New Destinations B2 Module 11

You are going to read a magazine article about ways to revise for exams. For questions 1-10, choose from the people A-F. The people may be chosen more than once.

How to Revise for an Exam

Exams are stressful - we know. But there are many ways to approach them. We asked six successful students how they deal with this difficult task. Why not see if these tactics work for you?

A Tom Chapman

Throughout the term, I often use the computer to do essays and make notes. I save all these, with a folder for each subject. If I have my homework marked by my teacher, and there are mistakes or problems. I update the file so that it always has the most recent and correct information. When exam time comes and I want to revise for a particular subject, I just pull up those files and make a copy - all on one document. What I usually do then is go through all the information, deleting everything but the basic facts, so I have a shortened version of all my notes - with none of the unnecessary information like essay introductions and conclusions. Then I split it into pages and read through them one at a time. PowerPoint’s good for that because you can watch it like a slide show, memorising the information before the screen changes.

B Helen Ward

Two or three of us get together at someone’s house. We have all our books and notes with us, and we go through them week by week - sort of re-living the school term. We often find that we have forgotten what we've been taught - especially in the first weeks of term because it’s so long ago, so having someone else there means it’s more likely that one of you will remember. We usually do that for a couple of hours, and then we play music and chat.

C John Hunter

I find it helps me to copy important information onto pieces of paper. It's easy to look up a particular fact then. Sometimes. I read the information on a page and then cross it out, one line at a time. When I get to the end. I try to remember what I’ve written. I think the secret is to not put too much information on each sheet - you'll never remember a page full of facts. So, for that reason, I often use small white cards. I write a sentence or a date on each card, then learn them by heart. If it's literature, I might have a card for each character, and note down his or her main characteristics.

D Carly Dalton

Get away! You’ll never revise in your room - there are too many other things you want to do. You'll sit down to revise and think, ’Oh, I’ll just check my emails' or ‘Let's just put on this CD'. Before you know it, you’ll have written to all your friends, and read the entire lyrics of your favourite singer. You'll probably even have joined his fan club! I usually go to my aunt's house, but if it's not raining, you can do it in the park.

E Tim Bolton

Revision is an on-going process. Or, it should be, if you ask my opinion. Once a week, on Sunday evenings, read through your notes from school. Do it while they are fresh in your mind. This also gives you the opportunity to ask your teacher on Monday morning if there’s something you haven’t quite understood. Then, have a quick look through on the day before the exam, and you should sail through it!

F Samantha Middleton

It's a bit complicated! I do it in two stages. The first is in the evening when I’m still wide awake. I sit at my desk and read my notes aloud. On my desk is a small voice recorder with a microphone, so I record my notes. Then I go and do something different, like watch TV or talk to my sister. Stage two is at bedtime. As I get into bed, I play back what I have recorded. Sometimes, I’m no longer awake when it reaches the end, but I don’t think that matters. I think some of the information still sinks in! I often wake up in the morning having worked out a particular problem in my head.

Which person:

1 recommends changing the environment where you study?

2 thinks it’s better to revise in company?

3 mentions taking a break while revising?

4 says it’s important not to put too much on a page?

5 talks about distractions?

6 uses modern technology to make their notes shorter?

7 mentions studying at weekends?

8 spends the least time revising before an exam?

9 believes they might be still learning while asleep?

10 combines revision with social activities?

You will hear five different people talking about taking a driving test. For questions 1 -5, choose from the list the problem each person faced. Use the letters only once. There is one extra letter which you do not need to use.

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

1 What’s the name of your driving             [tutor, instructor]?

2 I’ve got to write an assessed             [essay, composition] by Monday.

3 How much are the school       [costs, fees]at a typical public school?

4 We’ve got to learn the poem    [to, by] heart.

5 Dawn should get her exam          [findings, results] tomorrow.