Top 5 Revision Strategies for Students: How to Study Smarter and Boost Exam Success

Here are 5 of some of the best revision strategies you didn’t know you needed!

1. Leitner question cards

The Leitner system is a highly effective revision strategy that uses spaced repetition and active recall through question cards. Learners sort their cards into different boxes based on how well they know each answer: cards answered correctly move to a box reviewed less often, while incorrect ones stay in more frequent rotation. This targeted practice strengthens memory retention, ensures weaker areas get extra focus, and reduces wasted study time. Because it adapts to individual progress, the Leitner system is considered one of the smartest, most efficient ways to prepare for exams. Have you heard of it? Trial it and let me know how well it goes for you!

If you’re looking for some examples of Leitner Question Cards check out my Frankenstein ones here.

Download my ‘How To Guide’ for Leitner Questions

2. Do not write the whole essay

Writing full essays just before an exam often isn’t the best use of revision time. While it can polish your writing style, it rarely helps you cover the range of themes, characters, and texts likely to appear. Instead, focusing on planning multiple essays trains you to think quickly, spot key connections, and structure strong arguments under pressure. For example, sketching out plans comparing Blanche and Stanley across different themes in A Streetcar Named Desire or outlining contrasting views of power in Macbeth can build broader, flexible knowledge that’s crucial for unseen exam questions.

I would recommend going through a bank of past questions (or create some new predictive ones!) and time yourself writing a plan for each. Aim for roughly 10-15 minutes per plan to hone your skills at connecting key ideas, establishing hierarchies of importance in concepts and reusing high-utility quotations time and again.

Here are some examples of the types of questions that may come up in different topics you could use:

Romeo & Juliet Essay Planning Bundle

Othello Essay Questions

Poems of the Decade Essay Questions

A Streetcar Named Desire Essay Questions

The Essay Writing Collection

Explore some modelled plans I have done to guide you:

A Streetcar Named Desire Essay Plan: Shame

Great Expectations Essay Plan: Explore Pip’s Characterisation

3. Interleaving

Instead of revising one topic at a time (blocked practice), mix different topics or skills in a session. For example, alternate between unseen poetry analysis and Purple Hibiscus essay practice. This strengthens connections between ideas and improves adaptability in exams.

See examples of this retrieval practice in action:

Retrieval Challenge: A-level Literature Revision

Young and Dyslexic Retrieval Practice Quizizz

What beginning to learn Arabic has taught me about teaching ‘English as a Second Language’

4. The Feynman Technique

Try to explain a concept in the simplest possible terms, as if teaching a younger student. If you struggle, revisit and refine your understanding. This highlights gaps and reinforces retention. You could do this as a physical teaching practice, make a short video or presentation which distills these ideas. Share these with someone else with no knowledge of your topic who you can test them on – like other teachers or parents! Remember, in this example you should still make use of a full range of academic vocabulary and terminology but use it in clear and precise ways.

The true art of writing lies not in making the simple complicated, but in making the complicated simple.

Here are some banks of academic vocabulary, do not forget to use them in your speech and well as written work, this will embed the language and improve oracy!

If you are looking to explore the importance of oracy, check out this post for more: The Importance of Oracy in Education: Strategies to Develop Speaking and Listening Skills in Schools

5. Dual Coding with Active Drawing

Instead of passively looking at diagrams or notes, create your own visual representations—mind maps, timelines, or flowcharts. This engages multiple cognitive pathways, improving memory and recall. For example, when revising An Inspector Calls, you might sketch character webs showing how each character is connected to the central theme of responsibility. This method engages different parts of the brain, making information easier to understand, recall, and apply under exam conditions. Visual learning strengthens deeper connections between ideas and content.

Here are some examples:

Embedding Vocabulary into the Curriculum: Romeo and Juliet

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