Introduction Preparing for revision

Preparation and practice are essential for success in your exam. There is no single best way to revise for an exam but you do need to adopt an organised approach. For example, timetable the work according to how much time you have and find out about the format of the exam. This section will help you figure out how to approach your revision.

Everyone revises differently and the techniques you use depend partly on what it is you're studying. However, the same principles apply to all subject areas. Rather than simply throwing yourself in and re-reading your materials, try to adopt a strategic approach to your revision. The main principles are as follows.

• Know what to expect - look at the specimen paper on your module website. This will help you to understand the exam format, how many questions you’ll have to answer and whether any of them are compulsory.
• Check for gaps in your knowledge - review your own knowledge and understanding. Decide which topics you might need to revise intensively and which you need to review only briefly.
• Create a timetable - look at how much time you have available and create a timetable. Plan ahead to fit your revision around your work and domestic life.

Then do the work! Remember, it's less stressful to actually do some revision than it is to think about doing it.

Reviewing your study notes and working out which topics might require more detailed revision work is an important part of the revision process.

To get started with revision I normally revisit my notes, from the course. I'll check if there's any area that I haven't made a lot of notes, if any perhaps. Or the areas where I have got copious notes I'll start to cut them down, and so you end up with a smaller volume of the more specific points.

Ged, OU student