How to Effectively Prepare for the IGCSE Exams

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams are just around the corner. Naturally, the anticipation and pressure inside the students would be running high. Running continuous sprints for hours through miles of notes, textbooks and PDFs, one might often find themselves in a mess.

So, Tutela Prep has you covered with effective methods to prepare for your IGCSE Certificate exams. Our guidance is grounded in the experiences of students and focuses on study techniques that maximise revision efficiency and exam performance.

1. Streamline your notes: It is advised to avoid copying textbook information blindly and focus on the topics that are likely to be asked in the exam. Making notes of those topics makes revision easier and more effective.
2. Use Flashcards: Using flashcards is very helpful and effective as they help memorise definitions and technical terms of subjects like Sciences and Business Studies. Flashcards enable quick and active recalling and can also be used independently for daily revision sessions.
3. Blurring Method: This method involves writing everything down on a blank sheet of paper with bullet points, numeric data, diagrams, etc. Then check with primary texts and notes to identify any gaps. This method can be actively used with verbal recitation of content to another person or to a mirror reflection.
4. Solve previous years’ papers: Practising previous years’ papers is the most effective and practical way of preparing for any examination. Especially in the case of the IGCSE exams, they help to understand the theory more effectively and help solidify knowledge. Students also develop their time management skills by simulating real exam situations.
5. Track progress with a Spreadsheet: Maintaining a spreadsheet during revision time helps students to document their progress with previous years’ papers, important topics, question codes, marks being scored in practice sessions, improvement areas, etc. 
6. Maintain a Correction Notebook: A correction notebook should be a compilation of all difficult and frequently asked questions and concepts in a single place either in a physical notebook or a digital file. Reviewing this notebook will help students with quick revision, especially of challenging material.
7. Build answer templates for every subject: Certain subjects in the IGCSE course, like Sciences, Geography, and Business Studies, show a repeated structure in the questions. It is advisable to keep some answer structures ready for frequently asked questions and topics that can be adapted in the exams.
8. Dedicate ample time for sleep and maintain a proper diet: The effect of daily sleep hours of 8 to 9 hours every day with a healthy and nutritious diet helps maintain a sound body and mind for the challenging examination situations.