Students can either prepare on their own for their examinations or opt to take an Easter Revision course run by a school or college. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches and at the end of the day it is important that you choose the right method for you.

Revising alone

Revising alone works best for motivated, independent learners who have a firm understanding of their progress so far and what needs to be done. Our 7 tips for revision success can help you get started if you are planning to revise alone. Working alone suits students who find the pace of the classroom difficult: if you find that it takes you a while to absorb information and that sometimes it feels like topics are moving too fast, you might prefer to take some time on your own to go through everything and make sure you have a firm understanding of each area. Similarly if you feel that the classroom sometimes moves too slowly for you, you might prefer not to be ‘held back’ by that.

One of the potential downsides of revising alone is that the time you spend is not always especially productive, and it can be easy to get distracted. Without someone to keep you on track, relying solely on your own discipline to keep you going can be risky. You might also be slowed down by not understanding something fully, which means that you either need to spend time working it out alone or you need to set it aside until you are able to seek clarification, which can reduce your momentum. If you do try and work it out on your own, you will need to be careful to ensure that you have reached the correct answer and are not learning something inaccurate. The benefit of this style of working is that when you do finally nail that topic, you will probably remember it better than if it had been explained to you by someone else.

Getting help from an Easter Revision provider

Many schools and colleges offer short, intensive courses over the Easter period that are designed to provide rigorous preparation for the examinations students will be taking that summer. A good Easter Revision provider will cover key aspects of the syllabus in addition to providing students with support on examination technique. At MPW, we go beyond that by organising students into board-specific groups to ensure that every aspect of their revision is focused and relevant. In addition, all students are provided with a folder of past papers and mark schemes meaning that in the time between the course and the examination they can continue to practice what they have learnt.

The advantages of attending an Easter Revision course are that you are guaranteed a certain number of hours of preparation for each examination, which can be the impetus that many students need to hit the ground running for the rest of their revision. Having a teacher available for consultation rather than attempting to work independently means that you are kept on target for the entirety of the course and also that you have a second chance to learn the material from an expert, filling in any gaps that you might have missed initially.

Maximising potential

All students taking Easter Revision courses do so with a view to improving their performance in their impending examinations. Easter Revision is useful to students in a number of ways because it can provide a thorough and intensive re-examination of the syllabus at the same time as allowing the option for clarification from a tutor on any topics that students find challenging or have previously misunderstood. Easter Revision also allows students to practise examination technique and learn about model answers to questions, which is known to benefit performance.

Good grades are more important than ever

The pandemic has changed the educational landscape in the UK and Easter Revision provides students with support in achieving the highest grades, which is particularly important than ever for students to maximise their potential, build confidence, and boost their grades:

• The implications of the pandemic

The return to ‘normal’, pre-pandemic grade boundaries will mean fewer top grades will be awarded.

• More 18-year olds will retake their A Levels to maximise their full academic potential and not settle for second best.

The number of 18-year olds is forecast to rise year on year until the end of the decade, resulting in more competition for university places, especially for courses with capped numbers such as medicine. For GCSE students, it’s important more than ever to get the grades you deserve to ensure you meet entry requirements for A Level courses.

• Re-building confidence

GCSE and A level students sitting exams in Summer 2023 may still lack experience and confidence in formal exam settings due to Covid impacted teaching. In our GCSE and A Level Retakes – what does it mean this year? article we explain the added stress caused by the pandemic during exam season. Easter Revision is a chance get on top of your subject knowledge before the summer examinations so that you can get the grades you’ve wanted.

Easter Revision varies from provider to provider and the best thing to do if you are considering a course is to contact the school or college directly to discuss your requirements.

At MPW, students are organised into board-specific groups of no more than nine. Courses are between four and 40 hours long, depending on the subject. The most common course length is 20 hours (taught from 9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm, or 9am to 6pm every day for a week). As well as covering the syllabus or relevant topic area, students are coached in exam technique and provided with a folder of resources to support this.

2023 course dates

MPW London and MPW Cambridge:

Week 1: Monday 27 March – Friday 31 March
Week 2: Monday 3 April – Friday 7 April
Week 3: Monday 10 April – Friday 14 April

MPW Birmingham:

Week 1: Monday 3 April – Friday 7 April
Week 2: Monday 10 April – Friday 14 April
Week 3: Monday 17 April – Friday 21 April

It is important to make the right decision for you so talk to your parents, teachers and friends about whether or not Easter Revision courses would suit your needs. We also provide advice on how to choose an Easter Revision course if you do decide you would like to move forward. Of course, you can tailor the courses to your requirements, allowing you to prepare alone for the subjects you are confident in whilst arranging some extra help for the ones you feel might be more of a struggle.

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