1. Revision techniques
Some ideas to help you revise in the
lead up to GCSE and A-Level exams
Mr D Drake 2013
Advanced Skills Teacher – Abbeyfield School
http://humanitiesastwiltshire.blogspot.com

2. Video your learning
Make a video to
summarise points and
record the learning
Use the RSA animate
style and a whiteboard
or large sheet of
paper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZvpF6gaGH4

3. Reduce, reduce, reduce
• Make notes from original notes
• Make notes from notes etc
• Each time, make notes on smaller piece of paper
• Emphasis on the process of summarising the
information, rather than the notes themselves
• Reduce to main points
Not enough to make notes and leave (repeat,
repeat, repeat) - making notes does not mean
copying out the book
• Reduce topic to a tweet!

4. Use your own environment
Write important words,
diagrams and phrases
on sticky notes or A4
sheets that can be
stuck where you see
them every day. On
your walls or doors...
anywhere will do.

5. Mind Mapping
• This is a powerful technique that allows you to make the
best use of your brain power.
• The Mind Mapping technique harnesses the full range of
your cortical skills, making you more productive and
creative.
Resources:
How to make a mind map
http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/make-mind-map.htm
Video tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLWV0XN7K1g

7. Pub quiz
• Create questions for friends
• Create teams of 2
• Have a round per free lesson/after school
and record scores on a leader board
• Successive rounds lead to a grand final
between highest scoring teams

8. Mnemonics
• Use mnemonics to help remember certain
patterns or sequences.
• A mnemonic is a way of helping you remember
information using abbreviations, words or
phrases.
• For example, to remember the colours of the
rainbow, you could use the mnemonic: Richard
of York Gave Battle In Vain, using the first letters
of each word to remember the colours Red,
Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

9. Learning journey
Pick a journey or story that
you know well – route to
school?
Associate an image with
places along the route in
order to remember key
information as a story

10. Picture it
Revision through
images
Working with a
partner. One of
you draws a key
word, whilst the
other one
guesses
(Pictionary)

11. Key terms – against the clock
Associate terms, images and definitions – create a crib
sheet to use in future (your own sorting exercise)
Repeating the process important
Do on computer, so you can reset each time
Repeat and aim to get faster each time

12. Geographers: Don’t forget the comprehensive revision materials
specially written for you here… Plus @AbbGeography on Twitter

13. Revision techniques
Some ideas to help you revise in the
lead up to GCSE and A-Level exams
Mr D Drake 2013
Advanced Skills Teacher – Abbeyfield School
http://humanitiesastwiltshire.blogspot.com