Exam Technique articles

22 articles tagged Exam Technique. See all articles.

An answer sheet with shaded ovals, a black pen, a weekly planner and a compass on a table Latest

How to Prepare for the FSCE 11+ Test: A Realistic Plan for Parents

A realistic way to prepare for the FSCE 11+ test: what it checks, which version your school uses, and a calm 20-minute routine for Year 5.

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A conical flask, a small magnet, a ruler and a marked exam paper with ticks Exam TechniqueGCSE

GCSE Chemistry and Physics: Where Strong Students Still Drop Marks

A student scored 90 and 91 out of 100 on their chemistry and physics mocks. The marker's notes on the last marks...

18 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
A notebook open to a fresh page beside a fountain pen, a seaside postcard and a plant Exam TechniqueGCSE

GCSE English Language Paper 1 Question 5: What Earns the Top Marks

Question 5 is worth 40 of the 80 marks on AQA English Language Paper 1. How it is marked, and what real...

16 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
An open storybook with a pencil, a stack of index cards, a small notebook and a mug of tea 11+Exam Technique

11+ English: What the Comprehension and Creative Writing Papers Test

What 11+ English papers ask for, from multiple choice comprehension to a full piece of creative writing, and how to prepare for...

15 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
A tall stack of exam papers with a flag on top, beside compasses, a pencil and a lightbulb Exam TechniqueGCSE

The Hardest Questions on a GCSE Maths Higher Paper, Walked Through Step by Step

The last five questions on a Higher paper decide the top grades. Here are ten of them from 2023, what makes each...

13 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
A graph card showing a U-shaped curve crossing the axis at two points, with its lowest point marked Exam TechniqueGCSE

GCSE Quadratics: Factorise, Complete the Square or Use the Formula?

Three ways to solve a quadratic, and students learn them as three separate topics. Here is how each one works and how...

12 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Three blank test papers fanned out with a pencil, a ruler, a protractor and a small clock Exam TechniqueParent Guides

KS2 SATs 2027: Dates, Papers and What the Maths Tests Cover

The 2027 KS2 SATs run from 10 to 13 May. The timetable, the three maths papers, the scores that count as the...

11 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
A scientific calculator with blank keys lying beside a protractor, a ruler and a pencil Exam TechniqueGCSE

A Free Online Scientific Calculator Laid Out Like the Casio fx-83GTX: How to Practise for GCSE

A free online calculator with the same keys as the fx-83GTX, and the settings and habits that stop students losing marks on...

6 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
An open book with blank index cards spilling out, a magnifying glass and a tied bundle of cards 11+Exam Technique

11+ Vocabulary: How Many Words Your Child Needs and How to Learn Them

There is no official 11+ word list. Here is a sensible target, why word lists alone do not work, and a ten...

5 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
A cube net opened out as a cross of six squares, a hand mirror showing a triangle and wooden blocks 11+Exam Technique

11+ Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning: What Each One Tests and How to Practise Both for Free

Non-verbal and spatial reasoning overlap, but they are not the same skill. Here is what each tests and a four week plan...

4 Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Flat doodle scattered number tiles with a glowing target tile and operator symbols Exam TechniqueGCSE

How to Use the Countdown Numbers Game to Build GCSE Maths Fluency

Our Countdown Numbers Game is one of the most played tools on our site. Here's why it's also genuinely useful GCSE non-calculator...

27 Jul 2026 · 3 min read
Flat doodle desk with a tall stack of papers and a spinning clock, teacher marking capacity Exam TechniqueGCSE

Who Actually Marks GCSE Mock Exams?

School mocks are usually marked by stretched teachers with little time for detailed feedback. Here's what that gap costs, and how proper...

27 Jul 2026 · 2 min read
Comic illustration of two exam paper characters, one falsely relaxed with pencil, one nervous with calculator Exam TechniqueGCSE

Is Non-Calculator Maths Actually Harder?

Most students assume the non-calculator paper is the hard one. The data says it's more balanced than that, and the calculator paper...

27 Jul 2026 · 3 min read