Though re-sitting an exam is probably not a favourite activity, it’s worth giving it your best shot – especially if your heart is set on a specific course or university place. Here’s some advice to turn your fortunes round now:
1. Accept
First, wipe away the disappointment you feel about achieving disappointing grades. I’ve been there, and know how it feels when your best just wasn’t enough. Since you can’t change the past, focus on what you can do now. For starters, being positive – saying ‘I CAN do this’ – will help you get into a more productive frame of mind.
2. Be honest
Tell yourself that there could be several reasons why you didn’t achieve the grade you needed. Rather than dwell on the result, start your fight back! Decide to do things differrently this time. Think about your revision and planning. What worked, what didn’t?
3. Reflect
Think back to those exam papers. Jot down what you struggled with on the day. Did you run out of time? Did you spend longer on one question at the expense of another? Did you miss out one section entirely as you were unsure how to approach it? This will help you narrow down the areas you need to spend more time on.
4. Get online
Check out the exam board online for previous papers. Most exams now publish mark schemes, and even the examiner’s report for that exam season. It’s definitely worth reading through past papers and checking what would have earned you higher marks.
5. Beat the clock
Once you are more familiar with exam papers, try specific sections against the clock. Remember to time each section, aiming to stick to the time allowance. Many students lose easy marks by spending too much time on earlier questions at the expense of later questions with more marks.
6. Check and redo
As your confidence grows, tackle a whole paper under timed conditions at a desk without distractions. No smartphone, TV, music to mirror exam conditions. Afterwards, if you have the online mark scheme, check your answers against the examiner’s marks. Then… repeat. Put another ‘exam’ in the diary for tomorrow.
Private tuition to sharpen up exam techniques
Can a private tutor really turn your child’s fortunes round in such a short space of time? In a word, YES! Our Surrey and Sussex tutors have proved it time and again too…
This year, for instance, a batch of the best Lemon Tree tutors worked with English, Maths and Science GCSE students – all of whom were underachieving by at least one grade. How did they fare?
English exam success:
After the first session, the student’s mum emailed to say: ‘My son understood more in one lesson than a term of lessons at school. We can’t thank you enough.’ Better still, he eventually achieved a B grade for Literature, despite D grades in his mocks. A result!
Sensational Science results:
A GCSE Science student at St George’s College, Weybridge needed A and B grades to study A levels at college. Working at D/C grade, a short course of tuition with our fabulous Weybridge Science specialist helped him smash his target grades. One happy teenager with delighted parents.
Mastering Maths
Another GCSE Maths student struggling at D grade just couldn’t get pass the barrier. Not only did our fantastic Weybridge tutor rescue the student’s flagging confidence, but inspired her to achieve a C grade – something she never thought possible.
The Lemon Tree Tutors’ difference
What makes the difference? Simple. Every lesson with an experienced private tutor is planned with learners’ needs in mind. Personalised lessons ensure individual weaknesses are targeted head on. And because the whole lesson is devoted to your child’s needs, he or she can take huge leaps forward.
Speak to head teacher Nikki de Villiers today if you are looking for a fantastic GCSE and A Level Science tutor, a KS3 and GCSE English Tutor or a KS3 and GCSE Maths tutor to help your child shine.
