With January just around the corner, both A-level and GCSE students will be getting ready to face mocks, many for the first time. In this blog we cover the importance of mock exams and what you can do to effectively prepare for them.
Why do schools utilise mocks?
Mocks are useful for many reasons:
Preparation: Mocks are an incredible way to help students learn how to effectively prepare for exams. For GCSE students they will often be the first formal exams they will sit. This comes with a far stricter exam environment as well as a lot more stress. Students will get a taste of how to effectively revise in order to perform well.
Experience: Exam halls and conditions can create a stressful environment for many students. Having that experience of being in the setting where you’ll sit your GCSEs can be invaluable as part of the preparation for the real tests.
Time management: Being in timed test conditions will help students develop their skill of time management – it will help them avoid running out of time or missing questions in the future.
Exam practise: Exam questions are often different to the style many students will be familiar with from their textbooks. Mocks give students the opportunity to see and practise exam style questions.
How can you best prepare for mock exams:
Revise: Revision is a fundamental part of the preparation process for all forms of exam. To effectively revise, students should review their notes for each course and make sure they are familiar with content. There are many ways to do this, examples include:
- Flashcards
- Spider diagrams
- Creating concise notes
- Watch YouTube videos
- Get tuition
- Do past paper questions/textbook questions
- Make PowerPoint presentations
This is by no means a definitive list and there are many more methods you could use to get ready for exams.
Questions, questions, questions: This one is so important we had to repeat it three times. If you’re not doing past paper/textbook questions, you’re not preparing well enough. The more you do past paper questions the better prepared you’ll be for actual paper questions.
Research: Often it can be useful to research what topics come up very frequently in exams, and also what topics make up the larger mark questions. For example, in the maths A level you can be sure that a question on trigonometry will come up. This is important as it can help you target the topics that need extra attention.
The specification: Each exam for each exam board has a specification that can be found online. Just search “Subject, exam board, specification” into Google and you’ll find what you’re looking for. The specification is vital for exams. It tells your every bit of content you need to know for each paper, and also the structure of your exams. If you know everything in the specification, you know everything that will come up on the paper.
Sleep: This one is so important! Staying both physically and mentally healthy is of huge importance during exam seasons. Look after yourself and you’ll be okay!
For those of you taking mock exams soon, our tutors at Students First wish you the best of luck. If you ever need help or support then feel free to contact us and we’ll do everything we can to help you reach your goals!
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