Exam Preparation
From working at Grade 4 to achieving a Grade 7 at GCSE Geography
What were the barriers?
Niamh was a high-achieving A Level student aiming to study medicine and needed an A in Geography to secure her university place. Despite previously achieving a B, she narrowly missed the A grade by a few marks. She was under significant pressure, which affected her ability to focus and concentrate fully on Geography, making revision and exam preparation more challenging. Niamh required our help to refine her approach in the subject and make sure she didn’t leave marks on the table.
What was the strategy?
To improve Niamh’s exam preparation and overall study strategy, we pushed her hard using the following strategies.
1. Establishing an Accurate Start Point
• We reviewed her previous exam scripts to identify what was holding her back from an A.
• We pinpointed weak areas in both knowledge (e.g. physical/human topics) and skills (e.g. evaluation, essay structure).
• We set clear weekly targets aligned with the AQA exam board assessment objectives.
2. We Comprehensively Rebuilt Core Knowledge & Case Study Confidence
• Topic-by-topic revision, focusing on misunderstood or forgotten content.
• Used structured revision for case studies and rebuilt all case study knowledge (location, causes, impacts, responses, evaluation).
3. Intensive Exam & Essay Technique Development
• We taught and practised exam answer structure using the AQA mark scheme:
o Use PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explain and Link) and CASE structure for longer answers.
o Developed deeper evaluation and synopticity for high-mark questions.
• Deconstructed model answers and embeeded models for what makes an A-grade response.
4. Practice Papers & Time Management
• Scheduled regular timed exam practice, starting open-book, progressing to full papers and even mock exams.
• Focused on exam pacing, ensuring Niamh could complete all questions under timed conditions.
• Provided detailed feedback on each practice paper with clear targets for improvement.
5. Motivation, Focus & Mindset Support
• We broke down workload into manageable weekly goals to reduce overwhelm.
• Used progress tracking charts to visually show improvement and build confidence.
• Addressed exam stress directly by building confidence in small wins and focusing on exam strategy over perfection.
6. Final Revision Phase (Final 4–6 Weeks)
• Switched to exam-focused sessions and increased the frequency of sessions per week: quick-fire recaps, case study recall, and timed essays.
• Prioritised question types she found most challenging (20-mark evaluation questions and tricky changing places questions).
• Reinforced top-tier exam technique with peer-marking and self-assessment as well as working in a small group setting.
What were the results?
With a combination of the strategies outlined we were able to raise Niamh's grade from a B to an A*. Niamh successfully raised bother her human and physical geography scores in both papers, a testament to the accuracy of the strategy. Niamh was able to proceed to study medicine at university where she is now in her first year.