be too tired to let all the good work you’ve done go to waste. As a cautionary tale, I have a friend who was preparing for their A-level by pulling an all nightery and cramming for the days running up to the exam. On the day, they opened the exam paper and answered the first question confidently, they were so relieved that their cramming paid off, that they rested their eyes for a second and fell asleep for the rest of the exam. Judging by how easily I found this meme, this has happened to quite a few people. Don't let this be you!

I’m sure you’ve heard your teachers talk about the importance of a good night’s sleep, ensuring you are hydrated for the exam, staying active and socializing, and generally keeping balance in your life. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am recommending the same. To hammer at home, even more, these are all methods that are scientifically proven to help you on the day of your exam. Not to mention, it makes the whole exam season go a whole lot smoother and feel less of a chore (as exam seasons often do).

Here are some questions to ask to structure the last part of your revision and preparation for the big day:

- What mistakes do you always seem to make? Everyone has one or two things that come up, again and again, that trip them up every time. One of mine was (and sometimes still is) differentiating between displayed and structural formulae. Clock where these points are for you and spend some time trying to iron them out. If you’ve been using the same flashcard to learn it and it hasn’t been working, try making a new one and changing the way you present the information. Experiment with a different way of learning and remembering the point.

- Is this worth worrying about? Don’t sweat the little stuff! If there is one pesky point on the specification that you just cannot get, it might be worth making a tactical decision to accept that if it comes up, you’ll probably lose out on the mark. In an ideal world, we’d learn everything perfectly inside out, but if there’s a choice between (a) staying up until 3am the night before an exam to try to understand a point one last time or (b) getting an early night and going into the exam fresh, I’m taking option b.

- What process am I going to follow in the exam? This is as much about content as it is about exam technique. If a question comes up that completely stumps you, are you ready to stay calm and leave it to come back to later? Make sure you know how much time the exam allocates, and what topics are being assessed in each one so that you don’t get any horrible surprises on the day.

- What am I worried about the most? Feeling stressed and anxious about exams, especially exams as important as you’re A-levels, is perfectly normal, but there are ways to alleviate these feelings and help you feel calm and empowered for when you go into that exam hall. Try and identify what you feel stressed about. Is it a particular type of question you always find difficult? Do you feel like you have tunnel vision and are struggling to focus? Are you worried about missing your alarm? Whatever it is, you can take steps to regain control and alleviate your worry. If you’re worried about content, have a look back at questions you’ve done, and elements that have gained or lost your marks in the past. If you feel burnt out, maybe meet up with a friend and talk about something completely unrelated to work or go for a run. If you’re worried about missing your alarm, make sure your phone is fully charged and you have a sufficient number of alarms set (3 always feels like a safe number to me).

Finally, trust the work you have done over the last two years – it will pay off! Look after your sleep, keep seeing friends and doing things you enjoy. Good luck!

Have any questions about how to prepare for your A-Level exams? Having problems with any hard to understand content or tricky past exam questions? Then ask Martha. Martha will be hosting a series of Q&A webinars in the 2 weeks before final exams. Post your questions here, and Martha will answer them in these sessions.