A Levels is an examination that has a reputation that precedes itself. To most, it might be the hardest test they’ve ever attempted and it is definitely no small feat. The A Level exams were designed with rigor in mind, with plenty of content and techniques to cover in a short span of 2 years. For those who are currently seeking A Level tuition, look no further than Zenith. With a proven track record for helping students improve and excel, our effective pedagogy will help every student unlock their peak potential. With that being said, do not be discouraged by the daunting path ahead because Zenith, the top tuition center in Singapore, has devised a bulletproof plan for your A Level revision!
Rule #1: Planning
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” That is a great motto that we should all have in mind when it comes to setting targets. All great things start and end with a sound plan. Acing is by no means an easy feat but with proper planning, the goal would transform into something much more manageable and achievable. Set yourself key deadlines and important milestones to arrive at throughout your remaining time in JC. These goals that you’re looking to achieve must be measurable and realistic. For example, “revise physics in October” is a vague target. Without proper goal-setting, your focus might be lost and you may lose your studying momentum! Start by creating manageable and detailed tasks. For instance, in one week, you could attempt to finish revising one chapter in Microeconomics while completing 2 case studies and 2 essay questions for practice as well. Planning helps you to manage your time well and through the process, it encourages you to become more productive too!
There is no “right way” to develop a study plan. Your plan should be curated to yourself based on your study patterns. Begin by thinking along the lines of what has worked for you in the past. Are you more productive at night or in the day? Are you a visual learner or do you prefer listening to lesson playbacks? Everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses! Now that you understand how you learn and what you need to learn, it is time to finally put it down in writing. Refer to the figure below for a sample study plan if you need some inspiration!
Fig 1. Study plan examples
Rule #2: Practice and Reflect
Every year, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) will release a publicly available report known as the examiner’s report which documents precisely what examiners are looking for. The do’s and don’ts in the report can give you a much clearer idea of how to answer and what to look out for in different questions. Thereafter, try to incorporate the learnt information into your revision to help guide you further (Fig 2.).
Fig 2. Sample of an examiner’s report
Another place you could look at would be past year papers! Refer to Figure 3 for SEAB’s list of authorised retailers for past year papers. From these papers, you’ll get a good sense of what questions normally come out in exams, the difficulty of various question types, and key concepts required to answer your exam questions well. It would be wise to complete all your past year papers at least once so that when A Levels come around, you will be in great shape to handle them.
Fig 3. SEAB’s past year papers publishers
Regardless of your subject combination, students often lament about the lack of time given. Not only are you faced with highly complex exam questions, but you also have so little time to complete the paper. But as the cliche saying goes, practice makes perfect. Grinding out past year papers will help you to not only be better at answering questions but also push you to be quicker in your completion. The grades from these papers may very well reflect your mastery over various concepts and also whether your study methods have been effective. It is always better to make mistakes now than later during the actual A Levels!
Rule #3: Rest
Every subject has its own set of challenges. Be it General Paper that requires you to memorize a multitude of key news events or Mathematics that requires incredible focus and meticulousness, you will encounter difficulties. But if we merely focus on revision without giving ourselves ample time to rest, we could start to feel burnt out! Many students suffer from burnout because they fail to plan and end up committing the cardinal sin of cramming at the very last minute. To burn out so near or during the examinations itself would mean that the work you’ve put in for the past 2 or 3 years have been wasted as you are no longer able to function well to produce quality answers. Thus, it is vital that we give ourselves sufficient time for rest and recuperation. Our minds are not made to work incessantly! To be truly productive, we need to take a breather every now and then. Long hours of revision tend to end up becoming more unproductive as compared to shorter sessions that span over a longer period of time. Hence, rest needs to be carefully calibrated to avoid any last minute hiccups that could completely unravel your years of hard work! Many students who fail to do well at the A Levels are often those who lack foresight in their planning and choose to cram towards the end. Preparations for A Levels should be prepared for as a marathon, rather than a 100 metre dash.
While many of these tips are easier said than done, they are the bread and butter of your revision strategy. The A Level examinations will indubitably be a highly daunting task to conquer, but if you follow these guidelines well, you’ll be able to reach your highest potential! At Zenith, we truly believe in all of our students. If you’re struggling and are seeking for A Level tuition, click here to find out more about the diverse programmes we offer at Zenith!
We hope that you have found this A Level guide to be helpful in your revision planning! If you’re interested in our other articles, you can click here. If not, click here to contact us for a free trial today!