Revision

Revision planning and techniques

Everyone has different ways of working and revising; the most important thing to do is recognise what approach works best for you when creating your own revision schedule and strategies.

We’ve put together some practical tips and examples of revision techniques which might be useful when planning your own revision, so you can prepare for exams with confidence.

Exam Dates and Times

Exams Information

Productivity tools

Planning your revision

List all deadlines

Start by noting down all your exam dates, assignment deadlines and any other assessments you have.

This could include:

Exams on your personalised timetable
Any 'in-class, locally' timetabled exams organised by your department (they take place outside the main exam periods)
Coursework or assignment deadlines.

Having everything listed in one place can help you stay organised and make it easier to plan revision.

Top tip: Add all your deadlines to a calendar or planner as early as possible. This will allow you to see what's coming up and decide when to start revising for different modules and topics.

Consider priorities

Once you know the deadlines you're working towards, it can be helpful to think about which which modules, topics or assessments may need the most attention.

Ask yourself:

Which modules or topics do I feel most and least confident about?
Which exams or deadlines are coming up first?

Reflecting on these question will help you decide key areas of focus, how much time to allocate to each area, and where to start.

Top tip: Try rating each topic: green (most confident), amber (some confidence), red (least confident). This can help to identify the areas you may need to spend the most time on.

Make a revision plan

Once you know your deadlines, the topics you need to cover, and which areas may need the most time, you can create a revision plan. Try to spread your revision across several weeks and build in time to revisit topics.

When planning, think about when, what, and how you're going to revise for each scheduled session.

Be specific, for example:

Monday 2-5pm: Review Cell Biology lecture notes and create flashcards.

Top tip: Block out revision time and key deadlines in your calendar. Tools like NotionLink opens in a new window, Trello Link opens in a new windowor even a simple diary can keep you organised.

Find study spacesLink opens in a new window that work for you

Different environments suit different people.
You might prefer:

A quiet space in the Library
One of the study spaces on campusLink opens in a new window
A local café or shared workspace
Background music or complete silence

Choose study spaces where you can feel focused, comfortable and productive.

Top tip: If you can, try using different locations for different modules or topics. Creating 'spacial associations' can make it easier to remember information later, while also helping to keep your revision varied - this is good for wellbeing!

Study at your best times

Everyone works differently, so it's worth thinking about when and how you study most effectively. For example, you might prefer to:

Study in the morning
Study later in the evening
Work for longer periods of time
Work in short bursts, with lots of breaks

Building your revision plan around when you have the most energy can make studying feel more manageable.

Top tip: Take a moment to think about what times of the day you feel most productive and how you work best.

Plan to relax too

Revision is important, but so is making time to rest and doing the things you enjoy. Planning regular breaks from studying can help you to to stay motivated, focused, and calm.

Starting your revision early means you can spread your workload over time, which will make it easier to balance revision with hobbies, social activities, sports, and other things you might enjoy. This will also help avoid any last-minute cramming too.

Top tip: Think of the three things you most enjoy outside of studying and make sure to build in time for them during the run-up to exams.

Revision techniques

When starting your revision, it's often tempting to focus on activities such as::

Re-reading lecture slides, handouts and books
Watching Lecture Capture recordings on Echo360 (if available)
Highlighting notes or copying out information

These are useful staring points, as they help you refresh your understanding of a topic and become more familiar with the material.

However, it's important to understand the difference between revision techniques that help you recognise information and those that require you to recall it from memory.

In exams, you'll need to remember, apply and explain information rather than simply recognise it when you see it.

For this reason, the most effective revision combines both approaches. Below are some examples of revision strategies which might work for you.

Making notes

Making notes:

The Cornell methodLink opens in a new window

This involves dividing your page into three sections:

Cue column (left): Write key words, questions and prompts.
Notes section (right): Record your main notes.
Summary section (bottom): Summarise key points in your own words.

When revising, you can cover the notes section and use the cue column to test your recall.

Visual methods

Creating visual revision notes such as mind maps and flowcharts can you organise and connect key concepts.

Use arrows, colours and branches to show relationships between ideas, themes and topics. This can help to see connections between topics and help make information easier to remember and recall.

You can create visual notes by hand or use online tools such as MindView and Coggle.

Move your notes off the page

Try writing notes on sticky notes and placing them around your home, room or desk.

This work well for remembering short pieces of information, such as quotes, definitions, dates, and facts.

Seeing information in different locations can help reinforce your memory and make it easier to recall information during revision and exams.

Memory methods

Memory techniques:

Flashcards

Flashcards are particularly useful when revising for exams with lots of similar or detailed content, such as facts, figures or vocabulary.

You can make them by hand, use online software such as Quizlet, or even use Microsoft Co-pilot as a quiz partner by asking it to test you on topics.

Acronyms & rhymes

Remember all those riddles and rhymes which used to get stuck in your head when you were younger?

There’s a reason for this! ‘Silly’ creations can help you remember key pieces of information, and distinguish between topic areas more clearly.

Dual coding

Dual coding means combining more than one style of information - for example text with visuals (such as mind maps, timelines, symbols or diagrams).

Using more than one format gives your brain more than one way of remembering the information.

Recall methods

Recall methods:

Active recall

Try testing yourself on the material, rather than just reading and rereading it.

This forces your brain to retrieve information, and strengthens your memory pathways, ensuring you can remember the information, not just recognise it.

Blurting

Write down everything you remember about a topic without looking at your notes.

You can even set a timer for an added challenge!

This will highlight any gap in your knowledge and strengthen your overall recall of a topic.

Teach friends

Try to explain a particular topic to one of your friends, or family members – preferably someone who hasn’t studied the module and isn’t an expert in the field.

This will make you break down more complex ideas into simple explanations and will identify any gaps in your recall.

Practice questions

Practice questions and past papers

Completing past papers and practice questions can be a really effective way to prepare for exams.

They can help you become familiar with assessment formats, test your understanding and identify areas that may need further revision.

Many modules provide past papers or practice questions to help you apply your knowledge. If you're unsure where to find these resources or have questions, reach out to your module tutor.

Remember: checking and reviewing your answers is just as important as completing questions. It can help you identify what you're confident with and where you may need further revision.

Try to start using past paper a few weeks before your exams so you have time to revisit topics and build your confidence.

Reassessments

Exams and Assessments

Understanding Feedback