Aim: to know how to check your own notes to ensure you haven’t missed anything using the specification

In order to have the best answer, you need the best information, but it can be difficult trying to work out what you don’t know…after all, how is it possible to know what it is that you don’t know? Using the exam specification is the key to this. Don’t forget, all questions will be based on the spec, too.

Stage 1: Examine the spec. Pick a topic, generally one that you have only just completed, and identify what it needs you to know. This is clearly labelled and bullet pointed.

Stage 2: Pick one bullet point from the spec, and go through all your notes (including extra reading), identifying anything that answers this bullet point. You may want to colour-code these parts of your notes, or code them in some other way.

• Is there any part of the spec that you can’t answer? If so, go through the videos, reading, and textbook again.
• Is there any information that you have in your notes that doesn’t seem to fit properly?

Stage 3: Repeat this process for every bullet point on the topic (this is hugely valuable but time consuming, which is why I recommend doing it directly after a topic, rather than waiting until the end of the term. Or year. Or two years.)

Follow up: Before you watch the next topic’s video, go over the spec and make a list/table of themes that will need to be covered. As you watch the video, organise your notes by those themes.

Then: watch the video on efficient reading (https://youtu.be/Rn4BsWbhcDw), and read a new piece of extra reading on each topic from the spec. Use the spec to pick out themes in advance, so you know what you’re looking for.