The importance of learning from past paper questions
Practice questions are widely recognised as essential tools for exam preparation. However, many students fail to get the full benefit from them, not because they aren’t doing enough questions, but because they aren’t reviewing them effectively. As a tutor, I often see students complete large volumes of practice work, only to move on immediately to the next phase of their revision. By failing to review that practice work effectively, they miss a critical opportunity to improve their exam technique and maximise marks.
Note: The advice that follows is primarily aimed at students who have short-answer question exams, since essays require a much heavier emphasis on exam technique.
Past paper questions are only the starting point
Completing exam questions is valuable, but a large chunk of the learning happens after the questions have been attempted. The mark scheme is not simply a way to check answers, it’s a window into how the Examiners want students to approach questions and serves as a valuable tool for students to adapt their existing revision resources.
Using mark schemes to refine subject knowledge
For questions based directly on specification content (typically those using command words such as state, describe or explain), students should compare the wording of the mark scheme carefully with their own notes. If key phrases or ideas appear in the mark scheme but not in the student’s notes, the notes should be updated (e.g. with margin comments, using post-its, or by underlining key words necessary for scoring marks). Over time, this ensures that revision materials align closely with what is actually being rewarded in the exam.
Understanding more complex command words
For higher-mark questions using command words such as evaluate, the focus shifts from recalling content to demonstrating judgement and structure.
Students should ask themselves questions like:
Is the Examiner expecting balanced arguments? Are both advantages and disadvantages required?
Is there a mark available for stating a correlation between pieces of data if shown a graph?
Is there a mark available for an overall judgement or conclusion?
These expectations should be reflected somewhere in the student’s revision notes so that when similar questions arise in future, students already have a clear framework for their responses.
Creating a “living” set of notes
One of the most powerful shifts students can make is to treat their notes as a living document rather than a static resource. Each time a student completes practice questions and reviews the mark scheme, their notes should evolve. This means that every subsequent revision session reinforces not only the initial content from their notes, but also the lessons learned from previous mistakes.
Over time, this iterative process compounds. Students begin to internalise Examiner expectations, reduce repeated errors, and express their understanding more clearly under exam conditions.
Final thoughts
Many students understand their subject well but struggle to translate that understanding into marks. Reviewing practice questions properly is one of the most effective ways to close this gap. Past papers should not be seen as a box-ticking exercise, but as an ongoing dialogue with the Examiner which can lead to meaningful and measurable improvements in exam outcomes.
As always, please remember that, if you’d like individual help with your studies, you can book a free 15-minute chat with me using the button below.
