GCSE Biology Week 5 Exam Preparation Tips

Alright, so I just want to start off by saying well done for the last few weeks. For the hours of revision, for the blood, sweat and tears, and most importantly for putting up with me and my blog series! We’re so close to the end now, so treat yo’ self, grab a snack and settle down to read my last couple of tips.

Tip 1# Stay positive

I want to go back to one of my very first tips, which is changing our mindset about our biology exams. The reason for this is that as exams are right around the corner, we may be becoming stressed and feel like time is running out. It’s really easy to lose sight of the bigger picture amidst the chaos. These exams are a culmination of the past 2 or 3 years’ worth of work, trials and tribulations. It’s the perfect opportunity to show the examiners what you’ve got. All you need to do is try your best, and this will then lead to you achieving your best too. Have faith! No matter the outcome, the world isn’t going to end in a fiery ball of flames. While it can be really tough to stay positive when you’re feeling the pressure, letting your internal voice of doom run away with negative internal chatter is going to be a huge disturbance for you in the coming weeks. Try to nip these thoughts in the bud where you can by distracting yourself when you feel it getting on top of you.

Tip #2: Focus on post-exams

Now you may be thinking “Woah, woah, woah, we have just reached the start of exams and now this guy is talking about post-exams??? WHAT?” Well, post-exams are actually quite important to keep in mind.

Now by post-exams, I do not mean the bright light on the horizon where you can envision yourself lying on a beach or going on holiday. What I mean is reflecting on all the exams, mocks, practice questions, tests etc that you have taken throughout the year and learning from their outcomes.

Going back over your work, identifying the things you consistently got wrong and being self-reflective is a fantastic way to revise effectively, and will help you squeeze out a couple of extra marks.

What this looks like is having a look at the most recent round of practice questions you have done, finding the ones you got wrong, looking at the mark scheme and trying to figure out why you got it wrong, figure out how to fix the problem and BOOM, marks = saved. Identifying where you are currently losing marks and fixing the issue is a super time-efficient way to boost your grade.

Tip #3 Memorisation

Another good way to spend your time in the final day before the exam is just by topping up your memory as much as possible. The worst feeling in the world is being sat in an exam having a brain fart. Memorisation is not easy; I am not going to lie. . I have said this before, and I will say it again- FLASHCARDS! Trust me, they help A LOT, and for biology, it was my go-to revision technique. Ask your mum, dad, dog, sibling, random passer-by and bus driver (not while he’s driving mind you) to test you on your flashcards. No hints, no tips, if you get a card wrong, put it in a separate pile. When you’re done, pick up the ‘wrong’ pile and keep going over the cards until they join the ‘right’ programme. This is a great way to zoom in on your weak spots and fix them, getting you as many marks as possible before the exam!

I know, I know, flashcards aren’t for everyone, and if that is you, I have some tips for you too! Let’s look back at what works for you and try to change it up slightly.

· Walking around and then trying to memorise information- by keeping active while studying, you may be able to remember those keywords which can get easily forgotten in the exam

· Categorising your information in levels of difficulty and colour coding these. This will help in creating a revision plan and we tend to remember information easily when sequenced chronologically or with difficulty

· Breaking up your information into smaller chunks. A lot of times when trying to memorise paragraphs, we tend to only remember the first and last few words and forget the few important ones in the middle. Try breaking up the information into a list or sequence

Another helpful tip to overcome forgetfulness is to go back to the feedback which you received on your previous attempts. For instance, your teacher may have warned you to not mention a certain term or put in an important word.

Tip #4: Breath

Now other people taking other subjects may laugh at this tip. But we are BIOLOGISTS. We know that taking a few deep breaths increases the amount of oxygen going to our brains, calms us down and allows us to think more clearly. As you’re filling in the front of your exam paper take DEEP BREATHS to stop stress from getting on top of you.

Friends and folks, it is with a deep heart to say that our journey ends here. It has been a long ride which went by quickly, but I am so glad to have been part of your GCSE Biology journey! I wish you all the best for all your exams and have full faith that you will ace these!!

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