Supporting Mocks Revision

As mock exams approach, it’s crucial to equip students with effective revision strategies and resources that can help them perform at their best.

Mock exams are not just a practice run for the real thing; they are a vital part of the learning process. They help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, familiarise themselves with exam formats, and build confidence.

We know that early and consistent revision also interrupts the forgetting curve (how memory of information is lost over time, unless it’s used!). This is why starting revision early and getting enough exam practice is so important for students.

How can Pearson Revise help teachers prepare their classes for this year's mock exams? We’ve broken down the different activities you can use each of our revision resources for, helping to strengthen your students’ knowledge and exam skills.

How Teachers Can Use Revision Guides

Pearson’s Revision Guides are your go-to resource for effective exam preparation. Tailored specifically to Pearson Edexcel and AQA specifications, with over 80 titles covering GCSE, A Level and BTEC subjects, these guides are packed with relevant, up-to-date content and include access to online tools.

How can they be used effectively in the classroom, as well as at home?

Integrate into lesson plans: Use the guides to structure revision sessions, ensuring that all key topics are covered in manageable, bite-sized chunks to maintain focus. You can also quickly test knowledge with ‘Now Try This’ exam-style questions at the end of each page (answers are provided).
Set homework: Assign practice questions from the guides as homework to reinforce classroom learning, and recall knowledge in preparation for mocks.
Track progress: With individual Revision Guides, students can access the ebook version and associated progress tracker via Pearson Revise Online, to monitor their revision progress and identify areas in need of more focus.
Flashcards: Create your own flashcards, or get your class involved in creating them, using the online creator included with every Revision Guide. You can use these front-of-class to quickly recap on key information at the start or end of a lesson.

After reviewing topics in the Revision Guide, why not try a blurting exercise with your class? Blurting is a technique where students write down everything they know about a topic from memory, without notes. This activity could also be done as a task in pairs, with students speaking their knowledge aloud instead of writing it down. This process identifies knowledge gaps, allowing for focused revision in their own time. This method also strengthens neural connections, making it easier and quicker to recall information in the future.

How To Use Revision Workbooks In The Classroom

Revision Workbooks are designed to complement the Revision Guides, with one-to-one page matching. They offer both guided and unguided practice questions, helping students to apply what they’ve learned.

Get the most out of Revision Workbooks with your class:

Class activities: Use guided practice questions as part of classroom activities during revision sessions. Students can write directly in the workbooks, and find answers at the back, making it easy to mark and track their progress.
Independent study: Encourage students to use unguided questions for independent study. The workbooks include model answers to help students understand assessment requirements and how to develop their answers when revising independently.
Feedback sessions: Review model answers with students to help them understand how to improve their responses.

Incorporating Practice Papers Plus into Revision

Practice Papers Plus provide full sets of practice papers, complete with worked solutions and exam tips. The write-in format allows students to take an active role in their revision. Each book contains three complete sets of practice papers, giving students plenty of opportunities to practice.

Use Practice Papers Plus with your class to:

Timed practice: Encourage students to complete papers under timed conditions to improve their time management skills in preparation for their mocks.
Review sessions: Go through worked solutions with students to help them understand how to approach different types of questions.

Using Revision Cards During Lessons

Revision Cards help students organise their revision and practice with quick multiple-choice questions and worked examples. Students can take these cards anywhere, making it easy to fit in quick revision sessions.

You can incorporate Revision Cards into your students’ learning and practice:

Quick recap: Each card includes key facts and summaries of important topics. Use the cards for quick recap sessions at the beginning or end of lessons to practice recall and knowledge retention.
Peer learning: Encourage students to use the cards in pairs or small groups for peer learning.
Encourage regular practice: Suggest that students use the cards for regular, short revision sessions in their own time to reinforce their learning. Multiple-choice questions provide quick practice and immediate feedback.

Preparing for mocks is a crucial step in the exam preparation process. By using Pearson Revise’s comprehensive range of resources, teachers can provide students with the tools they need to succeed.

Encourage your students to start their revision early and maximise their potential with these resources!