When revising for some subjects, reading your notes, and creating mind maps or writing more notes about the content is a great way to absorb it. Maths isn’t like that and for many students it can be more challenging. In this article we’ll be looking at how to revise for maths GCSE to help you maximise your grade in one of the most important exams of your academic career.
Below are some top tips and exam techniques that will make a big difference to your revision if you apply them to your exam preparation.
If you feel like you’re struggling to solve certain questions during your maths revision, it’s probably a sign that you need some more practice. Maths is a subject that is based on your understanding of it. Memorising won’t be an effective revision strategy. The key to success with GCSE maths is practising as much as you can.
You can do this by solving math problems from textbooks, playing online math games, solving worksheets, completing mock exams, and work with a GCSE maths tutor if you need to. Learn core concepts as much as possible, they will only be clear in your mind when you have practised them enough.
There are some GCSE maths topics like circle theorems and other theorems that include formulas, that you may want to commit to learning by heart. Topics like these need you to learn answers in depth and for that you’ll need to do something different other than practising them once or twice a week. Creating revision cards for each theorem can be beneficial as well as staying informed on the curricular of your exam board.
Some formulas and equations can vary across exam boards. It may be that there are questions during the exams which can be solved simply by adding values into the formulas. So, you should make sure that you remember them, stick them to your walls and read them every day up until the exam.
Becoming familiar with the pattern of the exam can be very advantageous for GCSE maths. It will help you feel more confident during the exam as well as training you for it. Completing past papers will achieve this goal. If you’re signed up for the foundation tier exam with a non-calculator paper, you will start with easier questions that typically involve shapes, but they will slowly get harder and be based on statistics, probability, and graphs.
The calculator paper in a GCSE maths exam is more complex due to the allowance of using a calculator. It’s going to have more time-consuming questions and extensive calculations for you to work out. This exam paper may need you to get familiar with the concepts of trigonometry and problems relating to areas/shapes etc. Check your answers with a calculator when you’re finished.
In the digital world of today, you can find information about pretty much anything online. This includes the concepts, topics, and problems you might need to know for GCSE maths. There are many different math learning websites online.
As well as using an online GCSE maths tutor, you can also find maths games, lectures, quizzes, and even textbooks, practice questions, and courses depending on the tier of maths GCSE you’re taking. YouTube is one of the best platforms to use when looking for online math tutorials.
The main thing that will ensure your success in GCSE maths is having belief in yourself and confidence in your skills. In order to feel confident though, it’s important to be prepared. Aim for a higher grade and make sure you put the effort in to achieve it.
Don’t panic if you come across an intimidating question during the exam, handle it calmly and try to keep your mind clear of fears and doubts. Trust your gut instincts and stay as relaxed as you can to power through the exam and achieve the best possible result.
A private GCSE maths tutor will provide you with one-to-one, dedicated teaching that you won’t get in your school classroom. Maths isn’t an easy subject to comprehend and if you’re struggling to keep up with your class, online maths tutoring with a private maths tutor will help you go at your pace so you can fully understand each topic and feel confident going into your exam. Also, they will get to know you and how you learn best so you can revise the subject your way and get a better grip on any areas you’re finding challenging.
With My GCSE Tutor you can find an experienced and supportive maths tutor online, meaning you can access extra help from anywhere and everywhere. Simply read the tutoring profiles of our qualified maths teachers and arrange an initial discussion with the one you think will be the best fit for you and your learning journey starts there. Contact us today if you have any questions or queries.
Disclaimer: My GCSE Tutor is a tuition company supporting students in preparation for their GCSE exams and as such is not authorised by, affiliated with, or otherwise connected with Qualifications Wales, The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (“Ofqual”) or the Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (“CCEA”).