Get organised for your GCSE Business exam

Get organised for your GCSE Business exam by starting early, staying focused, and building in time (and treats) to stay motivated. After all, little and often is the key to success.

Helen Coupland-Smith shares her expert tips on how to revise effectively – so you feel confident and fully prepared for the examinations.

Planning your revision

Start by identifying a quiet place where you can revise without distractions – and that means switching off social media too! Before you begin, make sure everything you need is ready to go, so you don’t waste valuable time searching for resources during your revision session.

This should include:

• Your revision guide, notes, and textbook
• A printed copy of the specification
• Paper, cue cards, sticky notes
• Pens, highlighters, pencil, ruler, calculator
• Water

Make sure you visit the Edexcel website to download past papers, mark schemes and examiners’ reports. These should be built into your revision plan – especially in the final months before your exams. Once you’ve secured the knowledge, developing a clear understanding of the exam structure and examiners’ expectations becomes essential. After all, knowledge is only part of the formula for success – the other part is mastering exam technique.

Revise effectively by creating a realistic revision plan

When planning your revision, keep the following strategies in mind to stay focused and make the most of your time:

1. Start realistically:
Rather than cramming, break your revision into manageable chunks – aim for 30-minute sessions. After each session, take a 10-minute break to recharge. You’ll be surprised how much more you retain when your brain has time to rest.

2. Be thorough and methodical:
Each chapter in your revision guide focuses on a single topic. Tackle one topic at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Remember, anything listed in the specification could appear in the exam, so don’t skip anything- cover all areas thoroughly.

3. Actively check your understanding:
Don’t just read – test yourself regularly. Use past questions, quiz yourself, or explain concepts to a study buddy. Write things down, then check your answers. If something doesn’t make sense, don’t ignore it – ask! Whether it’s a teacher, friend, or family member, reach out and get the clarity you need.

Use a variety of revision techniques

It is important to use a variety of revision techniques that help you retrieve information and apply it to exam questions:

6 tips on boosting long-term memory whilst revising

1. Use flashcards activity – Don’t just make flash cards, use both sides to test yourself on key formulas, definitions, and advantages and disadvantages. Flip, recall and repeat until it sticks. 

2. Turn ideas into memory maps – Create memory maps or spider diagrams to visually connect concepts. Add colour, symbols and small images to make the information stay memorable.

3. Build flow charts to practice cause and effect – Instead of listing examples, draw a  flow chart for each one. Break it down into 3 clear steps to explain why it is an advantage. This helps you understand and apply the concept, not just memorise it. 

4. An advantage of primary market research is that data is collected first hand:

• Therefore meets the exact needs of the entrepreneur
• Meaning that decision making will be better informed
• Resulting in product decisions meeting the needs of the target market

5. Find a ‘study buddy’ – Get someone to test you on your notes. This is an excellent way of seeing how much you remember and understand, to track your progress. Above all, brief oral test sessions of about 10 minutes are best for quick recall and checking what you know and what needs more work. 

6. Practise calculations step by step: write out the formula, put the numbers into the formula, complete the calculation, check your answer, express your answer correctly e.g., £, units, %. Doing this regularly helps you build speed and accuracy under exam conditions. 

Stepping it up for exam season

Revise with purpose to build confidence and boost results

And finally, as the exam season draws closer (perhaps in the final month), here are 6 things that you can do to sharpen your skills and walk into the exam room with confidence:

1. Identify your weaknesses: Start by asking yourself: Which topics or question types do I find easy, and which do I find more challenging? Then, prioritise those areas in your revision schedule. For example, if procurement or 12 mark questions trip you up, allocate extra time to practise and master them. 

2. Understand your mark scheme: Don’t just answer questions – understand how they’re marked. Review the mark scheme for each exam question type so you know what examiners are looking for. This helps you target your answers more effectively. 

3. Understand the assessment objectives (exam skills): Exams don’t just test knowledge – they assess skills. Remember you will be marked on:

• Knowledge: Define key terms, recall formulas and list relevant points
• Application: Practise using the extracts from the exam paper. Highlight and apply key information to your answers, practice reading these and picking out bits of information
• Analysis: Build logical chains of reasoning. Write in clear, connected strands that show how one point leads to another
• Evaluation: In 9 and 12 mark questions, make balanced judgements. Weigh up both sides and explain your reasoning clearly. 

Get organised for your GCSE Business exam

4. Continue to practice all exam question types: The Oxford Revise series shows you every type of exam question – with tips on answering. For longer answers, always plan your answer. Therefore, jot down a few points to give shape to your answer. Make planning a habit by timing yourself to create quick outlines before writing full answers.

5. Time yourself: Time management is crucial – Practise making plans and answering exam questions within the recommended time limits. Both exam papers are worth 90 marks and you have 105 minutes. The general rule is 1 minute per mark i.e., you should spend 9 marks writing on a 9 mark question. That leaves you with 15 minutes to read the extracts and plan longer answers.

6. Rest well, eat well: Switch off your mobile or laptop at least an hour before bed to improve sleep quality. And always remember to drink and eat healthily. Avoid too much caffeine or junk food. Water is best – If you are 5% dehydrated, your concentration drops 20%. It is the best fuel for focus and memory. 

Good luck from everyone in the Oxford Revise team. You’ve got this!

Found this article useful? If so, why not take the next step? Explore more revision tips and techniques by heading over to the Oxford Revise YouTube Channel.