How to Ace A Levels

Last Updated: April 5, 2022 Approved

A-levels are what the standardized tests are called in most places in the United Kingdom. A-levels can be tedious, so it's a good idea to prepare for them. This wikiHow will tell you how you can prepare for, and ace, the A-Levels.

Steps

1
Start preparing early. A-levels require you to learn a vast amount of content, so get your exam preparation under way as early as you can. If you haven't begun revising yet, start today. This will help you to learn the material gradually across the year - there's far too much to cram the week before!^{[1]
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- Use the specification (available on the exam board website) to make sure that you know everything you need to.
- Many students fail to appreciate that A-levels are a huge step up from GCSEs. Even if you got As and Bs at GCSE by only revising the month before, don't expect the same to work now. You need to dedicate much more time and effort to your studies if you want even the slightest chance of earning those elusive A* grades.
2
Pay attention in class. Be sure to write down brief notes during lectures, highlighting what the teacher says is especially important.^{[2]
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- If your school or college allows you to take a mobile phone to class, record your teacher's lecture so you can write extra notes from it later.
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3
Rewrite your notes at home. After each day at school/college, write detailed notes neatly on a separate notebook. Include diagrams and tables.
- Make sure your existing notes are of good quality. If you have already attended some classes, rewrite all the notes you have in a more organized way, adding in more information that you have learned since then. Remember, the more you know about a subject the better.
- You could also make colourful posters for topics, including features such as key words, definitions, equations, mind maps, diagrams and flowcharts. Stick the posters to the wall in a place where you will be able to see them every day.
4
Organize a weekly schedule. Study all your subjects every day in small portions, aiming for at least four hours of study time per subject per week. This will help you to reconnect ideas you have previously learned, and helps with memorizing and understanding. After each weekly schedule has been completed, plan and write a new one for the following week. Only have one day a week as free time. Be strict and finish all your planned work!
- Keep in mind that some situations, such as coursework deadlines approaching or tests being announced, will need you to spend more time doing work for particular subjects. For example, if you have a Biology test next week, devote at least an extra 30 minutes daily to revising and practicing questions for it.
- If you are in your second year of studying new reformed A-Levels, be sure to put extra time towards revising content for these courses that you covered in your first year. It's essential to keep this material fresh in your mind - no matter how well you know it now, you won't remember it so clearly come exam time if you don't revise it regularly.
5
Keep on top of your homework. Homework may seem like a drag, but doing it is essential to your progress. Treat every assignment as a chance to revise topics you've gone over in class and apply your knowledge.
- Aim to start every piece of homework on the day it's assigned. It's hard to produce work that reflects the best of your ability if you procrastinate and carelessly whizz through it the night before it's due in.
6
Try to finish everything in your specification approximately 4 weeks prior to the exam. This will give you essential time to revise, practice past papers and answer additional questions.^{[3]
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7
Prioritise your revision. A common pitfall for many students is to revise what they already know rather than trying to understand what they're struggling on. Track how well you understand each topic using a traffic light system. Print out a copy of your syllabus to see all the topics that could come up in the exam, and mark each one with a colour - green, yellow or red.^{[4]
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- Use green for topics you would be confident answering questions about in the exam. Skim over them regularly to make sure things stay that way.
- Use yellow for topics you have some understanding of but haven't completely mastered yet. Spend a bit more time on these - practice questions on them and focus on the parts you're having trouble with.
- Use red for topics you find very difficult or confusing. Put the bulk of your revision towards understanding these, especially if questions about them are often worth a ton of marks in the exam. Ask your teacher for help if you're really struggling.
- Reassess the topics every week. Try to improve as many yellow and red topics to green as you can.
8
Do as many questions as you can. While textbook questions are handy for consolidating your knowledge, past exam papers are the key here. If you can get good marks on papers sat in previous years, you'll have a much better chance of earning high grades in the exams this year. At least two months before your exams, aim to do several per subject every week - it is crucial to practice.^{[5]
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- You can also challenge yourself by tackling papers from other exam boards. Content varies between boards, so stick to questions that are relevant to your specification.
9
Avoid stressing out or getting bored. If you don't find it interesting, try to create interest by studying biographies about famous scientists.
10
Make a routine, follow it strictly but don't get too cosy. Change it when this happens.
11
Rest, you don't want to spend days studying a topic that can easily be studied in a couple of hours. Keep your brain fresh and exercise. Remember "A healthy body possesses a healthy brain" and obviously, only a healthy brain can possibly ace Advanced level.
12
Motivate yourself and exercise discipline.
13
Don't panic if your test grades seem low. It's not easy to earn high grades in A-Levels, so if you find yourself suddenly getting Cs in a subject you aced at GCSE, you're not alone. Feeling a little nervous about your grades is normal and represents your concern.
- Set yourself goals to bring your grades up gradually. For example, if you're working at a grade D in a subject, practice that subject more regularly to reach grade C, then work towards grade B, and so on.

Expert Q&A

Question

Is it better to study in the morning or at night?

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon
Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Nathan Fox, JD

LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Answer

Study when you'll be at your freshest and most alert. For a lot of students, that might be before work. For other students, that might earlier in the day.
Question

How can I improve my short-term memory for studying?

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon
Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Nathan Fox, JD

LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Answer

Don't focus on building your short-term memory and racing against the clock. Try getting in some quality study time each day instead of cramming a lot of info into 1 study session.
Question

How do I study a bad book to improve my grades?

Community Answer

Study it. There is no such thing as "bad book". However, if you do not understand it, or feel like it is missing out on important points, then buy a Cambridge endorsed book. If you are unable to buy, make use of the internet. There are a lot of notes posted online.

Warnings

Don't skip topics you think are easy, some are crucial - make sure you know all of the topics that will be in the exam!

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Helpful 48 Not Helpful 2
O-levels/GCSEs are nothing compared to A-levels, you will need to put in a lot more effort.

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Helpful 53 Not Helpful 7
Use the specification (available on the exam board website) to make sure that you know everything you need to.

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Helpful 31 Not Helpful 3
Don't refer to the mark scheme while doing past papers, instead refer to the book or your notes. If you are sure you cannot find the answer use the mark scheme. Otherwise only use it to check how well you did after you've finished.

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Helpful 32 Not Helpful 6
Don't think it is easy to even pass A-levels even if you have done so in O-levels/GCSEs.

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