How to Revise for GCSE Maths: Top Tips By Teachers

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If you or someone you know is revising for the GCSE Maths exams, you’ll know the struggle all too well: lots of topics to go through and not knowing where to start.

But fear not – the teachers at Your Favourite Teacher have the down-low on all the revision techniques needed to ace GCSE Maths.

1. Start with a topic you don’t like

We’re naturally inclined to want to do things we’re good at, so the first maths revision tip is to force yourself to start with the opposite: a topic you find difficult.

Sure you might initially struggle through it, but giving yourself more time to practice those harder parts is important.

Begin by going through all topics and highlighting the ones you find trickier so you know where to focus on first.

You can find all the key topics to revise for GCSE Maths in our downloadable checklist.

2. Use a revision timetable

Next, create a revision timetable to plan when you are going to revise, and how much time you’ll give yourself for each topic.

We advise revising in 40-minute chunks and making time for breaks so your brain can rest (more on that later!)

We’ve created a revision timetable that you’re free to print off and use – we sure hope it helps!

3. Make the most of flash cards

They may sound old school, but trust us, flash cards are more than just a good idea.

They’re an excellent way to condense information into smaller, more manageable chunks in a way that makes sense to you.

For example, you can add important formulae and equations you need to remember.

Go through them regularly and ask a friend or parent to quiz you on them. You’ll be surprised how much they’ll help you remember.

4. Do maths

We can’t stress this enough: the only way to revise maths is to do maths.

Going over your textbook and revision notes is important but nothing makes up for time spent solving math problems.

The more you practice, the more you’ll get right and the higher your confidence will be, which plays a huge role in doing well on your exams.

That’s why each one of our GCSE Maths lessons comes with a worksheet to help you practice.

Simply log in to your Your Favourite Teacher account, select the topic you need more help with and download the corresponding worksheet to access the exercises.

5. Track your progress

Make sure you have a go at past exam papers under timed conditions to see how long it takes you to go through all questions.

This way you’ll be well prepared for the real exam and won’t get into situations where you run out of time.

The Your Favourite Teacher lesson quizzes are another great way to stay on top of your progress.

Our quizzes are a great way to test your knowledge of the topics and give you the option to check your answers at the end to get an idea of how you’re performing.

And at the end of each course, why not download your user report for an overview of your progress? It’ll show you lessons completed, quizzes passed, coins collected and much more.

Seeing how far you’ve come is an excellent motivator to get all topics covered in time.

6. Take breaks

Yep, you read that right! The human brain is only able to maintain focus for around 45 minutes at a time, so make sure you give yourself that needed rest.

Plan in shorter breaks (around 10 to 15 minutes) every hour, and longer breaks (of at least 30 minutes) every two hours.

During your longer breaks, stay away from screens and try to get out into the fresh air – it’ll do wonders to help you get back into that concentration mode afterwards.

And once you’re done with revising for the day, give yourself something to look forward to, like watching a movie with the family.

It’s important to plan in enough hours to unwind before going to bed. That way, your brain can relax and won’t keep you up all night with exam related thoughts!

Complete our online GCSE Maths courses

If you’re new to Your Favourite Teacher, sign up for a free trial to access all the GCSE Maths topics you’ll need to cover to ace your exams.

With a Your Favourite Teacher membership, you get access to all our GCSE Foundation Maths courses as well as GCSE English Language, English Literature and Science courses.

And if you want a taster of what to expect, watch our GCSE Maths playlist on YouTube.

How to revise for GCSE Maths: top tips by teachers