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Feeling nervous about your upcoming English GCSE's? Here's 10 top tips on how to revise and prepare for them

Updated: Mar 29


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Top Tips for Preparing for Your English GCSEs


Are you feeling nervous about your upcoming English GCSEs? You're not alone! With the right preparation and resources, you can boost your confidence and improve your performance overall. Here's some practical tips to help you along the way.


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  1. Create a Revision Schedule and Timetable


Making sure you have organised a revision timetable is key to the success of any forthcoming exam or test you have to sit. However, DON'T OVER DO IT! If you panic and start to revise every moment or free time that you have, you will suffer from burnout! Make sure you have factored in plenty of time to relax, to eat well and to spend time with your family and friends. Your mental health and well-being are important to help you do well when you start to hit the books to revise.


  1. Know your exam board


You need to be 100% SURE YOU KNOW what exam board you are due to do your GCSE English exams with. Ask your teacher, they will know and make sure that you let your tutor know as well.


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As a tutor, to be able to give you bespoke tutoring lessons will be based on this crucial bit of information. Believe it or not; I've had students in YEAR 11, tell me that their English exam is with a particular exam board, only to tell me some months down the line, that it's a different exam board from the one they stated to me it was!


It's important to not assume that if you're taking your exam with a particular exam board, that it will be the same for all your exam subjects. For some reason, some schools mix different exam boards for exam subjects. You need to know the correct one, so that you can be revising the correct texts and your tutor can help you collate the correct resources, texts and valuable information to help you in your tutoring lessons and beyond.


  1. Make sure you use your exam board's website to the best of your advantage!!


Teachers and Tutors are not the only ones that can access past exam papers or exam resources on these exam boards; you can too. Look on the relevant exam board you are doing your exam with and you will find a plethora of past papers, resources and information useful to help you prepare and revise for your exams.


AQA are one of the best exam boards (in my opinion) for easy download of past papers and they come with mark schemes too! You will also find on these exam boards a comprehensive and detailed timetable that shows the exact date and time your actual exam will be.


There is an old saying that goes;


"Forearmed is forewarned"

It means facing the potential challenges that you may encounter; with as much information as possible, puts you in a better position to handle things more effectively when necessary.


Here is a link to all of the exam boards I know that run GCSE exams. Please drop me a comment if there's any I've not included in this list.


AQA (Assessment & Qualifications Alliance) Exam board: https://www.aqa.org.uk/

Edexcel (Sometimes known as Pearson/Edexcel): https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html

WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee): https://www.wjec.co.uk/


  1. Use Revision Websites to get to grips with the basics


It is important that you know the texts for your English Literature exams inside and out. You need to know what the novel/novella, play or poems are about and SHOULD be able to sum up plot lines and themes with ease.


If you can't do this, there are plenty of websites that can help you to get to grips with this. My favourite is BBC Bitesize. It's packed with excellent notes, interactive quizzes and tips. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zpr639q


BBC Bitesize also has some brilliant revision to cover the English Language GCSE subjects and it equally covers ALL GCSE SUBJECTS so, it's worth visiting this website throughout the whole time you're cramming for your exams.


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There are several other great websites that can aid in your revision:


  • SparkNotes - This website is great for summaries and analyses of literature features and the poetry you need to study for your exams. Be careful though, it has a lot of 'pop-ups' and they can often be distracting when you're trying to read or study something on their site. https://www.sparknotes.com/


Remember too that Spark Notes is an American website so their spelling of certain words will be American English. Make sure as well that when you're writing for exams, that you're using the British English, as an examiner may be looking at this when marking your paper.


  • LitCharts - Offers in-depth guides and study resources for various texts. It gives you themes, literary devices and quizzes in the same way that BBC Bitesize does. However, they operate on a 'quid pro quo' basis. In other words; if you want access to their quizzes or downloads of PDF versions of study guides; you have to pay for them. I would suggest you don't do this. You can read and study the information on this site effectively enough without the added extras they are offering. https://www.litcharts.com/


  1. Find Key Quotes and Sources


Quotes are essential for essays and exams. Here’s how to effectively find and remember them:

  • Read Actively: While reading texts, highlight or note down powerful quotes that resonate with themes or characters.

  • Use revision cards or Post it Notes: These can prove to be great assets if you are a visual learner. Get yourself lots of highlighter pens, coloured felt-tips and use them to write, draw and create visual prompts. Make sure you write down quotes, themes or character notes on them.

  • Practice Retrieval: Get members of your family or friends to test you and to enhance your recall techniques.

  • Record yourself: Yes, I know most people will hate this one, but it really works! Most people have a smart phone that has a recording facility. If you record yourself speaking quotes, who would know if you're listening to them with headphones on? Shakespeare and the play An Inspector Calls, are plays; so they're supposed to be spoken. Actively listening to quotes gets you remembering them a lot easily. Try it, what's there to lose?


  1. Practice Past Papers


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Familiarise yourself with the exam format by practicing past papers. This will help you understand the types of questions asked and improve your time management skills during the exam.


  1. Get a study buddy


Working with your friends and peers can enhance your revision. Discussing texts and sharing thoughts can provide new perspectives and help reinforce your knowledge. You can also test each other. You'll also have someone around you that fully understands what you're going through and can perhaps help to alleviate the anxiety you might be feeling about things.

  1. Focus on Themes and Context


Understanding the broader themes and historical context of the texts you study is vital. This knowledge will help you analyse and interpret the subject more effectively. Here is a link to another blog I've written that picks up on the historical context or the zeitgeist (current trend) an author, playwright or poet might have been focusing on at the time they wrote their pieces of work.


  1. Seek Help When Needed


If you're struggling with certain topics, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Teachers, tutors, or online forums can provide valuable assistance and clarification about a particular subject or thought-process.


  1. Conclusion


Preparing for your English GCSEs can be daunting, but with these tips and resources, you can approach your studies with confidence. Remember to stay organised, revise regularly, and take care of your mental health during this crucial time.


And finally ... You can enlist in the assistance of a tutor. At Steph's Tutoring, I offer tailor-made GCSE English tutoring to suit YOUR learning needs. I know this subject well and I'm there for you. 😀


So ??? Why not give it a go!




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Check out some of my blogs that may help you further in your studies. Click the link to get to them.



But whatever happens ... If you don't pass this time round, you can try again and re-sit, but equally it's not a reflection of how bright and amazing you are. You can and WILL get through this challenging period of your life somehow. 👍🏽 👍🏽


Good Luck ! 🍀🍀🍀🤞🏽


You got this !!!


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