Revision for science exams - the science teacher

Worksheets and lesson ideas to support students aged 11 to 16 to revise for science exams (GCSE and Key Stage 3)

A massive challenge for any student studying science is memorising an enormous amount of scientific content for exams. Understanding concepts definitely make them easier to remember, but this is not always enough. Revision skills must be explicitly taught in lessons if students are to use them effectively.

“Re-reading and highlighting are among the commonest and apparently most obvious ways to memorise or revise material. They also give a satisfying – but deceptive – feeling of fluency and familiarity with the material (Brown et al, 2014). ” From What Makes Great Teaching? (Coe et al., 2014)

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Resources to support science revision

How to revise in science is a fantastic resource made by Sophie Metcalf that models how to revise effectively in science. The document shows students examples of revision cards, concept maps and turning text into pictures and diagrams. (PDF)

How to improve exam technique in science exams

TICKS to improve your exam technique in science. TICKS provides a simple algorithm or method for students to follow when answering exam questions. TICKS stands for Topic, Information, Command, Knowledge and Satisfied. (PDF)