Passive revision involves low-engagement activities that do not require much effort or critical thinking. Examples of passive revision include:

• Reading through notes or textbooks without interacting with the content.

• Highlighting key points in a book or worksheet.

• Watching revision videos without making notes or summarising information.

• Copying out notes word for word.

While these methods may feel productive, they do not challenge the brain to retrieve information or apply knowledge. This means students are more likely to forget what they have revised.

Active revision involves engaging with the material in ways that require thinking, testing knowledge, and making connections. This form of revision strengthens memory and helps students retain information for longer. Examples of active revision include:

• Self-quizzing: Testing yourself using flashcards or past paper questions.

• Teaching someone else: Explaining a topic to a friend, family member, or even an imaginary audience.

• Creating mind maps: Organising key themes and ideas in a visual way to reinforce understanding.

• Summarising information: Writing out what you have learned in your own words.

• Answering past paper questions: Practicing under timed conditions to prepare for exams.

Quizzing yourself is one of the best ways to check your understanding. You can create flashcards with key concepts, quotes, or literary terms and test yourself regularly. Example:

• On one side of the flashcard, write a question like “What is dramatic irony?” and on the other side, write the definition and an example.

• For English Literature, write a quote on one side and its analysis on the other.

• Apps like Quizlet can help you create digital flashcards for revision on the go.

Explaining a concept to someone else forces you to organise your thoughts clearly and identify gaps in your knowledge. Example:

• Teach a friend or family member about a theme in Macbeth, such as ambition.

• If no one is available, try recording yourself explaining a topic and listening back to check for clarity.

Mind maps help to link ideas and themes together in a structured way, making it easier to recall information in an exam. Example:

• Create a mind map on Romeo and Juliet, with branches for themes (love, fate, conflict), character relationships, and key quotes.

• Use colour coding to highlight different elements, such as character traits in one colour and key quotes in another.

Instead of rereading, rewrite your notes in a simplified form. Example:

• Summarise each act of An Inspector Calls in a few sentences.

• Reduce a page of notes on a theme into five key bullet points.

• Try the “Cornell Method,” where you divide your page into key points, details, and a summary.

Practicing past questions is one of the best ways to prepare for exams. Example:

• Take a past English Literature question on a Shakespeare play and plan an essay in bullet points.

• Time yourself writing an answer to a question about a poem from the anthology.

• Use mark schemes to check what examiners are looking for and improve your responses.

This technique involves writing down everything you remember about a topic from memory, then checking what you missed. Example:

• Choose a theme from Of Mice and Men and write everything you know about it.

• Compare your notes to a textbook or revision guide and fill in any gaps.

Talking about ideas with others can reinforce your understanding and introduce different perspectives. Example:

• In a study group, each person could take a character from Jekyll and Hyde and present their key traits and themes.

• Discuss possible interpretations of a poem and compare different viewpoints.