Exams and revision. Two words that are familiar to students, but some find it easier to revise than others do. Is this because of ability or resources? The answer lies with one simple word: strategy. Thanks to this event organised by Sally Thorpe from City’s Academic Skills Team, Abinesh Jasetharan is here to share with you multisensory and effective ways to revise for exams.

Revision aims for exams

Sally started the presentation with personal revision aims, where she discussed using past student goals, as to how this can differ between students. She explained that students can use module-learning outcomes, lecture topics, and past exam questions in order to focus the revision on key areas which will be assessed in the examination.

Focus during revision

Sally then asked a question to the audience about our focus levels during the revision period. Majority of the audience described that they felt the most attentive during the beginning and middle of their revision. A few mentioned that it was near the end. This led on to Sally highlighting different methods that students could do in order to increase their focus over a longer period. One such method included the use of the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that includes a period of 25 minute focused work followed by a 5-minute break. After four of these cycles, students can take a 15 to 30 minute break. Sally explained that when students follow this technique and consistently include regular breaks, the revision would be more effective as it could help with sustained focus and productivity levels throughout the day.

Revision time

Sally then opened the next topic with another question to the audience about the time of the day that they prefer to start revision. Majority of the responses were between morning and afternoon, with a few students describing that there was a lack of motivation in the morning. This then led to Sally teaching different ways to kick-start our revision if our motivation was low. Walking or any physical activity, getting fresh air, taking breaks and listening to podcasts on walks were all some excellent suggestions brought by Sally and some audience members.

Revision ideas

The next topic included various effective revision ideas for students. Sally explained that students could use flexible timetables, where if one day does not go to plan, students could do more the next day. Other interesting tips included dividing the day into three parts: morning, afternoon and evening. Sally emphasised that studies have shown that it is effective to study for no more than two of the three parts. Alongside individual revision, working with other classmates or friends in a group setting can create an effective revision strategy, as a discussion into a difficult topic can help others to learn from each other.

Revision techniques

Sally then went on to describe different stimulating revising techniques to match with an effective assessment strategy. One such technique mentioned was the use of summary mind maps, as it would not only allow for an overview of a difficult topic but would also help a student to find connections between different topic areas. Sally also added that the use of colours in notes and mind maps could further help to increase memory and focus. Another popular technique amongst previous students was the use of summary flow charts, which can be particularly helpful with closed book essay examinations and planning.

Assessment strategy

As Sally previously mentioned, an effective assessment strategy is crucial for success along with revision techniques. She provided tips such as making a timetable for different exams, planning time management for each question and practicing to write exams under timed conditions. For tips to follow in the exam, making a rough plan before beginning the question, especially for essays, can be very helpful with recall of prior revision.

Analysis of an essay

Sally then presented an example essay extract to a question given previously. She helped the audience to identify the effectiveness of the student’s response as they used a good reference technique and a well-written introduction. However, the student failed to define the second part of the question and so lost marks in that aspect. They also did not include enough depth or analysis to their answer, which would bring their marks down. Analysing this answer allowed the audience to understand how to improve their own revision/assessment strategy by learning from the key mistakes.

Many thanks to Abinesh for putting together this helpful review of Sally’s session. Abinesh Jasetharan is a current GDL student with an interest in commercial law and hopes to practice as a solicitor into this field in the future. He is a member of the 2024-25 Lawbore Journalist Team.