How to Revise before Exams?

Know Quick Revision Tips and Methods to study and do well in exams

It is advisable to have a defined time frame for revision. Most of us are forced to use the evening time for studying and revising, but this may not suit everybody. Some people are at their best early in the morning. Not only timing, revision technique also has its effects on studies. So it is crucial to know how to revise before exams. One can try some different revision techniques to check which suits better. Using a variety of techniques will keep up your interest and allow your brain to learn in different ways. Mentioned below are some quick and effective revision methods.

Mnemonics :

Mnemonic technique (a short rhyme, phrase or other mental technique for making information easier to memorize) is an excellent way of remembering the terms. Mnemonics help you to remember by using short words that stand for something. Here is a Mnemonic for REVISION –

• R - Rest,
• E - Exercise ,
• V - Variety ,
• I - Imagination ,
• S - Structure .
• I - Individual
• O - Ongoing
• N - Not too long.

Mnemonics come in various forms. For example, many mnemonics use the letters in a word that you need to remember to spell out the entire sentence. Another way of using mnemonics is to link the words or phrases you’re using to visual images in your mind. For example in physics as you have performed simple pendulum experiment you can keep that visual in your mind and write the theory. In mathematics, you can use mnemonics in trigonometry –

SOH, CAH, TOA :

• SOH stands for ‘Sine of an angle is Opposite over Hypotenuse.’
• CAH stands for ‘Cosine of an angle is Adjacent over Hypotenuse.’
• TOA stands for ‘Tangent of an angle is Opposite over Adjacent.’

Revision Cards

Revision card is another way of remembering your study into easy, bite-sized pieces of information that you can use to learn. However. it is important to use them correctly.
Here is the method :

• Write down a key topic and then for each topic write down the key sub-topics and key words for each topic.
• Try to get down to one word for each topic.

These revision cards are great for the day before the exam and even the morning of the exam to help you just jog your memory.

Revision Card Example

Q. : What are metals? What are their characteristics?
Ans. : More than three quarters of the elements are metals. The elements we call metals have properties that non-metals do not have. It is because of these properties that metals are very useful for some purposes but unsuitable for others.

Metals : (except mercury)

• are all solid at room temperature.
• have a high melting point.
• are shiny when freshly cut.
• form alloys that are mixtures of metals.
• are mostly tough, strong and can easily bent into shape.
• are good conductors of heat and electricity when solid or liquid.

This information has been used to make the revision card. If you make your own, use colour so that it stand out!
Have a look at the example of revision card –

Mind Maps :

A mind map is a type of diagram that contains words, ideas or tasks that are linked around a central idea or keywords. A mind map can be drawn by hand or by means of a computer, before a particular lesson, while attending the class or even after the lecture is over.

• Use just key words, or images wherever possible.
• Start from the centre of the page and work out.
• Make the centre a clear and strong visual image that depicts the general theme of the map.
• Create sub-centres for sub-themes.
• Put key words on lines. This enhances the structure of notes.
• Use colours to depict themes, associations and to make things stand out.
• Anything that stands out on the page will stand out in your mind.
• Think three-dimensionally.
• Use arrows, icons or other visual aids to show links between different elements.
• Put ideas down as they occur, wherever they fit.
• Break boundaries. If you run out of space, don't start a new sheet; paste more paper onto the map.
Example of Mind Map :