Students lead busy lives, especially those who are on the cusp of adulthood. At that age, they're trying to figure out who they are and find their place in society. They have school obligations, as well as home, family, and social obligations. They're refining their inner monologue and trying out new ideas.
With all that students have going on, it's no wonder that they often feel frazzled and scattered. To make matters worse, learners don't quite have the life experience needed to plan and organise important events. Or, at least, they lack the reasoning to know why planning and organising is a vital life skill.
In one sense, we could hardly blame these near adults for their lack of foresight and structure. So far, in their lives, adults have been telling them what to do, and how and when to do it. Now, managing their schedule is on them. That doesn't seem fair, especially concerning life-determining exams.
To be fair, schools and exam boards are generous in communicating A-Level details. Particularly important information like exam dates. However, these administrative efforts put students at risk for information overload. How about a clear, concise outline of the most important exam dates, instead?
| Event | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Council for Qualifications exam window | May 13, 2024 | June 25, 2024 |
| AQA exams | May 13 | June 28 |
| Edexcel exams | May 13 | June 25 |
| Eduquas/WJEC | May 13 | June 21 |
| Scottish Qualifications Authority exams | April 22 | May 30 |
| SQA results | August 6 | |
| Results to UQAS and universities | August 14 | |
| Results to students | August 15 |
Granted, this handful of dates only outlines your A-Level timetable 2024. You'll still have to comb through your exam board's timetable to note when your subjects' exams are. However, you might consider using this table's format to chart your personal exam schedule.
That's the first tip Superprof offers to help you prepare for your exams. Read on to discover more ways to manage your exam season with minimal stress.
When Do A-Level Exams Start?
The table in this article's introduction shows the general start dates for A-Level exams 2024. When you'll sit your first exam is a separate question. Students must refer to their exam board's A-Level timetable for the dates relevant to them.
Create a personalised A-Level exam timetable that shows your subjects, and the dates and time you will sit each paper.
Exam boards' official exam timetables can be overwhelming. AQA's exam list is 26 pages long; other exam boards timetables aren't much shorter. Picking your exams out of that long line-up will be a chore. It's best to do it once and be done with the official paper.
Once you've isolated and recorded all of your exam dates, arrange them in chronological order. For example, if you're sitting AQA Chemistry A-Level, your non-exam assessment is due May 15. You'll sit your first paper on June 10. Paper II will be on June 18 and Paper III on the 21st.
Spare yourself every student's worst nightmare: forgetting they have an exam scheduled. Create a personalised timetable and post it where you can see it every day. That way, you won't have to ask for a retake - or miss out, altogether.
When Do A-Level Exams Finish 2024?
This question has the same answer as "When do A-Levels start?". The general dates are in this article's introduction. You'll have to rely on the timetable you created for yourself to know when your exams are complete.
However, your A-Level ordeal isn't over the second you turn in your last paper. You must wait up to six weeks for your exam results. What happens if your grades are less than satisfactory?
You may ask your teacher for a 'review of marking'. This entails going over your work to make sure each answer got its just points. Or you may appeal your grades. Should you exercise this option, you may have to provide reasons you believe you didn't receive fair marks.
Retaking exams is your final option. To qualify for a retake, you will have to redo the entire course. The idea sounds outlandish but doing so has its merits.
You already know your subject, so the extra year will serve as your revision period. The exams don't change much from year to year, so you'll know what to expect on your next go-round.
Exam familiarity gives you a major advantage. So, it's more likely you'll score better - than the student cohort you're now testing with, and better than you did before. Your higher marks will pave your way into the university degree program you want.
You only need to think about all this if your marks are less favourable. If you're satisfied with your efforts, turn your thoughts to your upcoming university experience. Will you accept the offer you received, or will you take your chances on Clearing?
If your grades fall short of your expectations, resitting exams becomes a crucial consideration. While it might seem daunting to redo an entire course, it presents an opportunity for improvement.
Through a resit, you essentially gain an extended revision period, reinforcing your knowledge of the subject. Moreover, since exam formats tend to remain consistent, you'll be well-prepared for what to expect.
When Should I Start Revising for A-Levels?
You might find it strange to know that the best time to start revising for A-Levels is the day you start your courses. After all, your exams are two years away, and you haven't studied anything yet. Still, this idea deserves consideration.
Not so long ago, A-Level exams were modular. That meant students could revise for, and re-sit, the exam portion(s) - the module(s), that they scored poorly on. Today's A-Level exams are linear. That means your papers test you on everything you learned throughout your courses.
Recalling two years' worth of learning to record answers on exam papers is a tall order. Combing through two years of notes and study materials is even more demanding. Particularly if your notes are jumbled and unclear.
The best revision strategies involve organising information from the day you start your courses. You might create a mind map for the study unit, and add keywords and textbook references as you progress through your course.
Let's say you've chosen A-level psychology, for instance. This subject comprises eight study modules, each with a few subtopics. You might create one map for the 'behaviour' study unit, another for 'research methods', and so on.
As you learn new information, you can add a keyword to the corresponding mind map. You might also include a page reference, so you'll know which textbook page that information is on.
If mind map creation seems too daunting, consider indexing your knowledge. This system also uses keywords and textbook page references. However, you won't plot your information into a diagram.
Course books typically contain loads of information, but it's never clear what will be the most relevant. Looking over past papers at the start of your course will give you an idea of what to expect on your exams.
Most students save past papers and marking schemes for the final leg of their A-Level studies. They spend a couple of frantic months mock-testing themselves on everything they learned over the past two years. The wiser revision strategy is drawing on past papers and marking schemes throughout your course.
No guide to A-Levels has a concrete rule for when to start revising. However, organising your knowledge into revision-ready blocks will make your revision time more efficient. You won't have to scramble through notes you took two years ago. You'll be able to see connections between the concepts you studied.
Closing out this segment, we leave you with one more thought. Manipulating information as you progress through your course helps you remember it better. Working with it in different ways helps you build fluency in your subject.
Taking notes, making flashcards and building mind maps gives you three ways to manipulate what you learn. The more you work with your information - and the more varied your work, the better your memory will serve you come exam time.
Revision and Preparation for A-Levels
Preparing for A-Levels isn't all about hitting the books and making mind maps. It's about striking a balance between your obligations - revision, and the other aspects of your life. It's also about knowing your limits and calling it quits at the right time.
I often find my students hunched over their books until late in the night. They haunt the library, leaving only for dinner or to find something to drink. They believe that sacrificing everything for their textbooks is the only way to pass exams.
物极必反 (wù jí bì fǎn) - When things reach an extreme, they can only move in the opposite direction.
Chinese idiom
In fact, the opposite is true. As this saying makes clear, going to extremes will not lead to success - in exams, or anything else in your life.
The most effective revision strategy is dedicating yourself to your studies, but only for a set time each evening. Once your allotted study time is up, put the books and the notes away, and embrace another aspect of your life.
How much time you should dedicate to study each evening - and how you set up your study plan, is up to you. Some students revise only one subject, two hours per night, and rotate between them. Others allot 45 minutes to each subject per night, with a five-minute break between subjects.
As long as you keep a healthy study schedule, pursue outside activities, and take good care of yourself, you needn't worry about A-Level results day. You'll go into your exams confident in your knowledge, and come out comfortable with your efforts.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
