How to Start Revising for GCSEs in Year 9 and Year 10

Some schools start GCSEs in year 9 now and so revision for GCSEs in year 9 is completely appropriate. Starting early has many benefits. You will get the opportunity to revisit material more often and your learning will be consolidated over 3 years instead of 2 years. Even if your school officially starts GCSEs in year 10, don’t let that stop you from beginning your revision early. So how to start GCSE revision for Year 9 and Year 10? A GCSE tutor can help, but…

First and foremost, different subjects have different approaches in terms of revision. So, you may need different study techniques in order to excel at GCSE Maths, GCSE English and GCSE Science.

GCSE Revision for Year 9 & 10

First and foremost you need to ensure you are really familiar with each subject’s contents. You can access revision guides and textbook pdfs online for most subjects. Look at the contents pages and skim over the topics and gauge how much each subject really entails. For example most of the science subjects contain around 7-10 large topics with many subtopics. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Remember that these will be covered over the next few years.

Start with a topic you like or think may be easy, as starting with a difficult topic can be discouraging. Start easier and work your way up.

“For GCSE Sciences the order in which the topics are organised in revision guides is actually the most appropriate and logical order to learn the content in as each topic builds upon the other. Definitely start with topic 1 for each science as it outlines the main foundations for future learning” – Maddy, one of our GCSE Science Tutors

Remember you do not have to revise the topics in the same order you were taught them or that are outlined in your textbooks. You can even re-write the topic checklist in the order you want to revise and think would be most appropriate for you. For example, for GCSE English Literature, find out what novels and poetry groups (power and conflict or love and relationship) you will be studying. You can study these in any order that suits your preferences. Be sensible and arrange your learning around what suits you and will motivate you to work hard.

Organise your Time!

You can then formulate a study timetable. Nice and simple templates of timetables can be found online. Remember to factor in other responsibilities and school work that you need to get done. So now it’s time to start studying. You can use textbooks to initially learn the content, then read the condensed version in a revision guide. Watch youtube videos explaining concepts especially for maths; there are amazing videos that walkthrough practice papers and difficult questions. Set yourself mini goals that will be initially easier to meet and then more difficult goals to challenge yourself once you have set your pace and feel comfortable revising. Initially you may aim to do a subtopic each week, then a topic and so on.

Pace yourself

“Make sure you are mixing it up. This is a time in your academic career where you have more time than in coming years. Use this time wisely. Revise with others, do practise papers on topics that you have covered and understand. Ultimately ensure you take adequate breaks. Don’t overdo it. Remember GCSEs are a marathon not a race. Don’t burn yourself out and keep studying engaging by varying your studying methods until you find what is best and most helpful for you.” – Callum, GCSE Maths Tutor

Extra Help can go a long way

If you are struggling to grasp concepts or a certain subject is really difficult to understand, you can always seek help from teachers at school but also tuition can be really useful as it is personalised to you and will help you set and achieve attainable goals. Whilst you may be doing your individual studying and revision, don’t become complacent with homework assigned by school as it’s there to aid your learning and will further enhance your knowledge.

The fact that you’re reading this blog on ‘How to Start Revising for GCSEs in Year 9 and Year 10′ shows that you’re being proactive. That’s a positive in itself.

So, action the key tips we’ve included here and start your GCSE journey today!