History GCSE approaching?
There’s a lot of material to learn and tons of skills to hone. But it’s totally possible to ace your History GCSE with the right approach to revision.
Here’s how to revise for GCSE History to give yourself the best possible chance of passing with flying colours and getting that 9!
Psst! Our History GCSE tutors are experts at bringing their subject to life and helping learners to boost their grades – start your search today.
How to revise for History GCSE: 8 expert tips
Looking at your GCSE History revision notes and textbook, wondering where to start?
These top tips will help you to start your revision off on the right foot.
1. Start now!
It’s never too soon to start your History GCSE revision. In fact, the sooner you begin revising, the more time you’ll have to get comfortable with all the different aspects of this demanding subject.
An easy way to start is to take 10 minutes after each history lesson to go over what you’ve learned in class.
Read through your notes, check you understand it all and maybe even try out a couple of practice questions.
This can save you lots of time later down the road. Plus, it’s a great way of spotting any areas where you could do with some extra help before you head off on study leave!
2. Create a detailed revision timetable
A revision timetable can help you to keep your revision on track.
You’ll be able to make sure you’re dividing your time up fairly between all subjects and topics – and you’ll also be able to stress less knowing you have every topic covered.
Check your exam schedule, calculate how much time you have to study and decide which subjects and topics you need to spend the most time on.
Then, allocate time to each subject and topic.
When it comes to your GCSE History revision, colour coding can be a useful way to differentiate between different papers and time periods.
Oh, and don’t forget to schedule in regular breaks! Which brings us onto…
3. Pace yourself
There’s only so much a brain can assimilate in a day.
So, try not to cram.
Instead, divide your revision up into manageable chunks, schedule in plenty of breaks and get plenty of fresh air and exercise.
Plus, plan things to look forward to so that you can get a well-earned break from your desk.
Revising little and often is typically the best way to help material to stick – and to avoid burning out.
“I would say don’t cram, take 20-minute study sessions then take a break. Look after yourself and try to stick to regular bedtimes, no computers late at night etc.
“Get some fresh air and exercise to help with pent-up energy or nerves too.”
– Katherine R, English and History tutor
4. Cover every topic
There’s a lot of information to memorise when it comes to your History GCSE.
In fact, around 70% of the marks available in your GCSE History exams will be awarded for knowledge and understanding.
With that in mind, it’s really important that you cover every topic and get comfortable with everything you could face in the exam room.
Check your exam board’s specification to see exactly what could come up in each paper.
And use different revision techniques to help you memorise facts and information. We’ll cover some of these a bit later!
5. Get your head around dates and chronology
To succeed in your GCSE History exams, you’ll need to know key dates and understand what order things happened in.
You’ll also have to understand the connection between different events.
With this in mind, spend time trying to memorise the chronology of events, and to understand how they link together.
Some useful ways to do this include creating basic timelines – or even writing down key events on post-it notes, mixing them up, and then trying to put them in the right order. Practice makes perfect!
6. Go beyond the facts
Lots of learners make the mistake of thinking that if they show they know enough facts, they’ll ace the GCSE History exam.
But that’s not quite how it works.
Yes, you’ll need to know the raw data – like facts, dates and events. But you’ll also need to use this data to develop your own arguments.
So, instead of letting your answers in the exam become a knowledge dump, think about your argument first and foremost. Then, use your knowledge as evidence to support why you think the way you do.
Not only will this help to make sure you actually answer the question, but it will also be a lot more interesting for the examiner to read!
7. Regularly complete GCSE History past papers
Practice makes perfect!
No matter what kind of learner you are, completing past papers and practice tests can be a huge boost to your revision.
They can…
- 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 answers
- Get you used to dealing with exam pressure
- Boost your confidence for the big day
- Reveal where you’re at in your learning
After completing a past paper, mock exam or practice test, always go through it to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses.
This way, you can tweak your revision schedule to focus on those areas that need it most.
8. Find a tutor
Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness!
If there’s anything you don’t quite ‘get’ – or you want your own personal cheerleader to help you prepare for your exams – a GCSE History tutor will be your best friend.
They’re experts in bringing their subject to life and will be able to explain difficult concepts in a way that clicks for you.
With tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, it’s a fantastic way to improve your grades.
In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade – and many improve by even more!
10 GCSE History revision techniques to try
Every student is different. So, it’s important to figure out your learning style and use the revision techniques that suit you best.
It can also be handy to mix up your revision techniques from time to time, to keep you engaged and prevent your revision from getting stale.
Here are some techniques that can be particularly helpful in your History GCSE revision.
1. Create flashcards
Flashcards can be a fantastic way to memorise facts, dates and stats.
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!
2. Play with timelines
Timelines are a super useful tool in your GCSE History revision.
Create basic timelines to visualise the chronology of events.
Or, place events on different cards or post-it notes and jumble them up, before trying to put them in the right order.
3. Go mad with post-it notes
Write key events and dates on post-it notes 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.
Consider colour-coding them by topic or time period to help give you a visual reference when you’re racking your brains in the exam room.
4. Stick up questions from past papers
This one is a good trick to help you develop arguments for longer essay questions.
Stick up questions from past papers around your 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 evidence to support your arguments to each one.
5. Make mind maps
Mind maps are another great way to practice forming arguments.
Take a practice question, and then create a mind map with your theory in the centre and all the different supporting evidence you can think of around the edge.
6. Speak it back in your own words
Memorising content from textbooks or revision notes can be helpful.
But 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.’
7. Explore different revision resources
There are lots of resources available to help you revise for GCSE History.
These include:
- Revision guides
- YouTube channels
- Podcasts
- Revision apps
- Revision websites (like BBC Bitesize)
Using resources like these can help to make your revision more engaging.
A GCSE History tutor will also be able to point you towards the best revision resources for your learning style.
8. Record your notes and listen to them back
Many learners like to record their revision notes.
This way, you can listen to them back when you’re doing other things – whether you’re out and about or just doing the washing up!
Repeatedly listening to the information you need to remember can really help it stick.
9. Get someone to test you
Revising doesn’t have to be a solo activity!
Why not rope in a friend or family member to test your knowledge? It can be a fantastic way to see where you’re at in your learning and identify any gaps you still need to work on.
10. Teach someone else
Similarly, teaching someone else the content you’ve just learned can help you to increase your confidence in a topic.
It’s also a great test of how well you understand the material – if you can’t get your student to understand the concepts you’re teaching them, you probably don’t know them well enough yourself yet.
How to pass History GCSE: 6 tips for on the day
With these revision tips and techniques, hopefully, you’ll be feeling prepared by the time your GCSE History exams roll around.
But the right approach to exam day itself can also make a big difference.
Here are some things to bear in mind.
1. Give yourself the right fuel
Don’t stay up late revising the night before.
Instead, get a good night’s sleep and have a proper breakfast in the morning. This will give you the best chance of feeling energised for the day ahead.
2. Overcome exam fear
Try some calming techniques to help you overcome exam fear – like listening to a calming playlist.
Watch those negative voices in your head and try to focus on what you have done rather than what you haven’t. Remember, you’ve worked hard and can be proud of yourself, whatever happens!
3. Plan your time
Keep an eye on the clock in the exam room so that you’re not spending more time than you should on each question.
Every year, good students waste marks because they write answers that are far too long for 4-mark questions, and then run out of time and end up rushing through questions that are worth more marks.
As a general rule, try to spend the most time on the questions that are worth the most marks, and vice versa.
4. Read every question carefully
Read each question at least twice before answering, so that you’re not making silly mistakes.
It can be worth underlining key words in the question to keep you focused. For instance, make sure to spot whether a question wants you to ‘describe,’ ‘explain’ or say whether you ‘agree.’
As a general rule, ‘describe’ questions are asking for the facts, ‘explain’ questions will need you to explain the facts but add some elaboration about how things fit together, and ‘agree’ questions are asking you for your opinion – which should be supported by evidence, of course.
It’s also really important that you pay attention to any dates in the question, and focus on this timeframe in your answer – any events outside of it won’t gain you any marks.
5. Plan your essay answers
Before you start writing, make sure you plan how you’re going to answer the question.
You’ll need to be able to engage with the correct second order concept (eg. cause, consequence, significance) to gain marks for analysis. Meanwhile, some questions will want you to provide a judgment on a given statement.
By planning your answer carefully, you can make sure to develop a logical and coherent argument, supported by your knowledge as evidence.
6. Stay calm!
Last but not least, don’t panic!
Work through the GCSE History exam papers calmly and methodically, without rushing.
And remember that you’ve worked hard. So, you can be proud of yourself whatever the outcome.
Find a tutor to help you revise History GCSE and pass with flying colours
If you’re worried about passing GCSE History – or getting the best grade possible – you don’t have to worry alone.
A GCSE History tutor will have the tools, knowledge and experience needed to help you achieve the grade you’re after.
From tailored plans to practice exams, they’ll give you the one-to-one attention and dedicated time you need to ensure you reach your full potential.
FAQs
What is the best way to revise for GCSE History?
The most efficient way to revise for GCSE History is to identify your areas of weakness using past papers. You can then use your preferred revision techniques to work on those areas and make the biggest improvement in the shortest amount of time.
How to memorise GCSE History?
There are lots of different techniques you can use to memorise dates, facts and events for GCSE History.
Just a few include:
- Making flash cards
- Sticking up post-it notes
- Creating timelines
- Making mind maps
How to revise for History GCSE last minute?
Leaving your History GCSE revision until the last minute is never a good idea. However, if you only have a small amount of time, complete a past paper to see which areas need the most improvement, and then target those areas to make the biggest difference in the smallest amount of time.
How to get a 9 in GCSE History?
To get a 9 in GCSE History, you’ll need to be able to develop your own arguments and opinions, using your knowledge as supporting evidence. You’ll also need to gain an appreciation for the significance of different events, placing them into context and understanding how they link together.
Our GCSE History tutors can help you to improve your grades and get the highest marks possible.
