Y10 Mock Exams 2017 Preparing for your GCSEs

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1 Y10 Mock Exams 2017 Preparing for your GCSEs Thursday 6 th April 2017

2 Why are my grades important? Whether you like it or not. Whether you know what career you want to go in to. The simple fact is. You are in education or training until you are 18, therefore. The better your grades the better your opportunities post 16 Don t settle for anything else!!!!

3 Why are we doing mocks? Completing your Mocks will give yourself and us the clearest picture of where you currently are in terms of your progress From this we will know your strengths and areas to further develop They may also be used to consider your grouping and if you ll study higher or foundation They may also be used when you apply for post 16 provision

4 What we are doing to help? Over the next several weeks we are going to assist you during form time so you are fully prepared for your mocks This will include: Helping you complete an action plan for each subject that will help you prepare for your mocks Helping you complete a revision timetable to help you plan your revision Providing you information on how to revise for your exams Helping you complete an exam debrief and identifying mistakes in your exams so you know how to further develop for your exams next academic year

5 Timeline 4 weeks before 3 weeks before Exam planner All notes up to date Revision timetable Revise notes and additional information 1 week before Past papers Mock exams 1 week after 2 weeks after Mock Exam Debrief Identifying mistakes

6 4 weeks before Mocks Monday to Thursday In your pack is a blank action plan for each subject (there is also an example for your consideration) For each of your subjects you need to start planning what you need to do to help in your preparation Make sure your first task for every subject is to ensure all notes are up to date (if you ve missed work speak to your teacher/friend to make sure you ve got everything for your revision All your planning doesn t have to be completed today, you can add as you continue your preparation Monday = Maths Tuesday = English Wednesday = Options Thursday = Assembly Friday = Easter

7 4 weeks before Mocks Wednesday & Thursday (revision techniques and timetable) In your pack is a blank revision timetable Complete the first two week that will take you through Easter Use the information your form tutor will go through with you to help

8 1 week before Mocks and during the exam period Past papers and final preparation It is proven that past papers can have a positive outcome on exam performance Throughout your final preparation, go through as many past papers in your subjects as possible (make sure they are the correct exam board) Past papers can be found on the exam board s website You can also find the Mark Scheme for each exam use these as well! If you are not going through exam papers during form time, you will need to bring in revision material for the subjects you have upcoming exams in

9 Preparing for your exams The following are a guideline to help you prepare for your upcoming exams: Revision timetable Knowing your exams Past papers Revision techniques

10 Effective revision It is important that you start early and plan your success out You will be provided a booklet which goes in greater depth on revision and planning for success, however, here are the top five tips for effective revision: 1. Make sure you have created a revision timetable 2. Make sure you have all you notes, books, materials you need before you start revising 3. Make sure you have a quiet area to revise in, where possible where you can can t be disturbed (make it comfortable, but not too comfortable!) 4. It is recommended you revise for at least two hours of an evening and at least six hours of a weekend 5. Make sure you have regular breaks and relaxation

11 Revision timetable Building a revision timetable can add structure to your revision and help you identify which GCSE subjects you need to prioritise to get better marks. Creating a revision timetable is a great way to organise your study time, plus it also helps boost your motivation to revise for your exams. Recognising a need for a revision timetable means that you have already made a great start to combat exam stress. We recommend students revise for at least two hours of an evening and at least six hours at a weekend (this should increase to six hours on days of study leave) Plan to cover each subject several time and plan to revisit them close to their exam Break revision in to small chunks with regular breaks (we recommend no more than one hour per subject) Plan to revise specific topics in each subject Revision considers: All types of revision Attending homework club Specific form time activities

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13 Know your exams Every exam is different and you will face many different type of formats: Multiple choice Short answers Long answers Essays Data analysis and interpretation Listening and speaking Questions based from a scenario It is essential you know what each test will look like (this way you ll be able to revise not just the topics but also how to write your answers) Ask all your subject teachers how the questions will look in your exams Check past papers for ideas and examples It is also important to know how long your exam will be and you work out how long you need to spend on each question (you can practice this using past papers and a stopwatch to time yourself)

14 Past papers It has been scientifically proven that completing past papers can improve student grades Find out what board your exam is and check out past papers from their websites Where possible put yourself in settings similar to exam conditions: On your own at a desk Not to be disturbed Give yourself the same time as in the exam (or even less to practice completing the paper within the time limits) Once completed, find the answer paper on the exam board s website and check your answers (reflecting on your answers is an excellent way of securing your knowledge)

15 Revision techniques There are numerous techniques you can use to help you revise and remember: Postcards Collaborate with classmates Using VAK Watching videos/documentaries Mind maps Revision booklets

16 Postcards Use postcards to put down the most important points on a topic area Key dates and events Key names List associated with topic areas Use different colours to make them stand out (highlight key points) Keep you notes short and to the point

17 Collaborate with classmates Revising can become tedious so spice it us and invite your friends round for a revision session It is important that your revision timetables match so plan in advance Consider the format of the exam and work to that e.g. give each other multiple choice questions to mimic the GCSE PE section on MCQs Take it in turn asking your friends questions about a specific topic and respond to their answer (feedback is not just important to them but also helps secure your knowledge) Make the session fun by finishing with some food or watch a DVD Take it in turns teaching each other a topic area (this is another great way of securing your knowledge) Just make sure the time spent is productive (leave mobile phone etc. in another room)

18 Mind maps Mind maps are a great way to remember ideas by connecting them together You can make them as simple or as elaborate as you like and you will remember They help you memorise information quickly and easily

19 Using VAK There is no single type of VAK that people learn better with Everyone reacts differently to different teaching methods, some people react better to visual items, some react better when they have to listen to instruction and some people learn better when they have to try something and figure it out What s important is you know what best for you and link this to your revision Is you prefer visual things then make your mind maps and revision notes as visual as possible with diagrams etc.

20 Watching videos or documentaries Reading text books is an excellent way of gaining new knowledge and securing acquired knowledge, however, concentrating on one type of material can lead to boredom Try and use as many different types of sources to keep your interest Watching films and documentaries can be an excellent way of gaining new knowledge or seeing aspects from a different viewpoint Try sources such as: YouTube BBC Bitesize Documentary channels on sky/freeview/virgin Film related to your subject (e.g. Schindler s list for history) or ask your subject teachers for information

21 Revision booklets Revision booklets can be an excellent revision tool They condense all the relevant information into small chunks They also show the information in a variety of ways to keep the interest of the student If you considering purchasing a revision booklet: Make sure they relate to the exam board you are studying See if any of your friends have any (past or current students) as they can be costly Speak to your subject teachers as the school sell some excellent revision booklets Don t just rely on these, they are not substitutes for your textbooks or notes

22 Y10 Mock Exams start Tuesday 2 nd May 2017 Don t let this opportunity slip away Get prepared now and give yourself the best opportunities for next year