Some of you asked me to write a post about the revision style that I followed, so here you go:

Two to three months before the exams: 

1. Add to your revision notes – fill any gaps and improve the notes you have.
2. Make your notes easy to read – add colours and illustrations
3. Make sure you understand the specification – how many questions, marks, timings etc.
4. Get hold of as many past papers/questions as possible (old spec: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/as-and-a-level/sociology-2190/past-papers-and-mark-schemes; new spec – http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/as-and-a-level/sociology-7191-7192/assessment-resources)
5. Create revision cards/tables/mindmaps
6. Begin to write some practice essays – they don’t need to be timed and you can use your notes

Around four to six weeks before the exams:

Now your notes are perfect, you can start to revise intensively:

1. Exam answers – write a timed answer – then check the answer against your notes/textbook etc – highlight A01 and A02 in different colours – in another colour write down anything that you have missed/any improvements – self mark – email to me and I can mark it – if I give it a mark you are happy with, tick the question so you know you don’t need to write another answer, if it is a low mark, make a note of it so that you re-revise this topic and potentially write another answer or at least a plan.
2. A quick way to cover a lot of questions is to create plans for them. In the first instance, take your time and use your notes to create a really good plan. You will then use these plans later to check timed plans against
3. Anything that you are weak on – keep using the revision cards with friends/family to check knowledge – just make sure that you write a list of things that you are not so good at – remember, the aim is to identify what you don’t know, so that you can make sure you revise it!

Two weeks to go:

1. Keep writing timed exam answers, maybe complete a full timed mock paper – self mark it – then email me
2. Because you have less time now, start to complete some spoken essays. Choose a question, then plan it (in 4 minutes max), then record yourself speaking through the entire essay – make sure you speak exactly as you write. Listen back to it and list anything that you have missed.
3. Try and create your own exam style questions – this will really get you to think about what might come up

One week to go:

1. You should be feeling pretty confident now…hopefully the list of what you are not so confident about should be a lot shorter – use the revision cards to keep working on those weak areas
2. Write timed plans for your made up questions – check them afterwards and with another pen, add anything you may have missed
3. Create a one sided A4 sheet with the key information for the exam – how many questions, how many marks, how many minutes for each question. Also, identify your main targets: always link back to the question; try to apply ideas to the UK etc…
4. Have a flick through all your essays and plans – read the question and state what you would answer, then quickly check to see if you have thought of everything…
5. Be confident – you are ready!