Have you noticed that GCSE literature texts seem to swallow up so much lesson time in your first GCSE year? With everything on your plate, it’s fairly typical to reach year 11 feeling totally overwhelmed by what you seem to have FORGOTTEN!
As the dreaded mocks approach, questions such as ‘Who is Macbeth again..?’ and ‘Are you sure we studied all those poems?’ might surface. Complete nightmare – or at least it feels like it. So where do you start?
Get practical
- First calm down to keep a clear head. Mock exams often focus on just one of the Literature papers and one Language. That means you don’t need to revise everything for the short term! Hurrah..
- Go on a mission to discover which texts you are actually going to be tested on in forthcoming mocks or tests.
- Once you have narrowed them down, then your next plan of action must be to familiarise yourself with them again. So if there’s a film, watch it. If you can access an audiobook, listen to it. There is no getting away from the fact that you need to read the texts.
- Check out YouTube for teachers’ podcasts on the set texts. Re-read those anthology poems to re-focus your mind on the range of texts, and do a bit of groundwork understanding the context – the big picture.
- Once you feel comfortable with the basics, then head online to sniff out your exam board website to download a paper and mark scheme, or ask your teachers for practice papers. This is essential, as you will have insight into what the examiners are looking for. It can help to do a practice paper so that you can assess where your skills are and which bits you need to revise. Once you know this, you can really knuckle down.
- To remember key character info, quotes and themes, why not create your own mind-maps or flashcards? Get your mates together to do a quiz… I know, I know.. But it does work! Quick recall is a key revision technique.
- Test yourself on the go with revision apps. QuoteMaster is fab, by the way. And it’s free!
- Test, learn, repeat is a great revision model. Try it…
Get an experienced GCSE tutor to help
If you get your brain cells in a knot or stuck on that one topic or text, it makes sense to arrange a spot of home tuition so that you make better use of time.
After all, English tutors know your texts inside out and can help you develop the right approach to answering questions successfully.
Give us a shout if you need someone to help out. As well as our popular local Cheshire and Manchester tutors, we might also be able to offer some fab online tutors too.
Tags: anthology poems revision, GCSE tutors, Gojimo revision, mock exam prep