Dealing with Exams
Young people who have survived their GCSE exams have these words of wisdom to pass on:
- Don’t revise too much.
- Make a timetable so that you don’t overdo it.
- Take lots of breaks and allow yourself plenty of time to relax.
- Spend time with your friends so that you can relax together.
- Remember that you can only do your best.
Key links: Exam Zone, BBC Revision
Places to Study
Adult Basic Skills
- Offer English, maths, preparation
for further study, City and Guilds
qualifications
- Usually local with individual help
College of Further Education
- Offer A2/AS, International
Baccalaureate, GCSE, GCSE
retakes, VGCSE, BTEC, NVQ,
CGLI (City & Guilds of
London Institute), OCR (Oxford,
Cambridge and RSA Examinations)
and AQA (Assessments and
Qualifications Alliance) and many other
qualifications.
- Can attend full or part time
- Some students consider the
environment more adult than
school
Community Education Centres
- Offer GCSE and vocational
classes
- Free for people on benefits
- Flexible hours
Distance/Open Learning
- Offers GCSE, A2/AS and a wide
range of other qualifications
- Lets you fit study around work
and family
- Requires self-discipline to set
time aside to study
Sixth Form
- Offer A2/AS, GCSE, GCSE
retakes, VGCSE, BTEC, OCR,
AQA and many other qualifications
- Must attend full time
- Provide high level of support
Tutorial College
- Offer GCSE, A2/AS qualifications; revision courses
- Very intensive with good pass rate
- Ensure it is accredited by British Accreditation Council (BAC) (020) 7447 2584.
Experience: what matters to me
I chose to do accounting at Oxford College because maths had always been one of my favourite subjects at school. I also liked the idea of being an accountant and wearing suits to work and earning enough money to do all the things I wanted in life! I think one of the reasons I ’ve done so well on the course is that I never lost sight of why I was doing it. It’s important that you have goals and ambitions, and something to aspire to. When I started the course, our tutor told us to make a life map of how we wanted our future to pan out. Mine had things like owning an MG Convertible, having an Alsatian puppy and earning over £1000 a month after tax. These are all things I ’m striving to achieve. – Katie Johnson, 19, Witney, finalist in the 2003 EdExcel Achievement in Education Awards
