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Help - main topics for AQA Science GCSE for last-minute revision?

28 replies

Toffeewhirl · 14/05/2016 10:00

DS1 has left his revision for this GCSE too late and now he's panicking. We have had tears and sleepless nights. This is his last weekend before the first exams (Biology and Chemistry next week) and he's finally accepted my help.

Does anyone know the main topics we should concentrate on at this late stage? (I've looked at the AQA website, but it covers everything, obviously, and I need highlights of the most important topics).

Quick background, so as not to dripfeed: DS1 has Aspergers and has had a rough ride. This is his first year back at school, so he's doing amazingly well to even be attending regularly. He is ambitious to do well and loves Science, but he has no idea how much work is required to get good grades and wouldn't listen to me when I encouraged him to revise over Easter because I'm just his mum and know nothing (obviously). I'm frustrated with his teacher because I asked him to email DS specific instructions about what to revise (which DS would have done) and all he said was that DS needed to focus on what he didn't know .

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 14/05/2016 10:13

Do the past papers and check with markschemes (they are easy to understand). Look carefully at the 6 mark questions. There is one on every paper.

Toffeewhirl · 14/05/2016 10:11

Yes, Balletgirl, I'm looking at the past papers on the AQA site right now and noting down topics covered to see if there are any consistent topics that come up year after year. We have so little time left, I'm not sure whether it's more valuable to go through a paper with DS1 today and note down gaps in knowledge or focus on revising main topics.

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Balletgirlmum · 14/05/2016 10:03

When dd wAs having issues with ks3 science I gave her an old sats paper which we used as a diagnostic tool. It gave us an idea of where the gaps in her knowledge were & what she needed to focus on

Can you get hold of any past papers or revision guide tests to do similar.