Revising for a Maths exam can be challenging, especially if you find yourself struggling to understand a particular topic.

One thing I would strongly recommend, from having reaped the benefits of it myself, is to work through as many past-papers as possible. Exam papers contain very specific terminology that is sometimes used to intentionally mislead you. Only by going through past-papers will you become familiar with these kinds of ‘traps’, allowing you to easily avoid them when it comes to your real exam. Additionally, working through past-papers will allow you to identify specific topics that you need to work on. This is a fundamental first step as it means that you can begin to revise what is important (i.e. what you find difficult) rather than fall into the trap, as most of us do, of revising what you find easy. Make a note of each question you struggle with, and begin revising the appropriate topics. When it comes to revising specific topics, your approach may vary depending on your learning style. You may be a student that learns best by discussing the work with someone (e.g. a tutor, teacher or classmate), copying out the text-book, or watching an explanation of the topic on YouTube. However you choose to revise, the most important thing is to follow-up your revision by working through more past-papers to test what you have learned.

To begin with, I would recommend ignoring the time-limit printed on the front of the exam paper. You should work your way through at your own pace until you feel confident in your knowledge of the entire specification of your exam board. Having said this, it is essential that – once you are confident in your knowledge of the specification – you time yourself as well. Make sure to be strict with yourself. If you run out of time but feel as though you could have answered the rest of the questions, then continue in a different coloured pen. That way, you will be able to give yourself two marks: one which is representative of what you would have got in the exam under strictly timed conditions, and one which is a representation of your knowledge. If the latter mark is much higher, then you will know that you need to develop your exam technique by working faster.

As a final tip, if you find that you have run out of past-papers to practice with, try going through past-papers for other exam boards. The specifications for each exam board are, on the whole, very similar and you will no doubt find questions that you are able to answer. Alternatively, try working through past-papers that you have done before and attempt to beat your previous mark. If you have any further questions, feel free to send me a message and I will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. I wish you all the best of luck!

solve: x/4 + 2x/(x+2)=1

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