Tips for acing the International GCSE exams

1. Make your own notes

With so many resources and textbooks, there will be a lot of important information. It is best to compile all this information for ease of reference. I essentially created an International GCSE “Bible” for each of my subjects consisting of information from textbooks, revision guides, study guides and past papers. Writing helps you revise better and in a timely manner instead of cramming at the very end. It is also very easy to carry one book around instead of an entire stack.

I have realized that I learn best when I write my own notes instead of reading or watching YouTube videos. It helps me understand and remember the material more easily.

Make sure, however, to keep your notes clean and in a book. When I started, I would write on pieces of paper, but as the subject material got harder it became very disorganized. So, make sure to have a systematic approach to note-taking.

2. Maintain general consistency

Since the International GCSE grades are based completely on the exams, it is important to consistently prepare for them and not try and cram everything in at the last moment. It is good to revise each topic as it is taught and make the relevant notes, adding to those as you learned newer material.

Also figure out how you study best. Some people need a quiet environment, while some like some background music. Some people study better in small chunks, while others need longer hours to focus. Figure out what works for you so you can maintain a routine.

3. Plan your studies

A major part of studying is planning. There will be days when you might feel like taking a break and that is absolutely fine. But then you should have a plan to make up those hours. Writing down a study plan or a to-do list will also help you study better.

Planning will also help you focus on the areas where you might be weaker by dedicating more time to it.

4. Set learning goals

While this tip is not necessarily about studying, a senior once told me to write down my target grades for each subject and put it up on my desk. This is like a visualization technique where by the laws of attraction you end up getting what you see consistently. It definitely worked for me because I ended up getting eight A*s! This is not a replacement for hard work, but it is a good motivation technique. Writing your goals can also help you be more focused on them and looking at them everyday can help you believe in your own abilities. Initially, I didn’t aim for all these A*s, but looking at the written goal, made me believe that I could do it. It definitely builds confidence.

Set small goals to begin with and then work towards the bigger goal. So, you might set goals for each topic in a subject and then aim for a certain grade in each. Then you can move on to a cumulative grade.

However, one thing to remember is to be realistic and truthful to yourself. If you are lenient in self-study then the chances of getting an excellent grade might not be very high.

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5. Work on past papers

This is a very important tip. If you are serious about getting good grades and have the time, I would suggest you do 10 years’ worth of past papers. Some of the older syllabi might be outdated, but its still very good practice. There is also a right way to do the past papers and that is to always think these are the actual exams. So, time yourself and make sure there are no distractions. Then make sure to mark the paper strictly and give yourself a grade. This will push you to self-study rather than waiting for teachers.

6. Look at grade thresholds

For each paper there is a Quizzing Paper (QP), Mark Scheme (MS) and a Grade Threshold (GT) table. These show what raw marks you need to get achieve a certain grade in that particular year. This way when you get back your marks, you can see what grade you would get. This helps you determine where you stand and how you can improve in a particular paper. Depending on the difficulty of a paper the raw marks can translate into a different letter grade each year. The GT helps determine what that is and as you do more past papers you will see a pattern. It is always best to aim for a certain raw mark, rather than a grade to ensure you are doing your best in each paper.

The other thing to look at is the ER paper – these are specific comments to each question in the paper. They basically explain what the answers for each question are.

7. Have confidence in yourself

Believe in yourself and the preparation you have done. You will always be the best judge of what works for you. This will definitely help you feel calmer and perform better in the exam. I wish I was more confident and had pushed myself more. I did very well in eight subjects, but some of my more confident classmates took nine or 10 subjects even.