English Lang Exam practice revision for Maths GCSE

Exam practice revision for GCSE English Language​

A guide of some top revision tips

Basic principles of English Language revision

Basic principles of English Language revision

We'll break these down further across the next few slides and give some advice for parents at the end

Read widely, read frequently, read actively​

Practise purposefully to build progress

Know the exam

Read widely, read frequently, read actively​

• Read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction – from novels to short stories, articles, speeches, autobiographies etc.
• Aim to read for at least 20 minutes a day.
• Be a reading detective. When you’re reading ask yourself:

- What is suggested rather than said?- What is the writer focusing on here? Why? - Which word or phrase is striking? Why? - What is the mood/ atmosphere/ tone? Does it stay the same or change? Why might this be? - Highlight methods and make quick notes on their effect.​

• Practise spotting the ‘big picture’ and the ‘small details’.

Practise purposefully to build progress​

• The more you practise, the easier it gets and the more you will improve. ​
• Little and often is more effective than cramming everything in the night before. ​
• Aim to practise for up to an hour weekly breaking this up into manageable practise bursts.​
• Train your brain on micro skills. Focus on one skill/ question type at a time. Small, focused practise builds stronger writing overall.​
• Keep a checklist of what you’ve revised, then return to each skill/ question 2-3 times before the exam.​
• Practise skills not content e.g. focus on how to analyse writer’s methods or comparing ideas presented in texts; for writing tasks practise openers, describing and structuring narratives. ​
• Work through past papers and compare your responses to model answers so you know what good looks like.

Know the exam​

• Understanding the exam helps you work smarter, stay calm and use every minute wisely.​
• Know the structure of the papers and what each question requires you to do to ensure there aren’t any surprises. The question structure on the language papers are always the same; it is only the content/ topic of the reading material that changes year on year.​
• Know the exam timings to help you stay calm, avoid spending too much time on short questions and to guarantee you have time for the questions that matter most – like the writing sections.​
• Know what strong answers look like for each question so you can replicate this in your own writing which will help you be successful.​
• If you are unsure of what the exam structure and timings are, you can find information on this in the revision booklets.

Advice for parents/carers

Advice for parents/carers

What to look for as your child is revising

Signs your child is coping well​

• They are revising little and often – short sessions (20-30 minutes) consisting of a mix of reading, writing and exam practise. ​
• They should be able to tell you what they are revising including what skill they’ve been practising, what they find easy/ hard and what their next step is. ​
• There is steady progress over time with writing becoming clearer and more focused.​
• They are reading widely and frequently (at least 20 minutes daily).​
• If you are unsure of whether your child is revising the right things, there are revision booklets available to support them.

Advice for parents/carers

What to look for as your child is revising

Signs your child may need more support​

• Your child might be avoiding revision saying they don’t know where to start. A gentle routine will help get them back on track e.g. start with a 20-minute revision session done together.​
• They are revising for excessively long periods without breaks and late into the night. Encourage quality over quantity.​
• Getting stuck on one skill or question type resulting in them giving up. Support them by encouraging them to look at teacher feedback or look at the revision guides available which sets out what to do for each question or move on to a question that they can do and coming back to the tricky question at a later stage.

Final tips

Final things to remember as you revise

• Read short, varied texts regularly​

• Travel writing, speeches, articles, memoirs i.e. the kinds of texts the exam uses. It builds vocabulary and exposes students to real exam-style writing.​

• Read and annotate with purpose

• Practise answering one question type at a time

• Don’t jump across whole papers. Master Q2 language first, then Q3 structure, then Q4 evaluation, etc. Targeted practise builds confidence faster than full papers.

• Redraft ONE paragraph a week using teacher feedback

• Don’t redo whole essays. Take your weakest paragraph, fix it, and keep a “before + after” page. Improvement is easier to see (and remember) when it’s small and focused.​

• Do at least two full timed papers, but only near the end.

• Stick to recommended timings

• Low‑mark questions should get low time. Save energy for the big reading answers and the writing task.​

• Look at models and imitate the structure​

• Focus on how paragraphs open, how quotations are integrated and how ideas build. ​

Thank you!