“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” Benjamin Franklin
Planning & Preparing for Exams
We all recognise that exams are a stressful but very important time. We also believe that by following some simple rules anyone can be successful in their exams.
In simple terms students need to:
- Plan their time
- Create a suitable place to work
- Plan WHAT to learn
- Plan HOW they will learn
- Make sure they build time for rest into their exam planners and revision timetables
Planning time and useful hints
We will work with students to make sure they have the tools they need to succeed with revision through a planned programme of events at school.
Other useful hints for planning revision time include:
- When creating a revision timetable the key is to be honest and realistic. Build in time to rest, in addition to mapping out the time that will be spent on subject content.
- Start early. Revision is reinforcing old knowledge, not learning anything new.
- Throughout your time at Barlby High get into best practice. Do homework at set times, meet all deadlines.
- Plan from your exams and work backwards, build in birthdays etc. Be realistic.
- Find an appropriate place to work – ensure that you have somewhere quiet, calm and comfortable. If you struggle with this at home, see your Head of Year for help and support.
- Make sure you have a flat surface to work on. Beds just do not work!
- Make sure you have good lighting. You need to be able to see!
- Get in to a work routine – all homework needs to be completed in these conditions. Get into best practice routines.
Plan what you will learn
- There is no point revising what you already know really well and can apply. Work out what you need to know, and what you don’t know. This is what you must concentrate on.
- Test yourself to establish how well you know something. Traffic light it:
- Green – I know it and can apply it
- Amber – I mostly know it but struggle to explain it
- Red – No idea!
Plan how you will learn
Remember that everyone learns in different ways. Some of the following everyone MUST do but some suit only some people and subjects. Try different methods but remember you need to learn a topic and be able to explain it.
- Make notes and summarise content
- Flash cards
- Mindmaps
- Quizzes
- Past exam papers
- Testing yourself with your friends
Resources for Year 11 Parents
As your child has now moved into their final year at Barlby High School, we’ve put together some key information to help them prepare for revision, examinations and make informed choices about their post-16 education. We will be adding to these resources throughout the academic year so please keep checking back.
If you have any specific queries relating to your child’s final year at Barlby High School, you can drop us a line via hello@bhs.hlt.academy
