The end of a child’s formative years of schooling, GCSEs and iGCSEs are taken when a student is in Year 11, and are often their first experience of major national exams.

 

At the core of a GCSE and iGCSE education is Maths, English and Science (Chemistry, Physics and Biology). The periphery is comprised of Geography, History, ICT, Religious Studies, Art, Music, Economics, Classics, Latin, Modern Languages and more. Students are expected to take between eight and ten, with the top students learning up to 12.

 

GCSEs and iGCSEs are a particular challenge because the breadth of material to be covered, and mastered, is always high. The purpose of this insight therefore is to simplify the route to success by shedding light on our top tips for helping children excel in their GCSEs.

 

With 100% success rate of grade improvement across the board at GCSE level, Think Tutors are expertly placed to deliver bespoke tuition to students of all abilities. Please contact us to find out how we could help your child.

Understand how they learn

Each child learns differently, so the first step to GCSE or iGCSE success is for them to work out how best they learn. While a visual learner might respond best to making mind maps, graphics and highlighting their notes in different colours, kinaesthetic learners may need case studies to demonstrate theories, and tangible examples to improve retention.

 

Understanding a learning style is based on not only a child’s cognitive approach, but also the environment they typically learn in. We are commonly asked questions such as: Can they work outside? Are typed notes better than written? How long should they spend revising? Our answer is always the same – it depends on the child’s learning style.

 

We recommend spending some time trying out different methods of learning, and enlisting the help of a mentor or tutor who has experience with a variety of learners. Think Tutors’ tutors and mentors all have at least 5000 hours experience, having tutored for over five years full-time.

Set Goals and Plan

Establishing sensible goals, planning how to achieve them and sticking to the plan is the next step to GCSE success. Whilst all top students know what they want to achieve, working out how to do it is often a challenge.

 

When it comes to goal setting, every student is different. What is important to remember is that an appropriate goal should be realistic, time-bound, achievable and measurable. Success is there to be celebrated and failure to be learnt from, so it’s vital to have an idea of where a student is.

 

With so many subjects to balance, planning is important both in the days, weeks and years leading up to coursework deadlines and final exams. When considering the entire year, our education consultants recommend using online calendars to your advantage, so you are aware of your child’s deadlines. In the months leading up to the exam or deadlines, create timetables which include regular testing, scheduled rest days and time to go back over learned material;  the more detailed the better.

 

It should go without saying that mental and physical health are to be prioritised – this can be achieved also with planning. We recommend that daily routines should encompass a healthy balance of physical, mental and academic stimulation. These are not only skills important for conquering GCSEs and iGCSEs, but also for any challenges which a student might face in the future.

Contact Think Tutors

Wherever a student’s starting place is, Think Tutors are willing and able to help. We are motived by the fact that every student can improve with the right support, and routinely demonstrate how elite professional tutors and expert mentors can offer bespoke solutions to suit each learner. Please get in touch if you would like you find out more.