5 ways to improve on your mock results

Mock exam results are the most significant opportunity you get to evaluate where you are before your GCSEs and A-Levels take place in May. Your grades will not only show you what you need to do next but also what you need to work on. Here are 5 ways you can improve your results.

Experiment with your revision technique

One thing your mock results will show you is whether your revision plan was right or not. You may have kept to a strict timetable with hours of work each day, but if you haven't achieved the results you wanted, you need to change your studying game.

Try everything from flashcards with questions on one side and answers on the other to a mind map, where key concepts are linked together around a topic title. Use a highlighter to mark up key topics and try a daily combination of these techniques with regular breaks. Also, take a look at these blog posts for more ideas on how to revise effectively.

Finally - be honest, did you leave yourself enough time to revise? For optimum results, revision needs to begin at least eight weeks before your real exams start.

Tackle your weaker areas

We often know what our weaker areas are but rather than spend more time revising them, we focus on what we're good at. If this has affected your grade, then you need to face your fears and tackle the subjects and topics that are your Achilles heel.

If you've been surprised by your results in a subject you are usually strong in then you need to speak to your teacher. Find out where you went wrong, what you can do to change things and who can help you. It may be that you need a study group with friends or extra tuition from a tutor.

Hone your examination technique

Lack of exam prep is an area where many students fall. You may have done all your revision, but if you don't know what your examination board is marking your questions on, you can still get a low grade. Your teacher or a tutor can help here with a guide to the syllabus and what you need. Once you know this, you need to ensure that all your revision revolves around these areas

Past papers are also crucial as they give you clear clues on how exam questions will be asked and what examiners want to see from you. Attempt to answer these papers with your notes on hand so you can make sure you are covering all the areas needed to pass with a high grade.

Rethink your revision sources?

Always follow the resources your teachers give you and also to create your own in the form of flashcards. It's also a good idea to look online at the wealth of resources out there from student and teacher sites to the BBC. Look at our blog post for maths and biology to get an idea of the wealth of resources out there.

Seek out extra help?

Remember it's never too late to improve your grades and one clear way to do this is to ask for help. Whether it's your teacher or a tutor, they can help you to improve your revision technique, work on areas that are challenging and also perfect your exam technique.