Knowing you ought to revise and knowing how to revise can two completely different things, with the HOW being the far more challenging aspect.

The other day I was speaking to a mum, and she was about to invest in some GCSE revision books for her daughter costing in excess of £20 each. I suggested that I had bought similar books for my 3 and they hadn't used them, Instead, they had used their own notes from their books instead. The mum then explained that her daughter wasn't allowed to bring any of her books home from school. I suggested that prior to buying all the books I would give her some ideas I had picked up in the past and she could perhaps use ChatGPT to help with revision.

In this post, I offer 10 “traditional” suggestions on how to revise, then look at how ChatGPT responded as to how it can be used to help with homework and then revision You can also download a PDF summary to keep by your side to guide you when you are feeling lost or uninspired.

10 “traditional” suggestions to help with revision.

Know why you are revising.

I know that sounds ridiculous but for some people doing exams also seems ridiculous. Maybe your focus is just to get through the exam so that you never need to study that subject again, put it behind you and have done with it.

For others, it may be that you love the subject, and you want to do really well in it so that you can study it further or may be one day work in that field.

What’s your reason to get your head down for the next couple of months?

Work through past papers.

These can be found either on the exam board website or on sites such as Revisionworld, or MME. Doing this will familiarise you with the types of questions you can expect to get.

Look at the mark schemes.

Doing this will let you know what the examiners are looking for. There is a question on one of the English language papers that asks about the use of language and its effect on the reader. However, when you look at the mark scheme it also mentions that structure should also be incorporated into your answer.

Watch YouTube clips

Watch YouTube clips on specific aspects that you’re learning. Use them as a walk and talk mock exam. Watching and listening, and maybe also taking notes may be more interactive, less passive and as a result you will be more likely to recall the information in the exam when needed.

Use at least 5 colours when you are revising.

In doing so it helps to stimulate different parts of the brain, again making the information easier to recall when you are under pressure.

Don’t try to sit and revise for long periods of time.

In all honesty, it probably won’t be that effective. You’ll be better setting a timer after 30-45 minutes and having a short break. Otherwise, you may find that you are just sat there pondering life (if you are in the flow and you don’t want to break, obviously work at your discretion but don’t force it).

7.If you’re struggling to get started, commit to doing just 5 minutes. It might seem poultry, but you may find that once you’re started you keep going. If you don’t, at least that 5 minutes has been better than nothing. Tomorrow is another day.

8.Note what you have done each day to get you closer to getting the grades that you want. You may find that patterns appear; you are only studying your favourite subjects or things you understand, you never get much done when you’ve had a certain lesson and the teacher piles on the homework, certain days are always productive because you have the house to yourself for a couple of hours. It also gives you the opportunity to reflect and see how far you have come.

Mind maps and post stick notes are always popular.

The larger the variety of revision techniques you use, the more memories you are creating and stimulating different areas of your brain. Again, this makes it easier to recall the information when you are in the exam and struggling to recall the information that you need.

Ask for help when you need it.

To expand my suggestions for this post, I asked ChatGPT how it can help with homework and year 11, revision”. This was the response I received:

“I completely understand the frustration of trying to find the right resources to help your child revise, especially when they're not allowed to bring their schoolbooks home. Before investing in expensive revision books, I’d like to suggest an alternative that might work just as well, if not better, using ChatGPT as a revision tool.

ChatGPT can help in several ways with both homework and Year 11 revision:

1. Explaining Concepts Clearly

If your child is struggling to understand a particular topic, she can ask ChatGPT to explain it in simple terms. Whether it's a tricky maths problem, an analysis of a poem, or a science concept, ChatGPT can break it down into easy-to-understand steps. Sometimes, hearing something explained in a different way makes all the difference—just like how you and I explain things to our own children differently from their teachers.

2. Personalised Practice Questions

ChatGPT can generate practice questions tailored to the specific subject your child is studying. For example, if they need help with algebra, poetry analysis, or history, they can ask for questions on that topic and then work through them. I can even provide step-by-step solutions or explanations if they gets stuck.

3. Revision Planning

Creating a study plan can be overwhelming, but ChatGPT can help organise a revision timetable. Your son/daughter can input her subjects, and ChatGPT can suggest how to structure their revision time, ensuring they cover all areas before exams.

4. Reviewing Past Papers

Although ChatGPT can’t provide official past papers, I can help go through typical exam-style questions. Your son/daughter can ask about the types of questions that usually come up, and I can guide her on how to answer them effectively, including advice on how to structure essays or responses in timed conditions.

5. Summarising and Quizzing on Notes

If they prefer using their own notes but aren’t sure they’ve retained all the information, ChatGPT can help by summarising key points or creating quizzes based on the notes she inputs. This can be a great way to test their knowledge in a fun and interactive way.

6. Quick Help with Homework

For day-to-day homework, if there’s something they don’t understand, ask ChatGPT for guidance. Whether it's a maths problem, a science question, or help with writing an essay, ChatGPT can provide instant feedback and support.

7. Revision Resources

In addition to answering questions, ChatGPT can provide recommendations for additional online resources, videos, or websites that might be useful for revising specific subjects. It’s like having a revision guide, tutor, and planner all in one place!”

When prompted further, Chat expanded on these ideas and offered the following:

“When it comes to revising for GCSEs, ChatGPT can be a fantastic support tool because it adapts to your needs and allows her to approach revision in a flexible, personalised way. Here’s how you can use ChatGPT to make the most of your revision sessions:

1. Topic-by-Topic Explanations

If you are revising a particular subject or topic but feel unsure about certain areas, you can ask ChatGPT for a clear, step-by-step explanation. For example, you could ask:

"Can you explain Pythagoras’ theorem?"

"What are the key themes in ‘An Inspector Calls’?"

"How does photosynthesis work?"

This way, you can review any topic quickly and easily, without needing to search through books.

2. Generating Practice Questions

Practice makes perfect, and ChatGPT can generate customised questions for any topic you are revising. You could ask for:

- Multiple-choice questions for science.

- Essay-style questions for English or history.

- Short answer questions for maths or geography.

Once you’ve answered, ChatGPT can provide feedback or explain how to arrive at the correct solution, helping to identify any gaps in your understanding.

3. Flashcards and Quizzes

Revision often involves memorising facts, definitions, or formulas. ChatGPT can create flashcards or quizzes to help test your memory. For instance, you could ask:

"Can you quiz me on the key events of World War II?"

"Give me some flashcard-style questions for the GCSE biology syllabus."

"Test me on my French vocabulary for GCSE."

This interactive revision approach keeps things varied and engaging.

4. Essay Writing Practice

For subjects that require essay writing, such as English literature, history, or religious studies, you can use ChatGPT to practice structuring your answers. She could ask ChatGPT to:

Provide essay questions on specific topics.

Help to outline ideas before writing an essay.

Review a sample essay and suggest improvements in terms of argument structure, use of evidence, and clarity.

It’s a great way to refine essay-writing skills in preparation for exams.

5. Summary Creation

You can input your own notes or key points from your textbooks, and ChatGPT can help summarise them. For instance, you could paste in a long passage and ask:

"Can you summarise this section on plate tectonics?"

"What are the main points of this history lesson?"

This helps to condense complex information into bite-sized chunks, making it easier to revise and remember.

6. Exam-Style Timed Practice

If you want to practice answering exam questions under timed conditions, you can ask ChatGPT to simulate an exam. For example, you could ask:

"Give me a 10-minute set of maths problems to complete."

"Can you give me a 30-minute English literature exam question to work on?"

This way, you can build confidence in answering questions within a specific time limit, just like in a real exam setting.

7. Reviewing and Clarifying Wrong Answers

If you get a question wrong, you can ask ChatGPT to explain why the answer was incorrect and provide guidance on how to solve it. This instant feedback helps you to learn from your mistakes and solidify your understanding of challenging concepts.

8. Building a Personalised Revision Plan

ChatGPT can also help with creating a tailored revision timetable. If you input the subjects and topics that you need to cover, along with your exam dates, ChatGPT can suggest how to break you’re your revision into manageable chunks. This helps to keep you organised and ensures that you cover everything in time for the exams.

9. Revising with Past Paper Style Questions

Even though ChatGPT can’t access official past papers, it can generate questions similar to those found in past exams. Your daughter can ask for specific types of questions to practice:

"Can you give me an English literature exam-style question about Macbeth?"

"I need some algebra word problems to practice for GCSE maths."

This provides excellent practice for exam techniques and builds confidence in approaching the types of questions that might come up in the actual exam.

10. Staying Motivated

Revision can be overwhelming, but ChatGPT can also help keep you on track with encouragement and tips for staying motivated. If you feel stuck, you can ask for advice:

"How can I stay focused during revision?"

"What’s a good way to take study breaks?"

"How can I manage my time better?"

This flexibility allows ChatGPT to become a supportive study companion, available whenever help is needed.

In summary, ChatGPT can be a versatile, personalised tool for Year 11 revision, helping with everything from understanding difficult concepts to creating quizzes, practising questions, and staying organised. It’s an interactive and accessible way to support learning without the need for expensive resources.”

I hope this helps. ChatGPT does have a free version, if you do pay it’s around £20/month. I use it a lot and it has saved me a lot of time. Because it’s free, I would suggest giving it a go, if you’re not happy with it nothing ventured nothing gained.

Most importantly, believe in yourself. You have put the effort in and there is no reason that you can’t reach your full potential. Just walk into that exam hall knowing that there was nothing else you could have done, and you can be proud of yourself and everyone who matters will be proud of you too.

Good luck

If you would like more support as you work through KS3 and 4 towards your GCSE's, check out the Clara James Approach, alongside resources to help you to learn and revise we also have regular live revision sessions that you can join.

For more information, click here: The Clara James Approach