Study tips

Command words

What a question is actually asking for.

How marks actually work

• 1 mark = 1 clear point. Asked for "two reasons"? Write two separate points, not one long sentence.
• A 4-mark question wants roughly 4 different points — not four sentences repeating the same idea.
• For "explain" questions, a correct fact without "because" attached often only gets half marks, even if it's right.
• Check the number of lines or the size of the answer box — it's usually a hint at how much they want, not a hard limit.
• If a question gives you data (a graph, table, or map), the answer almost always has to reference it directly — general knowledge alone won't get full marks.

Reading the question properly

• Underline or note the command word first, before you start writing — it decides the shape of your whole answer.
• Watch for "and" in a question — "describe and explain" means you need to do both, not just one.
• If a question says "using Figure 1", you must mention Figure 1 specifically, not just write generally about the topic.

How to actually revise (not just re-read)

• Test yourself, don't just re-read — use the flashcards on each lesson's revision page instead of reading notes back.
• Spread it out — short sessions across several days beats one long cram the night before.
• Little and often — 15–20 minutes a day beats 3 hours once a week.
• Teach it to someone else — explaining a topic out loud (even to nobody) quickly shows you which bits you don't actually understand yet.
• Mix up the order — don't always revise topics in the same sequence; it stops you relying on "what comes next" instead of really knowing the content.
• Do it without notes first — try to recall what you know before checking your notes, then fill the gaps. It's harder, but it's what actually sticks.

Common mistakes that lose easy marks

• Repeating the question back as the answer, without adding anything new.
• Writing "it's better" or "it's bad" without saying why.
• Running out of time on long questions because too long was spent on short ones — quick questions should take proportionally less time.

Reading diagrams, graphs and maps

• Read the axis labels and units first — before saying what a graph shows, check what's actually being measured and in what units.
• Describe the trend before explaining it — "it increases, then levels off" comes before "because...". Skipping straight to the explanation loses the describe marks.
• Use exact figures from the graph or map when asked to — "about 30%" isn't the same as reading the actual value at that point.
• Label your own diagrams clearly — a rushed, unlabelled sketch loses marks even if the idea behind it is right.

Exam day basics

• Sort your equipment the night before — pens, a ruler, a calculator if allowed. Not something to think about at 8am.
• Read the whole question before answering — the last line sometimes changes what's actually being asked.
• Don't get stuck on one question — if it's not coming, move on and come back to it. A blank answer gets 0; a rushed one might still pick up a mark or two.
• Check the marks match your answer length — a 1-mark question doesn't need a paragraph, and a 6-mark one needs more than a sentence.

Using this site to actually revise

• Be honest on the flashcards — clicking "Got it" when you're not sure just means that term stops coming back, and you'll be caught out later. "Still learning" is the useful button.
• Try the Quiz Challenge under real time pressure — it's meant to feel a bit rushed. That's closer to what an exam feels like than untimed practice.
• Mix it up when recall practice gets stale — Word Scramble and Definitions Match test the same knowledge from a different angle, which helps it stick better than doing the same drill over and over.