GCSE Resources
GCSE Resources
GCSEs are a difficult period for students in years 10 and 11.It is very important that those students realise how important it is to understand the usefulness of the many GCSE resources that are available.
With the new changes in GCSE exams which have redesigned the marking system from letter grades A-U to the new numerical one of 9-1 with 9 being the highest mark and 1, the lowest and U remaining as unmarked, discovering and using support resources will be crucial for students to achieve the highest possible marks. Below are just a few suggestions of some resources which may be helpful.
Understanding GCSE Resources
Teachers
First is perhaps the most obvious but one which many students overlook and it is their course teachers. Students may overlook the importance of tapping into their teacher’s knowledge, due to their student-teacher relationship. We all understand that not everyone will have a positive relationship with those educators, however, they are often vital as a GCSE resource. It is a good opportunity for students to request a conversation with their teachers where they can ask for an assessment of both their strengths and weaknesses in their particular subjects. Knowing this will help them develop a study plan early on in their GCSE preparation. Which we know is crucial to getting top marks at GCSE.
Exam Boards
Students may also often overlook the importance of is being clear on which exam board they will be sitting. Whether it is AQA, Edexcel, OCR, knowing which one they are sitting is paramount to their revision and learning of subject matter. Once students are clear about which exam board, they will be sitting then they can access online each board’s course requirements. This is one of the key GCSE resources. It’s essential that they are absolutely clear about each subject’s requirement and that information can be accessed online from the board’s website. Students can then create a study plan based on these requirements.
Revision Books
Revision books are a great form of GCSE Resources. Find and buy revision books on your subject. There are many revision books now available to buy but students should try as much as possible to read reviews of these before they purchase them so they can make sure they are buying a revision book that will meet their needs.
Online GCSE Resources
BBC Bitesize provides a range of wide range of GCSE resources for all the exam boards and all GCSE subjects. The material which is available includes everything from sample questions to suggested revision, videos and more. For subjects such as English, the site in some cases even gives you a brief explanation of the social and historical context in which the piece was written. It is a wonderful resource and what is best though is that it is all available free of charge, the site simply requests that you register a free account, and you can then use all the material online at any time.
Tes is an online website that offers educational GCSE resources which has been created by teachers for teachers with many GCSE resources specifically for GSCE revision. The website offers everything from exam question papers to revision material. Some material is free while others you will have to pay for but all the GCSE resources are graded by those who have used them so it’s possible to see what the rating for the resource material is before it is purchased. Tes is a particularly good resource for English and Maths. Also the registration is free!
Video Resources
For GCSE students, Mr Bruff’s online education guides on Youtube are invaluable. Created by an English teacher the videos are clear, concise, easy to understand. This is an invaluable GCSE resource for any student preparing for their upcoming exams. Mr Bruff’s videos look mainly AQA exam questions but many of the suggestions made can apply to English exam questions across all the boards. There are also published revision books that complements the videos. A great GCSE resource for preparation for GCSE exams.
Past papers
GCSE past papers are also extremely useful and can be easily found online. They can help students get a good sense of what examiners will be looking for. This can help students focus on areas they may find they are quite weak in. The mark scheme for each paper can also be downloaded. Students can see exactly how responses are marked. This allows students to have a good understanding of where they currently sit in terms of overall marks. This will also help highlight areas that need to improve in order to achieve higher marks. The website Revision World offers a wide range of past papers and is an invaluable resource. MME mathsmadeasy website also overs a wide range of past papers with new and old specifications so students can also see how the marking system has now changed.
Finally, practice papers can be invaluable in preparation for an exam since good practice papers will include not only exam questions, answers but also an explanation of how answers were arrived at and exercise that students can make use in preparations for their exams. In many ways, practice papers can be an even more invaluable resource than past papers since they can supply students with the resources which will assert their GCSE preparation. A great publisher of practice papers would be CGP who are a particularly good resource.
Tutors as GCSE Resources
For students that need a little extra help in understanding content or building their confidence. It is a great idea to invest in a GCSE tutor. A tutor can support students in many areas from, revision to exam technique. The prolonged help of a tutor can improve a student’s final grade. This is where Mentor will be able to help. We take the time to ensure students are matched with subject experts.
So, although the reorganization of GCSE exams has perhaps made them far more rigorous. There are now more GCSE resources available than ever before. These GCSE resources support students which means that they will ultimately achieve the mark they desire for their forthcoming exams.