Three ways BBC Bitesize can help students through GCSE exams (2024)

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With revision getting underway for this summer's GCSE examinations, students and teachers are getting to grips with what to expect after two years of cancellations.

Exams will go ahead this year for the first time since the pandemic began, with some changes, and pupils' GCSEs will also be graded more generously than in pre-pandemic years.

We know teachers are working hard to make sure students are prepared by examining the latest information available and this is where BBC Bitesize can help.

BBC Bitesize has plenty of guides to help students navigate their revision priorities, understand what to expect in exams, and look after their own wellbeing throughout revision and exams.

Here are our top picks of Bitesize links to pass on to your students.

1.GCSE exam changes and advance information

This Bitesize guide has been designed to help students make sense of important new information to help them through their 2022 GCSE revision.

Led by the exam watchdog Ofqual, English exam boards have been sharing advance information about upcoming GCSE exams after two years of cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teachers will already be familiar with the official guidance from Ofqual, which is summarised here. Details of what will come up in exams have been made available in most subjects, including maths, biology, chemistry and languages. Study aids will also be allowed in some exams. There will be no advance information for subjects assessed through coursework only, such as art and design.

But how well do students understand what’s different this year?

BBC Bitesize has produced this guide to help young people navigate the information for themselves. It has broken the guidance down into individual exam boards and subjects and simplified the language in a student-friendly way.

Subject specific information will be made available to help students understand where any adaptations, such as allowing support material in exams, have been made.

More details all be added across Bitesize GCSE pages over the next few weeks.

2.Revision hacks from The Mind Set

Introduce your students to The Mind Set for revision advice from other young people.

These exam survivors share tips and hacks that have worked for them, with a mixture of revision techniques to suit everyone.

Shay says: “Everyone revises differently and it's really important to remember that while you are doing your own studying.” Lauren found that active revision was more helpful than just writing out notes. To revise more actively, she suggests trying flashcards, mind maps and other techniques to help you practise recalling the information. Nung experiences sensory overload and finds it helpful to revise in smaller chunks. And Baxter, who has dyslexia, found that reading out loud helped him remember key words better than just reading in his head.

For more revision tips share this Bitesize link with your students, which also includes advice from experts. They might also find these memory hacks useful, featuring flashcards and mind maps.

And this Bitesize guide has useful advice to help students keep an eye on their study-life balance. It includes tips from Dr Radha on how students should look after themselves by eating healthily.

3. How to deal with exam stress

Exams can be a stressful time for students, so there several guides on Bitesize you could point them to for additional support.

This guide from The Mind Set coaches includes advice to talk to friends, teachers and parents to help solve problems together, as well as practising mindfulness.

In this short film Dr Radha Modgil advises stressed students to break down what they are worried about in a list and then address each one with a practical solution. Here she shares tips for students to calm themselves down if experiencing panic attacks.

Preparing for exams isn’t just about revising, so this short film will help your students look ahead to the day of the exam itself, creating a check list in advance.

And this guide will remind your students how to keep motivated and stay resilient during revision and exams.

Click here for the full collection of exam and revision resources from Bitesize.