Hello there, it's me tarmacx here and I'm going to guide you to your path to success in your

GCSEs and give you the best tips for your exams as well as exclusive top secrets to aid you
in your revision. You have just entered the success chat. Welcome:)

PAGE 1,2- Revision methods

PAGE 3,4- Past papers and How much you should revise
PAGE 4,5,6,7,8- Subjects
PAGE 8,9- Specification and Exam pressure
PAGE 10- Support
A free 1 to 1 tutoring session with tarmacx on your studies via call.

So you might be struggling to revise or lacking motivation in revising but the fact that you
have chosen to purchase “Grade 9” just shows that you want to do well. IF you are
struggling to revise, here are my best methods which I strongly recommend you try out.

A method of remembering where you test yourself after learning the

information. It forces you to retrieve information from your memory to help
consolidate the information to your long-term memory. It is when you verbally
practice memorising information out loud. You can do this in 2 ways - the first method
you can do is:

MAKING FLASHCARDS: this is when you write a topic name on one side of a
smaller piece of paper and then condensed and specific information on the other.
You will then practice remembering this information out loud or even asking a family
member or friend to test you on the flashcards. This method is quite useful in helping
retrieve information long-term, so if you are struggling to remember information do
try this out!
Well if that method of active recall doesn’t work, then you need to try out blurting. I
know that this method has caused a lot of controversy on tiktok but if i’m being
honest, i used to think this method was pointless until I gave it a try. It is by far one of
the most relaxing, stress relieving and amazing ways of remembering information!
BLURTING: this is when you choose a specific topic and then write all the
information of the topic on a piece of paper as quickly as you possibly can - it DOES
NOT need to be neat. After you have done this, check over your notes to see if you
have missed any information and then if you have, redo blurting again and include
missed information! I hope this helps!

OK, so now that we have looked at active recall methods, I have one more method
which I found very effective at GCSEs and this is the cornell method:

This method is when you make a title at the top of the page
of the topic you are studying and then the key points on the left hand side with
information on the topic on the right hand side and then at the bottom of the page a
summary of everything. This method made my note taking look very organised and
is a useful way of allowing you to understand and quickly find key concepts on a
topic. YOU need to try this!

Okay, so those were methods I used during GCSEs and I hope they help you in
revising. However, one thing which I strongly recommend you do not do for revision
is reading passively from a textbook - this is counterproductive and will not allow you
to retrieve information. Do try and avoid this! LEARN ACTIVELY - NOT PASSIVELY.
Now we move onto the big daddy when it comes to improving your grades and that
is by doing PAST PAPERS. This is literally the key to success in exams! Don't worry
if you cannot access past papers, I will provide some past paper links for you!
Learning notes is not the only way you should revise. By doing past papers will give
you access to applying your knowledge into exam questions and this is the best way
for bumping up your grades from that target grade 4 to that cheeky grade 7.
Past papers will be your saviour. Before I link the past papers, here is an
effective way of doing past papers - Complete the paper, mark it, identify
your areas of weakness and then revise those areas of weakness and then
come back to redo the paper and see your new score on the same paper!

https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/gcse-exam-past-papers
https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/past-papers/
https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/papers.html
^^ past paper websites :)
Do as many past paper questions as you can before your exams - also here’s
a tip, past paper questions have similar questions to the exams you do - the
wording of the question is just different. That is why you need to take
advantage of past papers!

So I get asked this question by hundreds of people but if I’m honest there is no right
or wrong answer to this question. If you are lacking subject knowledge, it is obvious
that you need to put more time into revising EFFECTIVELY whereas if you are
familiar with the subject knowledge you can do less revision. Although, there needs
to be a balance between revision and free time so you don’t overwork yourself.

Year 7,8: revision is not necessary but completing all homework should be a priority
so if you are a year 7,8 reading this GO AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Year 9: this is the year where some schools start the actual GCSE course, and
revision can be light. SO for year 9 I would do literally like 15 minutes a day with
days where you don’t do anything - it is more of a fun year

Year 10: this is when things start to spice up just a little bit but at the same time it is
still a fun year. At this point you should start revising everything you do in lessons.
You need to go over it at home to familiarise yourself with the content. I would say 30
minutes a day and then bump it up a little before year 10 mocks.

Year 11: This is your final year and this is when I strongly recommend you start
revising from September as this will lead to less pressure before the actual exams
and you won't feel overwhelmed when it comes to content. Start of revising from
September for around 1hr per day and then increase it to 2hrs before mocks. There
will be some days where you lack motivation and that is fine, take a break and
recharge!

Let’s now look at subjects and I am going to show you the most effective ways to
revise for each subject.

Maths is a core subject which I find most students struggling to revise for but
now that you are reading this, your maths revision story is going to be
successful after following my method of revision:
For maths at GCSE level I went on maths genie and completed every single past
paper. Remember, I said past papers are your best friend. You may be
wondering how to do the past papers effectively, so here's how:
1- go to maths genie. https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/papers.html
2- complete a paper and then mark it.
3- Identify areas you struggle in i.e. indices, standard form. Then do worksheets on
those topics: https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/gcse.html > worksheets on every topic in
maths
4- then redo the paper and see what mark you get.
5- After, watch the walkthrough where maths genie go through every question in the
exam on a video: here’s the link to the walkthrough.
https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/papers.html (click the video symbol).

This is literally the way I noticed my marks go up from around 30/80 (grade 5) to
around 47/80 (grade 7) within just over a month.
DO PAST PAPERS QUITE OFTEN, AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT PAPERS A WEEK!

If you want additional help on certain topics, use corbettmaths:

https://corbettmaths.com/ // this is very useful to improving your knowledge on topics
and there are worksheets where you can practice certain topics to improve on!

When it came to English, I found this probably the hardest subject to revise for -
especially English language.
When it comes to eng lit, you need to create flashcards. BUT first, let me tell you one
thing that students get scared of before going to the exam - the theme!
DO NOT worry about the theme in the exam as you can still write the same quote
and interpretation for any theme as long as you can link the quote back to the theme
in the question.
In addition, the way I made flashcards was writing a quote on one side and then the
interpretations on the other side - ALSO WHY THE WRITER HAS DONE THIS!

The main concept for English literature is to explain WHY has the writer done this?
What is the writer trying to show? Lastly, the effect on the reader.
Here’s my type of essay structure:
Point
Evidence
1st interpretation
2nd interpretation
SHC (social historical context)
WHY HAS THE WRITER DONE THIS? WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO SHOW?
EFFECT ON READER, THEN LINK BACK TO THE THEME!

Where can you revise English literature? You need to watch Mr Salles english on
youtube and also Mr Bruff - they are literally life savers!

Furthermore, you can practice writing paragraphs for certain quotes and try to link
the quote to different themes!

Secret tip: when you write your second interpretation, always start it off by saying
“On a deeper level” - this will show the examiner that you are thinking more broadly
. Also, your style of writing is important - it shows the examiner you know what you
are talking about.
Here are some top level words to include in your literature essays :)
Misanthropist- a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
Philanthropist- a person who seeks to promote the welfare of others - caring.
Allegorical- representation of a wider population. Eg Scrooge was allegorical to the
citizens of the upper class.
Metamorphosis- transformation of a character.
Message me for additional help :)

If i’m being honest, this was the one subject which i struggled to revise for, but these
videos will saved me and will save you:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqGFsWf-P-cAlttmXkEvJXCxqT-ZzFqAN
^ watch the first 5 videos on english language paper 1- Mr Bruff goes through each
question in the language paper.
— if you didn’t know, this is how english language works -

There’s 2 papers,
Paper 1 and 2, each paper is worth 80 marks sp it’s all out of 160 marks
In paper 1 there are 2 sections (a,b) - section A is worth 40 marks and section
B is worth 40 marks.
Section A consists of 4 questions. Q1 is 4marks, Q2 is 8 marks, Q3 is 8 marks,
Q4 is 20marks. Then you have section B - this is the creative writing section
which is worth 40 marks.
Paper 2 there is also 2 sections (A,B)
In section A there are 4 questions -
Q1 is 4 marks, Q2 is 8 marks, Q3 is 12 marks Q4 is 16 marks
Then there is section B which is worth 40 marks and this question and is about
writing a letter, speech etc.
Here’s the videos to watch for english language paper 2:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqGFsWf-P-cB-GSeqYup7PXId4pbldQVq
^ watch the first 5 videos!!
After you have watched the videos, try out some past papers-
https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/english-language-gcse-level/english-
language-gcse-past-papers
I’m such a plug;)

This is the one subject that I despised in year 9 and 10 but was the one subject
which I did quite well on. This is mainly because I put effort into the subject and was
saved by freesciencelessons. I understand that he may be boring to watch but trust
me, I used to get so bored watching his videos when I first started but then I realised
how effective his videos are. His videos are short,specific and straight to the point
which makes it perfect to make flashcards on.

How to make flashcards for a topic:

Eg the topic vaccinations in biology - write the topic vaccination on one side of the
paper and then on the other side write all the specific information and key points
about the topic.
Remember, after you have done this - practice learning the information off by heart
and you can even get someone to test you on the flashcard to see if you know the
information off by heart :)

HOW TO REVISE FOR END OF TOPIC TESTS?

I don’t want to make this long but the easiest way to revise for an end of topic exam
is to watch the freesciencelessons playlist on youtube and make notes. For example,
if you had a B2 end of topic test…

Go to Youtube
Search B2 biology freesciencelessons
A playlist of all of B2 will come up and then and then watch all of them videos!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9IouNCPbCxXGDt3ATU1xM_X_F8Jgh
PCB
^ that’s how the playlist looks :)
Make your notes and learn them off by heart BY USING ACTIVE RECALL- do
you see now how all this is linking together.
Hopefully things are starting to feel easier and more organised.

OK, now if you have mocks or are revising for the big boy actual GCSE, you need to
do every past paper possible!!!!!
https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/gcse-exam-past-papers
Do the papers and then go over the mark scheme and look at the content the mark
scheme requires - this will give you an idea on the type of stuff the examiner is
looking for!

Ts tips: for physics please learn all the equations off by heart and then do some
practice exam questions.
https://mathsmadeeasy.co.uk/gcse-physics-revision/gcse-physics-exam-questions-b
y-topic/
^ physics practice questions and mark schemes.
https://mathsmadeeasy.co.uk/gcse-biology-revision/
^ biology practice questions and mark schemes.
https://mathsmadeeasy.co.uk/gcse-chemistry-revision/gcse-chemistry-exam-question
s-by-topic/
^ chemistry practice questions and mark schemes.
ALSO
Biology paper 1 content includes b1,2,3,4 Biology paper 2 is b5,6,7
Chemistry paper 1 content is c1,2,3,4,5 Chemistry paper 2 is c6,7,8,9,10
Physics paper 1 content is p1,2,3,4 Physics paper 2 is p5,6,7,8
Aqa.

Regarding all the other subjects, you have the opportunity to message me for
additional help and even if you would like, we can have a conversation via call
for anything you are stuck on :), just message me on instagram: tcarmic._
Remember, I have linked access to past papers above for all subjects.

MESSAGE ME FOR HELP ON OTHER SUBJECTS :)

The specification is what outlines everything that could possibly come up in your
exam. That is why, reading through the specification is extremely helpful as it
shows you everything that could come up in your exam.
When I was in year 11 and was lacking motivation, sometimes I would just read the
specification and when I saw topics that I didn’t understand I went back to revise
these topics.
I.e. in biology if I didn’t understand animal and plant cells after reading the spec, I
would go to freesciencelessons and watch his video on this topic and then make
flashcards and do active recall. Therefore, I would end up learning all the content off
by heart - I hope you can see how everything I’m talking about is linked:)))
Here’s the AQA specification - https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects
Here’s the Edexcel specification-
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses.html
Here’s the OCR specification: https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/

If you struggle to find the specification for the subject you are looking for, try this.
For example, if I wanted aqa biology spec, search on the internet “gcse aqa biology
specification”.

Well done! You have done amazing so far.

YES, I understand that it can be nerve wracking before entering the exam hall - I
would feel the pressure as well but here are some ways I managed to keep calm and
stay relaxed:
1. A lot of students tend to skip breakfast before school but I cannot emphasise the
importance of having breakfast before school - you need to have this.
2. I trained my mind that at the end of the day it is just an exam and I trained myself
not to look at the consequences of not doing well.
3. DO NOT compare yourself to others or care about how other people are doing. If
you compare yourself to classmates, this will only increase pressure on you. Learn to
not compare yourself and focus on yourself.
4. I do not recommend revising at like 1am in the morning. You need to get that
minimum 8hr sleep. I know you can often have the urge to revise late night before
exam day but this will only lead to you crashing in the exam and underperforming.
Try to avoid revising late at night.

As we come to a close, I hope you have realised the key concepts to revision and
the fact that you now have access to all revision material and you have discovered
the best ways to revise :)

Also, I hope “Grade 9” wasn’t too long to read so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I’ve
given you the resources and knowledge which is going to allow you to thrive and
make your family proud on results day.

All I'm asking you to do is put in the effort and I want you to understand that there will
be days where you literally cannot be bothered to do anything - and that is absolutely
fine. Take the break and enjoy yourself :). Go for a walk and get that fresh air - trust
me it will clear your mind and recharge you to revise and allow you to concentrate.

One more thing before your friend tahmid signs off is, do not revise for long periods
i.e 1-2hrs of revision in one go. TAKE BREAKS. You will not be able to concentrate if
you revise for that long in one go.
I used to do this: revise 25 mins on a topic, have a 5 minute break x4 then have a
long 2hr break from revision.

Now don’t close your device and make sure you SCROLL UP and go and TAKE
FULL ADVANTAGE of all of these resources :)
It is now your time to shine.

Also feel free to message me on any social media for additional help!

Thanks for supporting me and trusting me:)