The 'Top 5 Insider Tips' for choosing the right A level and GCSE Revision Courses

A guide to help parents, guardians and international agents make an informed, confident choice

Many students who are studying towards their A level and GCSE qualifications in the UK have just entered the final stretch of the academic year, with only spring term left before sitting the public exams after the Easter holidays.

The pressures are only too obvious. Excellent GCSE results will subsequently add a great deal of academic credibility and therefore immense value to any student’s university application, and sometimes prove crucial in securing a competitive Sixth Form placement, too.

Two years later, the A level grades a student achieves, with all exams usually sat at the end of Sixth Form in one sitting following the most recent reforms, will ultimately decide which of their university offers students secure. This is a hugely competitive playing field, along with a great deal of pressure for a young person, often increased by high expectations from family and peers, and inflated further by the role social media plays these days. Levels of trepidation, and sometimes even anxiety, can rise at this time, with parents and families as well as guardians and international agents looking for ways in which to support their highly motivated yet somewhat overwhelmed, aspiring young academics.

With so much advice available online, including seasonal articles in the papers such as The Times, Telegraph and Guardian, it is often difficult to know which route to take. And indeed, one quickly realises that there is a large array of options on offer: revision guides, private tuition through tutors as well as organisations, holiday revision and Easter revision courses.

While revision guides have stood the test of time and proven a useful tool for self-study and revision generally, both academic research as well as student testimonials have shown that intensive holiday revision courses are very successful, and often a preferred route for many students.

The reasons for success, which also explain the huge popularity of these courses, are simple. While even those students with the best intentions and grade predictions sometimes struggle to structure their own revision, and with no one around to ask when a question arises when sat at home studying, many will end up spending time revising but feeling overwhelmed nonetheless. Structure and guidance are missing, and the effectiveness of the time spent is reduced drastically. Given the little time there is to revise and prepare, the downward spiral can quickly begin.

Revision courses, on the other hand, offer an intensive boost to students’ knowledge in a short period of time. Key to this is guiding students through the syllabus in a structured manner, all with a focus on exam technique practice.

Experienced tutors will focus solely on the specific requirements of the examination and the relevant topics, targeting the needs of the students they have in front of them in small classes, or even 1:1 sessions. In this way, students’ confidence builds from the outset, as they trust that over the period of the course they have a clear structure to follow, with enough time to address particular areas of concern along the way.

It is almost needless to say how crucial confidence and positivity are when it comes to revision, maximising progress during revision hours and further boosting energy levels through an improved night’s sleep, particularly the night before the exam.

Having made the decision to enrol onto a holiday or Easter Revision course, the question still remains: “Which one?” – here, a number of factors should be considered when weighing up the options. While the cost is an important element, there are other areas which should hold more importance.

Here are the top 5 tips to find the right place, with the right provider.

1.     Most importantly, choose a renowned provider with a history of success. While this seems simply obvious on first glance, it is important to note specifically here that year-round teaching in a school or college is markedly different from teaching a short, intense revision course successfully. A renowned provider that has been established for a number of years will have heaps of experience and resources shared among the tutoring team, many of whom will have taught such revision courses successfully for years.

2.     Contact the provider directly yourself. This is not something you want to leave to anyone else. You will get the best insight and build your confidence when you speak to someone on the phone or even in person, if the latter is an option. See for yourself what kind of questions they ask about the student, about the subjects concerned and whether they ask, for example, about specific areas of weakness. Most importantly, simply trust your gut feeling as to the information that is provided and the questions asked.

3.     Enquire how the provider personalises the classes to specific students, or do they deliver ‘one size fits all’, lecture-style courses? Small class sizes tend to signify a personalised learning approach, allowing for each student to be heard and have their questions answered each session. The questions you are asked during the conversation on the phone or in person, as per the previous point, will also give you an idea of how personalised an approach a provider offers.

4.     Enquire whether the provider offers exam board specific (ie Edexcel/Pearson, AQA, OCR, MEI or Eduqas) courses in each subject. While several exam boards will usually offer their own syllabus and their individual exams in a given subject, which then lead to a common qualification certificate (A level or GCSE), the content and particularly the style of the exam can vary, and quite considerably in some cases. In most subjects, it is crucial that the revision course offered is ‘exam board specific’, teaching only to one exam board’s specification and respective exam.

5.     Enquire how options within a syllabus are dealt with on the course. Even for exam board specific courses, in some rare cases a syllabus will offer a choice of topics or texts for teachers to choose from, but not all need to be covered. English Literature, History and Religious Studies are three such subjects, for example. Again, how knowledgeable the team members you speak to are and how they answer your questions is crucial information for you to aid you in making your decision.

For international agents in particular, but also for families in the UK, it is important to note that some providers offer residential revision course provisions, both for A level and GCSE, which not everyone is aware of. Depending on the individual circumstances, this might or might not be an option you may wish to look into.

Following the above 5 tips will hopefully help you come to a decision confidently, highlighting what to look out for in the process and in dealing with and choosing the best provider for you.