Ben Levi is a Lead Practitioner for MFL and leads on Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity. He is the co-author of the Sentence Builders Trilogy series speaking books, and creates online content for language teachers and learners.
For more from Ben, follow him on X @bengeorgelevi or on Facebook – Ben Levi Languages. You can find his podcast series, the Language Sofa Podcast, here.
It’s that time of year again. The photocopier is working overtime, the staff room coffee is running dangerously low, and your students are either in full-blown panic mode or suspiciously chilled (which is somehow more worrying). Exam season is upon us and as teachers, we’re expected to be revision guides, motivational speakers and occasional therapists – all while somehow staying upright.
But let’s be real: revision doesn’t have to mean endless mock exams, mountains of past papers, or repeating “revise at home” until we sound like a broken record. The key to helping students isn’t about making them do more – it’s about making them revise better.
So, grab your caffeinated beverage of choice, and let’s talk about how to get students revising effectively – without losing what’s left of your sanity.
The science: why less is more
Ever watched a student highlight an entire page and proudly declare that they’re “revising”? Or seen someone stare at a book for an hour, expecting knowledge to seep in through sheer willpower? Yep, we’ve all been there.
Here’s the thing: cramming doesn’t work. Research shows that our working memory can only handle a few chunks of information at a time (Miller, 1956 – drop that into a lesson and watch them look impressed). Overloading students with information isn’t just unhelpful – it’s counterproductive.
What actually works?
• Small, focused sessions – Encourage students to break revision into 30-45 minute chunks with short breaks in between. Tell them they’ll retain way more than if they pull an all-nighter fuelled by energy drinks. (They won’t believe you, but say it anyway.)
• The spacing effect – Spread revision out over time rather than cramming the night before. If only we could persuade them that regular short sessions over an extended period of time (think of interleaving that we use in the classroom) are worth more than five hours the night before an exam. We can dream.
• Retrieval practice – Get them to recall information instead of just re-reading notes. Flashcards, mini-quizzes, and explaining concepts to a friend work wonders. And yes, that includes getting them to teach you – because nothing makes them learn faster than trying to prove their teacher wrong.
Helping students manage their time (because they won’t do it themselves)
First of all…make a plan (and make them stick to it!)
Getting students to make a revision plan is like herding cats – but without a one, they’re likely to do either too much or (more likely) absolutely nothing.
How to help:
• Start with the tricky stuff – Their instinct will be to avoid what they find difficult. Encourage them to tackle their weakest topics first while their brain is still fresh.
• Mix it up – An hour of French followed by an hour of history is much more effective than three straight hours of physics. Variety keeps their brain engaged – and stops them from staring at the same page for too long.
• Be realistic – If a student’s plan involves 12 hours of revision on a Sunday, kindly remind them that they are not a machine. Balance is key.
Surviving the “but Sir/Miss, I revised for hours” excuse
Some students will claim they’ve revised for hours yet remember nothing. This is usually because their version of “revision” involved:
• Copying out the textbook word for word.
• Staring blankly at a page, hoping for divine intervention.
• Watching revision videos while scrolling TikTok on a separate screen.
How to fix it:
• Encourage active recall – Instead of passively reading, get them to quiz themselves, summarise information without notes, or explain concepts to each other. Collaboration can help by actually saying thought processes out loud and discussing tricky topics (as long as this doesn’t turn into debating the latest “drama” from school!)
• Ditch the endless notes – Yes, writing things down helps, but if they’re just rewriting the textbook, it’s busy work, not revision. Instead, get them to make mind maps, flashcards, or explain topics out loud. Recording themselves saying important facts as voice notes is a great strategy to then be able to listen back to themselves – this is a strategy I used a lot when studying for my exams at University.
• Use past papers properly – Answering a few past papers under exam conditions is better than ten papers where they check the mark scheme after every question. Teach them to reflect on mistakes and learn from them, rather than just collecting papers like Pokémon cards.
Helping students stay sane (whilst keeping yourself sane)
1. Sleep > cramming
It’s tempting for students to think they can trade sleep for extra revision. Gently remind them that sleep is when their brain consolidates information – so staying up until 3am the night before an exam is not a winning strategy.
2. Food that isn’t just sugar and caffeine
By exam season, the school vending machine becomes a lifeline for stressed-out students. If possible, encourage them to eat proper brain-boosting food – nuts, fruit, dark chocolate. (Yes, chocolate is scientifically good for the brain. Feel free to use that fact for your own benefit too.)
3. Movement matters
A quick walk or some exercise improves focus. Plus, it’s a great excuse to get them out of their room instead of sitting in a revision-induced slump. If they refuse, just remind them that moving around counts as procrastination and productivity at the same time. Win-win.
Avoiding the IKEA approach to revision
Revision without a strategy is like wandering around IKEA without a list. Sure, they’ll do something – but they’ll probably waste time, get overwhelmed, and end up with a lot of random knowledge they don’t actually need. We’ve all been there, tea lights, a side table and a large bag of Swedish meatballs wasn’t on the agenda, but always seem to appear in the trolley on every outing to the Scandinavian store. The same with revision, if we don’t plan, we just end up with a load of meatballs instead of what we actually need to know.
What teachers can do:
• Help them break revision down into manageable parts.
• Encourage retrieval over re-reading.
• Remind them that more revision isn’t always better revision.
• Keep morale up – because if we look stressed, they’ll panic even more. Motivational speeches were a hit for my last group of year 11s!
Final thoughts (and a reminder to breathe)
As teachers, we know that exams are important – but they’re not everything. Our job isn’t just to help students pass but to help them learn how to learn. The habits they build now will serve them for life, not just for this set of exams.
So, in these final weeks, let’s focus on helping them revise smarter, not harder. Let’s remind them (and ourselves) to stay balanced, take breaks and avoid the temptation of late-night cramming.
And if all else fails? Keep calm, carry on, and maybe treat yourself to some dark chocolate along the way. You’ve earned it.
If you found this post helpful, share it with a fellow teacher – or stick it on the staff room fridge as a reminder that, yes, exam season is stressful, but we’ve survived it before…and we’ll survive it again.
