Best Ways to Revise for GCSE: 16 Revision Techniques

Looking at those piles of GCSE notes and textbooks, wondering where to start with your revision? You’re in the right place!

Here, we’ll look at some of the best ways to revise for GCSE – from finding the best methods for your learning style, to 16 tried and tested revision techniques to enhance your learning.

What’s the best way to revise for GCSEs?

Contrary to what you might think, there’s no one ‘best way’ to revise for your GCSEs.

Rather, the best revision techniques for you will all depend on your learning style and skill set, as well as what subject you’re revising for!

With that in mind, we’d always recommend taking some time to work out your learning style, before trying a range of different revision techniques to find those that work best for you.

As an example, if you’re a visual learner, techniques like mind maps and diagrams could be your best friend.

Meanwhile, if you’re an auditory learner, reading your revision notes aloud – or even recording them and listening to them back – could transform the way you study.

Head over to our guide on different learning styles to get a clearer picture of what kind of learner you are – and then try a range of different methods to find those that you click with. Which brings us onto…

16 Effective ways to revise for GCSE

Every learner is different. So, the best way to revise for GCSE is all about which methods and techniques work best for you.

That said, here’s a range of tried and tested revision techniques that have been recommended by experts. Give some a try to see which methods you click with.

Top tip: You don’t need to choose just one or two revision techniques. Mixing up the ways you revise for GCSE can help to keep your revision engaging!

1. Regularly complete past papers

Past papers are one of the only methods we tend to recommend for all types of learners.

Why?

Well, they can give you a really clear picture of where you’re at in your learning.

By combing through your completed papers, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses, before focusing your revision on those topics or areas that need it most.

Other benefits of past papers include:

Familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing
Allow you to practise managing your time
Give you valuable practice structuring essay-style answers
Get you used to dealing with exam pressure
Boost your confidence for the big day

You can download tons of past papers for each subject and exam board right here on the Tutorful website!

“I would always favour past paper revision over staring into textbooks.

“Seeing how concepts are applied in question form can be very useful. However, this can differ for some students.”

– Matthew B, Maths and English GCSE tutor

2. Make mind maps

Mind maps can be a super versatile revision tool – especially for visual learners.

Here are a few ways you can use them to enhance your learning:

Draw a mind map at the start of each topic, so you know what you need to revise and can tick off what you’ve done
Once you’ve finished learning content about a topic, make a mind map to summarise what you’ve learned – then, spend extra time revising anything you left off
Practice forming arguments for subjects like history by creating a mind map with your theory in the centre and all the supporting evidence you can think of around the edge

Top tip: Colour code your mind map to help you visualise information more easily!

3. Use flash cards

Flash cards can help you to memorise important pieces of information – like facts, dates, stats or formulae.

Although you can find flashcards online, we always recommend creating your own.

This is because the process of creating them can be a fantastic revision exercise in itself!

There are a couple of different ways you could try laying them out:

Write the topic and sub-topic on the front, and summarise the key points you need to know on the back
Write a short question (eg. from a past paper) on the front, and the answer on the back

Now, all that remains is to go through your flash cards and test yourself – or, give them to a friend or family member and ask them to test you instead!

4. Stick up post-it notes

Looking for a way to help you memorise key bits of information – like quotes in GCSE English Literature, key vocabulary in GCSE Spanish, or formulae in GCSE Science?

Post-it notes could be the answer. Especially if you’re a visual learner!

Write the info you need to memorise on colour-coded post-its and stick them in places where you’ll see them on a regular basis – like the bathroom mirror.

By seeing them again and again, this can help the information to stick.

5. Draw diagrams

Drawing diagrams can be a fantastic form of active revision.

For instance, if you’re revising for GCSE Biology, you could draw out the water cycle and then label it to explain what’s happening.

Or, if you’re revising for your RS GCSE, you could create a Venn diagram to help you compare the similarities and differences between religious beliefs and practices within a topic – for instance, comparing the Church of England to Roman Catholics.

This can help you to recall information. Plus, once you’ve created your diagram, you have another helpful revision tool that you could stick up on your wall and refer to!

6. Record your notes and listen to them back

Revising doesn’t have to mean being sat down at a desk.

Many learners like to record their revision notes so they can listen to them back while they’re doing other things – whether that’s driving in the car or just doing the washing up!

This can be especially helpful for auditory learners who learn best through listening.

Repeatedly listening to the information you need to remember can really help to cement it in your mind.

7. Look, say, cover, write, check

Some learners learn by writing, while others learn by listening or speaking.

This technique uses both, to really solidify information in your mind.

Learn a key piece of information from your textbook or revision notes
Cover it over
Say it out loud
Write it down
Check it
Repeat until you get it spot-on!

8. Speak it back in your own words

This one is a good extension of the ‘look, say, cover, write, check’ technique.

Lots of learners memorise content from textbooks or revision notes by repeating it back – whether that’s speaking it aloud or writing it down.

However, it’s important to make sure you fully understand it – rather than just learning it word-for-word.

Paraphrasing the content you’ve learned in your own words is a valuable exercise and will help you to check that you really do ‘get it.’

9. Explore different revision resources

Your GCSE textbook and notes aren’t the only tools you can rely on when it comes to revision.

In fact, there are tons of different resources available to help you revise for your GCSEs – such as:

Revision guides
YouTube channels
Podcasts
Revision apps
Revision websites (like BBC Bitesize)

Using a range of different resources can make your revision more engaging – which can help you to maintain motivation throughout the revision period.

A GCSE tutor will also be able to point you towards the best revision resources for your learning style.

Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.

10. Teach someone else

Ever considered teaching someone else the content you’ve just learned?

No, it doesn’t have to be someone revising for their GCSEs – any friend or family member will do.

Teaching someone else can help to boost your confidence on a topic. Plus, it’s a great test of how well you understand the material.

After all, if you can’t get your student to understand the concept you’re teaching them, you probably don’t know it well enough yourself yet!

11. Stick up questions from past papers

This one is a good trick to help you develop arguments for longer essay-style questions.

Stick up questions from past papers around the room, in large print. Then, each time your glance settles on one, take some time to think about possible arguments.

You could even add post-it notes with examples and quotes that support your arguments to each one.

12. Try sorting and organising

Sorting or organising tasks can be a fun and practical way to test your ability to recall information.

For instance, if you’re revising for GCSE History, you could place events on different cards and jumble them up, before trying to put them in the right order to create a timeline.

Or, if you’re revising for GCSE French, you could print out key nouns from your vocab list without the articles (le or la) – and sort them into feminine and masculine, to practise getting the right gender.

13. Form a study group

Revising can be lonely – so, why not form a study group?

It could be a great way to boost your productivity and gain some accountability – especially if your motivation is starting to slip.

Plus, you’ll be able to help each other to grasp any concepts you’re struggling with.

We think that study groups are especially useful for subjects where there isn’t always one right answer – like English literature.

By discussing potential responses to various texts and exam questions, you can gain different perspectives and ideas to use in your exam essay answers.

Top tip: Choose your study mates wisely – the last thing you need is someone who’ll distract you!

14. Make up songs and mnemonics

When it comes to helping you remember nuggets of information, you do you!

Clever tricks like mnemonics or even making up songs might seem silly, but if they help to jog your memory in the exam room, that’s what’s important!

As an example, you might have heard the mnemonic ‘PEE’ to encourage you to use a ‘point, evidence, explain’ structure in your answers in English literature.

Or, you might have come across the mnemonic ‘FOIL’ to help you remember expanding quadratics in GCSE Maths (first, outer, inner, last).

But making up your own mnemonics can help the info to stick even better!

15. Adapt your favourite board games

Who said that revision can’t be fun?!

If you need to inject a bit of life into your revision, consider adapting one of your favourite board games to make it a revision tool.

For instance, you could swap out the original cards for questions about the subject you’re revising that day.

Play it with friends who are also studying for their GCSEs for a lively study group activity!

16. Keep a checklist

Last but not least, we would always recommend keeping a log of what you feel you’ve achieved.

This can be as simple as just ticking topics off a checklist.

Not only will it help you to make sure you’ve covered everything you need to before exam day, but it’ll also increase your motivation by allowing you to see how far you’ve come!

Head over to our guide on how to revise for GCSEs for lots more tips and tricks to help you start your revision off on the right foot.

Get an expert’s help revising for your GCSEs

Revision is key if you want to improve your GCSE grades and reach your full potential in the exams.

But you don’t have to do it alone!

A GCSE tutor will have the tools, knowledge and experience needed to motivate you, boost your confidence and help you achieve the grades you’re after.

From tailor-made plans to practice exams, they’ll give you the one-to-one attention and dedicated time you won’t usually get at school, to ensure you get the grades you’re aiming for!

Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.

FAQs

What is the most effective way to revise GCSE?

The most effective way to revise for GCSE is often to complete a past paper to identify your strengths and weaknesses, before using your preferred revision techniques to work on those areas that need the most improvement.

However, the best revision techniques for you will depend on your learning style – as well as which subjects you’re studying.

Check out our subject-specific revision guides for more tips and tricks for revising popular subjects:

How many hours a day should you revise for GCSE?

Ideally, we’d recommend revising for no more than 4 hours a day for your GCSEs. However, in order to make this possible, you’ll need to start early!

How do I start revising for my GCSEs?

If you’re wondering how to start revising for your GCSEs, follow these simple steps:

Print off your exam board’s specifications for your subjects
Create a revision timetable
Set up a distraction-free study space
Attempt past papers
Use a range of revision techniques

For more tips on starting your GCSE revision, head over to our guide on how to revise for GCSEs.

How to get all 9s in GCSE?

Follow these steps to get all 9s in your GCSEs:

Start revising early
Make sure you understand every topic inside out
Ask for help if there’s anything you’re struggling with
Regularly set goals for improvement in each subject
Keep attempting past papers until you consistently get 9s

A GCSE tutor can also help you reach your goals with tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths and weaknesses.

Browse handpicked GCSE tutors

Browse expert, vetted tutors, message for free, and book instantly.

Best ways to revise for GCSE: 16 tried and tested revision techniques