15 May 2023 , 10:58
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Exams are underway for most students across the UK taking their GCSEs - and it is expected results will fall back in line with pre-pandemic grades.
Unlike how it was during Covid, students in England haven't been given advance information about the topics they are likely to be tested on.
But have no fear, as a study expert has shared his top tips on how to ace tests while highlighting common mistakes some people make when under pressure.
Sam Ellis, 19, claims he has helped thousands of schoolchildren get better at revising and sitting exams after creating his education platform - the Sam Ellis Academy - in October 2022.
Sam Ellis created his own academy to help students pass exams (Sam Ellis / SWNS)
Sam suggests checking how many lines have been provided for a question before starting your answer (Sam Ellis / SWNS)He says the most common mistake students make when taking tests is restating the question - suggesting it is a big no-no.
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The revision guru, who achieved two A*s and an A in his A-levels, insists that if a question asks what the pH of water is for example, don't restate the question and say "the pH of water is...".
He advises to simply just write down what the answer is.
The expert also urged people to revise subjects they find more difficult instead of using all their time and energy on the subjects they know they will pass.
Sam, from Liverpool, Merseyside, said: "If you sit there and rewrite the question, you are honestly wasting time.
"Another nugget of information I found out is exam boards give the correct amount of lines for the answer.
"If you are writing more than the lines you are missing the point completely - they allot lines to the answers."
Sam, whose free online tool covers a range of subjects including maths, chemistry, physics and biology, also says copying down words from a revision book is a "waste of time".
He continued: "You have to be active in revision.
He says to not waste time on subjects you are confident with (Getty Images/iStockphoto)"Taking information from a book and applying it to a question in the form of an exam question is the best way to revise.
"I also recommend people revise what they are bad at.
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"It is so easy to do the things that you are good at and avoid the things you are bad at."
Sam claims students often experience a lack of motivation but he has a trick to combat this.
He swears by the 'Pomodoro Technique' - a time management method based on 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by five-minute breaks.
Sam explained: "The Pomodoro Technique is something many students find really useful.
"You work for 25 minutes then have a five-minute break.
"You then repeat this three times and then give yourself a 20-minute break.
"I also need to stress how revising with people is a huge help.
He recommends the Pomodoro Technique for revising for big exams (Getty Images/iStockphoto)"It is proven to help people with revision - if the person next to you is being productive then you will be productive."
Sam said it is important to remember exams are not the end of the world and there are other ways to determine success.
He said: "Something that is never said is how exams are not the end of the world.
"There are so many avenues to gauge success and as long as you put your best foot forward and try your best that is what's important.
"Exams are not the end of the world."
Sam's Top tips for exams and revision
- Don't repeat the exam question
- Study with people
- Don't just copy revision notes from the revision book
- Use a time management method when you are revising
- Use the number of lines provided to guide the length of your answer