What’s the best way to revise for GCSE maths?

Getting good at mathematics is like getting good at any sport or artistic endeavour. You need to practise over and over again for skills to become embedded and reach a level of competency – just like shooting in netball, playing a guitar riff, drawing a lifelike animal or finding missing angles in circles.

The traditional pre-exam period of revision is not a sufficiently long stretch of time for most students to reach the required fluency, especially when you add in the pressures of multiple subjects. Combining this with what we understand from cognitive science and Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve – which reminds us that we need to revisit what we learn periodically in order to remember it long-term – and we can see that maths revision needs to start sooner if it is to be truly effective.

Here are a few simple things you can do:

1. Little and often is the way forward. Fifteen minutes on one topic three or four times a week is not remotely onerous and is hugely beneficial. Why not try using a website like CorbettMaths that feature comprehensive revision lists and questions to work through. Perhaps try his 5-a-day worksheets?

2. Practise questions, don’t just read notes or watch videos. You only get good at maths by doing maths. Sparx Maths provides videos to help revise, but apply this learning by completing the tasks too!

3. Make a list of the topics you’ve revised. Tick them off if you can do them without a problem. Make a note to return to them if you aren’t secure yet. Every now and then, return to your secure topics to make sure you haven’t forgotten them.

4. As the exams get closer, gradually increase your revision time. By the time you are in full revision mode, you should be doing at least four hours of maths a week (including your weekends), and the more the better.

Adapted from the TES article “What’s the best way to revise for GCSE maths?” by Jemma Sherwood