How to revise for GCSEs: methods that work, with the evidence

What the research says

A major 2013 review by Dunlosky and colleagues, published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, rated two techniques as most useful: practice testing and spreading revision out over time (distributed practice). [1]
The same review rated summarising, highlighting and underlining, and re-reading as low usefulness. Use them as extras, not as your main method. [1]
The Education Endowment Foundation found these approaches can make a real difference, but evidence on how best to use them in different subjects and year groups is still limited. [2]

Retrieval practice: test yourself

Close your notes and textbook, then try to bring the information back from memory. Write it down, say it out loud, or explain it to someone. [3]
Use practice quizzes if your teacher gives them. If not, write everything you can remember about a topic on a blank page. [3]
Afterwards, check your answers against your notes or textbook, then fill in the gaps and fix mistakes. [3]
It will feel harder than re-reading. That struggle is part of how it works, and it is better to struggle in practice than in the exam. [3]

Spaced practice: little and often

Start early and plan your sessions well before the exam. Spacing is about when you revise, so combine it with methods like self-testing. [6]
Keep sessions short and realistic. Around 30 minutes every couple of days beats a two-hour marathon you will not keep up. [3]
Block revision time in a planner, then check after a week what you actually did and move slots that keep failing. [3]

Interleaving: mix it up

Interleaving means switching between ideas while you study, instead of staying on one topic or type of problem for too long. [5]
Do not switch too often, though. Spend enough time on each idea, and try to make links between ideas as you move between them. [5]
In maths, mixing different types of questions helps you get better at choosing the right method to solve each one. [5]

Dual coding: words plus pictures

We remember things better when we have them in both visual and verbal form. This is not the same as learning styles. [6]
Compare the diagrams in your textbook or teacher's slides with the text. Then cover the picture and draw your own, or cover the words and describe the picture in your own words. [4]
Try sketching a topic from memory, then explaining your drawing in words, also from memory. [6]

Sleep, breaks and looking after yourself

Most teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Last-minute cramming does not help as much as rest. [8]
Reviewing material after a night's sleep helps your memory, so going over Monday's lesson on Tuesday is a good habit. [3]
Take regular short breaks. Studying for hours on end makes you tired and hurts your concentration. [7]
Exercise takes your mind off stress and helps you sleep better. [7]

Using past papers

Practise full exam papers within the set time limit to improve your exam technique. [7]
Pearson's free past paper search gives you question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports, so you can mark your own answers. [9]
Doing a past paper is a form of practice testing, one of the two techniques rated most useful in the Dunlosky review. [1]

Sources

Checked 23 October 2026. Rules and dates change each year, so check with your school too. GCSE-ready is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson, JCQ, Ofqual or the Department for Education.

How to revise: methods that actually work