⌚ GCSE Exams This Week 17th-23rd May 2024

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Level Up! Week Two of GCSE Success

What Your Child Needs To Prepare For This Week.

Building on the foundation we laid last week, this newsletter dives deeper into supporting your Year 11 child during their exams. Remember, with the right tools and a calm environment, your child can confidently conquer their GCSEs!

Our goal is still simple - Support you so you can support your child.

Let’s get started!

Key Exam Dates 17th May - 23rd May

We will again highlight key exams alongside official exam board timetables, which can be found here, for further exploration.

Remember, your child's personalised timetable is the ultimate guide – use it to identify their specific exams for the week. Together, let's make week two a success!

Friday 17th May (am) - AQA/Edexcel/OCR - Chemistry Paper 1 and Combined Science: Trilogy - Chemistry Paper 1

Things parents should know about this exam;

  • Format: The exam is offered at Foundation and Higher Tier. Expect a mix of multiple-choice, short answer questions, and longer questions testing analysis, knowledge recall, and application.

  • Content: Topics include atomic structure and the periodic table, bonding, structure and properties, chemical reactions, acids, bases and salts. Refer to the previous section for links to specific exam board timetables for check the exam board specification for detailed content breakdowns.

  • Revision Resources: Watch this video tonight to revise all the Required Practical’s needed for Paper 1. This is designed for AQA put the majority of it applies to Edexcel as well.

Monday 20th May (am) - AQA/Edexcel/Eduqas/OCR/WJEC - English Literature Paper 2

Things parents should know about this exam;

  • Format: Written exam (2 hrs 15 mins). Students will need to analyse modern texts and poems (anthology & unseen). Expect a mix of essay writing and comparative analysis questions testing their knowledge, understanding, and application of literary techniques.

  • Content: It can vary between exam board but for many paper 2 delves into three key areas of English literature:

    • Modern Prose or Drama Texts: Prepare to analyse a studied modern text, demonstrating their understanding of characters, plot, themes, and literary devices.

    • The Poetry Anthology: Sharpen their comparative skills by analysing a provided poem alongside another from their chosen anthology cluster.

    • Unseen Poetry: Get ready to tackle unseen poems, showcasing their ability to interpret meaning, identify language features, and compare and contrast them effectively.

  • Revision Resources: Revisit our previous newsletter on GCSE English revision for a treasure trove of resources like textbooks, online guides, helpful websites, and even online courses!

Wednesday 22nd May (am) - AQA/Edexcel/OCR/WJEC  - Physics Paper 1 and Combined Science: Trilogy - Chemistry Paper 1

Things parents should know about this exam;

  • Format: Buckle up for a 1 hour 45 minute written exam that tests your grasp of Physics principles. The exam is 1 hour 15 mins for those taking Combined Science. Expect a mix of question styles, including multiple choice, short answer responses, and longer questions designed to assess your problem-solving skills and ability to apply Physics knowledge at both foundation and high tier depending on their entry.

  • Content: Be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of Energy, electricity, particle model of matter, atomic structure and the essential calculations used in Physics. Some equations will be on the formula sheet and others you will need to memorise.

  • Revision Resources: If your child needs help with the maths part of their GCSE Science exams this video goes though all the key skills in detail with practice questions.

Some other exams taking place this week include Geography Paper 1, Italian Writing, Citizenship Studies Paper 1, German Writing, Computer Science 2, IT in the digital world, Physical Education Paper 1 and Film Studies Paper 2.

The English Language Paper 1 is scheduled for AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, OCR, and WJEC students on Thursday, May 23rd in the morning.

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Key Takeaways 🗝️

As we move into week 2 everything is going to feel more real and so the pressure can really start to mount.

Here are 3 tips to remember;

  • Conquer the workload: Break down study materials into bite-sized chunks and create a realistic revision schedule. Focus on the key topics for your exam board.

  • Time management mastery: Practice answering questions under timed conditions using past papers from your specific exam board. This helps you stay focused and identify areas needing more attention.

  • Revision power-ups: Sharpen your skills with effective revision techniques like close reading unseen passages, annotating for key ideas, and practicing analysing language techniques.

If you need an effective revision strategy try the Pomodoro technique;

Disclaimer: Even though we have done everything we can to ensure the information and dates included in this newsletter are correct mistakes can happen. We therefore urge parents to consult their child’s exam timetable, specification and/or entry sheet and the official exam board timetables above if they are in doubt over exam dates and times.