50 Free Revision Resources for GCSE, A-Level, SATs and 11+
As exam time looms, there is always lots of revision to be done.
But fortunately there is a lot of help available; whether you are revising for SATs, 11+, GCSEs, iGCSEs, A-Levels, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, International Baccalaureate, BTECs or even degree level revision.
So here is our big guide to revision websites with general revision advice, help with study skills and revision timetables and notes and help for specific subjects.
Revision Help for All Subjects
These are websites with help for a range of subjects to help you with your revision at what ever stage you are at, from primary school to GCSEs and A-Level.
- BBC Bitesize Is the daddy of all UK revision websites, with revision help for KS1, KS2, KS3, GCSE, A-level, Scottish Standard Grade and Highers and Welsh TGAU. Your school probably recommends it and it is jam-packed full of user-friendly interactive revision material for a wide range of GCSE subjects. Plus, have a go at Dance Mat Typing and learn to touch type - it will save you so much time when you are working.
- Homework High is Channel 4 Education's homework help for 11 to 16 year olds. This site covers the main subjects that most people do - maths, english, science, languages, geography and history, and is a forum where you can ask specific questions for other students to answer.
- S-Cool.co.uk is an education site with revision and teaching materials for GCSE and A-Level plus hints and tips for passing exams and more. GCSE subjects include Biology, Physics, Chemistry, French, German, PE, Food Technology, Geography, Maths and English. For A-Level they also include study materials for Art, Business Studies, Psychology and Sociology.
- RevisionWorld is a wide-ranging revision website covering GCSE and A-Level subjects in all the most popular subjects. It also has lots of help with study skills, how to write a revision timetable along with advice on apprenticeships and going to universty.
- GoConqr (formerly known as Exam Time) is a US based website that covers lots of basic school material and allows you to create your own learning resources with free Mind Maps, Notes, Flashcards, Slides & Quiz Making Tools.
- Get Revising has revision material for GCSE, A-Level, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, IB and BTECs as well as university level courses. There is material for all the popular subjects and less common subjects like Italian, Classical Civilisation, Government and Politics, Ancient History, History of Art and Media Studies amongst others.
- Primary Homework Help (formerly Woodlands Junior School) covers all material studied in UK primary schools and has material on all sorts of celebrations, history, geography as well as the usual maths and literacy help.
- Kahn Academy Although this is primarily a US website, much of the information is universal and so would be useful to UK students. Subjects covered include maths, science, computing, history, economics and finance. (note that the SAT practice on this website is for US university admission SATs, not the UK ones!)
Subject Specific Websites
- Cyberphysics has physics revision help for all secondary school pupils from age 11 to GCSE and A-Level.
- The History Learning Site has a wealth of information on GCSE and A-Level history topics as well as covering A-Level Government and Politics topics.
- MrMcMillanREvis is a YouTube channel with a big collections of videos for revising Religious Education GCSE and A-Level Philosophy and Ethics.
Exam Boards
Visit the exam board websites for up to dae information on exams, and to download past papers to practise with. Many also have helpful advice on revising and sitting exams.
- AQA has some usuful revision hints, plus access to AQA's past papers for practice.
- CCEA is the exam board for GCSEs and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland with revision tips, past papers and mark schemes.
- Pearson Education is the organisation which includes Edexcel GCSE and A-Levels, BTECs, NVQs and LCCI qualifications.
- OCR have past papers as well as study resources.
- WJEC offer a range of qualifications, not just Welsh language! They have past papers and exam information.
How To Revise - Study Skills
These are websites that can give some solid advice on study skills, how to plan a revison timetable and how to work effectively.
Different revision methods work for different people. Some people find mind-mapping works for them, others prefer to create revision cards or test their knowledge. Some techniques have been shown to be more effective than others, and this article from BBC news shows which revision techniques work and which ones are ineffective.
However the message that all these sites give the the same: the most imortant revision technique is to start early.
- Mindmapping by Tony Buzan Tony Buzan was the inventor of Mindmaps, and his website gives you a free online course on how to create a mind map the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper.
- XMind is an online mind mapping tool. You can use the basic version for free, but a paid version of this allows much more flexibility. Some schools subscribe to XMind allowing all pupils to use it.
- Success at School have lots of articles on study skills, revision techniques and revision planning.
- GCP Books have a list of 21 bite-sized revision tips.
Image Credit: Roman Mager
Maths Help
Some of these websites are aimed at younger children, these sites have lots of activities that sneak the maths into a fun game. Others are focused on GCSE and A-Level
- RevisionMaths give students free GCSE and A Level maths revision resources and maths exam advice, along with revision videos and an online tool to hel you create your revision timetable.
- A Maths Dictionary for Kids An animated, interactive online maths dictionary for students which explains over 600 common mathematical terms and math words in simple language. Mindblowing psycadelic colours. Some sections require flash.
- Coolmath was designed for the students who just need to get through this stuff so they can reach their other academic goals and also for the maths geeks of the world who love maths and want more! So lots of maths based games and classic games such as draughts and sudoku. Sister sites for teachers, parents and brain training can give even more maths help.
- Count On Fun maths games to get your brain working, including memory games, sudoku and logic problems.
- Math.com offers on-demand modular courses that target key maths concepts, 24/7 live online tutoring, and expert answers to maths questions with exploratory and recreational introductions to the world of maths, mainly aimed at getting the basic concepts solidly understood.
- Murderous Maths Official website of the Murderous Maths series of books. They have extra bits which expand on the material in the murderous maths books, plus lots of cool maths based tricks and puzzles.
- Exam Solutions A-Level, GCSE and International Maths Tests, with past Edexcel papers from Edexcel, OCR, AQA, MEI and many International Exams. The site was created by a retired maths teacher and includes videos and has worked solutions for past papers.
- Pixl Maths is a subscription only website used by many schools in the UK . It includes and app that you can download to your phone. If you have free access via school it is a great way of revising maths.
- MyMaths is another subscription site which many schools use for homework which can be used a s a revision tool. It has material for both primary and secondary school pupils right up to A-Level. Use it if you have free access.
- Gamequarium have fun online games to help you learn your multiplications tables.
SATs Revision
- SATs-papers.co.uk Has all the past QCA SATs papers, optional SATs papers, mental maths listening tests to download with information about SATs level thresholds and grade boundaries for KS1, KS2 and KS3.
- The Year 6 SATs Revision Site contains revision help and past papers up to 2010, but is good on consolidating basic study in maths and english.
- SATs Tests Online is a subscription site which you may have free access to via your school. Gives SATs exam practice online. Parents can also subscribe for a small annual fee.
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11+ Study Websites
- ElevenPlusExams have lots of free and paid 11+ study and revision help. Free materials include practice papers, mock exams and study suggestions.
- Key Stages Online has a good collection of free 11+ practice papers to download as well as videos and exam tips.
GCSE Specific Sites
- GCSE.com Quick revision snippets for English, French, German, ICT, Physics and Maths for GCSE and iGCSE students
- Greenfield History Detailed notes with useful nmeonics on various GCSE History Topics.
- EnglishBiz is written by an experienced English teacher to give help with English and English Literature GCSEs and iGCSEs. It aims to give the skills you need to write well and to be able to analyse texts and write effective essays, rather than cover individual texts.
- School History Extensive GCSE History revision notes and help, written by a history teacher.
- Study Maths GCSE specific maths site with explanations, worksheets, practise questions and glossery of maths terms.
- GCSE Geography is aimed specifically at those studying for Edexcel Geography B Course, but the material would be useful for people who are studying other exam boards such as AQA, WJEC and OCR.
A Level Specific Sites
- Revision Guru The home of A-Level Economics and Business Studies revision.
- A-Level Biology has free revision guides and past papers for the AQA, OCR and Edexcel exam boards, written by an expereinced biology teacher.
- Biology Guide has revision notes for AS and A Level Biology primarily for the AQA specifications.
- A-Level Chemistry with the AQA, OCR and Edexcel revision material.
- Economics Online understanging the basics of economics for OCR, Edexel and AQA board A-Level economics exams.
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Languages
- French Revision Interactive A-Level French exercises in listening, reading and writing. The exercises mark themselves and a score is given.
- Spanish Revision A-Level Spanish revision including reading and listening exercises and past papers to practise.
- Languages Online has fun language learning and revision games for French german Spanish, Italian and Latin.
- Memrise has free flashcard-type learning resources for many different subjects but works best for learning language vocabulary. Every subject you can study at GCSE and A-Level (including classical Greek and Latin) and a huge number that you can't.
- Duolingo is a great resource for revising the most common modern foreign languages that can be studied at GCSE and A-Level - French, German, Spanish and Italian as well as many other interesting languages. The course requires you to write whole sentences and the more popular languages have listening and speaking exercises.
- Japan Foundation has a whole raft of resources for GCSE Japanese, including downloadable information sheets and audio resources.
Apps
Finally, If you are easily distracted while revising, here are a couple of apps to help you.
- Get Cold Turkey can be set to block anything from a specific webpage to the entire Internet. You can also allow exceptions, block applications, or even use it to lock yourself out of your computer.
- Selfcontrol is an app for Mac users to block distracting websites.
Is there a website that has helped you with your revision? Let us know so that we can add it to this list.
About the Author: Jacqui O'Brien is the Editor of eParenting.