Preparation of a government examination requires studying of a lot of knowledge in varied subjects. But studying the complete syllabus alone does not guarantee a good result in the examination. Students need to adopt a proper revision method to memorize vital concepts, formulae, facts, and current affairs. Revision will help in enhancing your memory and hence make it easy to recall knowledge at the time of examination.
Regardless of whether you are preparing for SSC, UPSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC, or any other competitive government examination, it is very important to revise the topics on a regular basis. Rather than revising a day or two before the examination, students must revise topics right from the day they start preparing for the examination.
Why Do We Need Revision in Preparation for Government Examinations?
In government examinations, there will be a broad syllabus. Without revision, you may end up forgetting what you have learned in the past because time will pass. Today, you can remember all the things you have learned about a particular topic, but in weeks to come, you may fail to recall the information. By revision, you will get to learn more about the subject and make important information easy to remember.
Revision is important for subjects like General Knowledge, Current Affairs, History, Geography, Polity, Science, and vocabulary. Such subjects have lots of information that students should know.
Revision will help students know their weak spots. After revision, you can find out that you find it easy to learn some information but not others.
Develop a Revision Timetable
One of the most important steps in revision is making a timetable. You need to ensure that your revision timetable is complementary to your existing timetable.
Revision can be done in the form of daily, weekly, and monthly revision sessions. Revision of newly learned material can be done on a regular basis whereas revision of old material can be done after long intervals. Make provisions for subjects and chapters where you are not strong.
Your revision timetable should be realistic. You do not have to revise all the subjects on daily basis. Rather you should try to divide the subjects among days of the week.
Active Recall Strategy
Active recall is one of the strategies that can help in memorizing effectively. Rather than going through the same notes all over again, cover your book and try remembering everything by yourself.
For instance, once you have studied a certain topic in Indian Polity, try questioning yourself on key ideas without referring to your notes. In Mathematics, you can attempt to solve formulas and problems without first referring to the answer.
Active recall involves retrieving information from memory rather than just recognizing it. This can be done by using flashcards, attempting questions, taking self-made tests, or writing on a blank page.
Regular practice of the active recall strategy helps in memorizing information easily during an actual examination.
Spaced Revision Method
Spaced revision implies the repetition of knowledge in increasingly spaced out intervals instead of repeating knowledge within the same day. This method is quite helpful for those students who are preparing for their exams over several months.
For instance, you can revise the topic that you have just finished within a day, then revise it again after a few days and even during your weekly or monthly revision session. The actual intervals can be determined depending on your preparation process.
Spaced revision will help you avoid forgetting the knowledge after studying it once.
Keep Short Revision Notes
Short notes will be of great benefit to you during revision. Rather than go through your textbooks once again, you can simply make notes that have important formulas, facts, definitions, dates, concepts, and tough points in them.
If you want notes on the current affairs, you can organize them according to categories such as government schemes, awards, appointments, sports, science and technology, and other national or international news.
You should not use your revision notes as your new textbook. Revision notes are meant to help you revise the information that is important for you.
Solve Previous Year Questions
Revising will be more fruitful when you do it along with solving questions. Previous year question papers enable you to judge how well you can use the knowledge you have gained.
Once you have revised a chapter, attempt some questions from that chapter. If your answers are wrong, revise the concerned topic again.
Look at the areas where you make mistakes. If there is some area where you are constantly making mistakes, make that your important topic.
Practice with Regular Mock Tests
Mock tests are yet another aspect of your revision plan. Mock tests allow students to assess their preparedness in an exam-like environment.
Start off by taking tests for individual subjects while still at an initial stage of preparation. As the exam comes near, you may include full-length mock tests in your schedule.
After each mock test, analyze your performance. Observe those questions where your accuracy was low or which took you time to answer. It will help you in choosing what to revise next.
The mock test is useful not just because of the mark obtained but also because of the areas where you require further preparation.
Focus on Weaker Subjects
Most students like to revise topics they are familiar with, since it becomes easy for them to answer the questions. But this will not help improve their performance much.
Discover your weak subjects through the practice papers and last year’s paper. Revise the weaker subjects for more time than usual.
When you have difficulty with some topic, then try dividing it into small parts. First of all, try understanding the fundamental part of that topic and then start answering the easy questions, before trying the difficult ones.
But at the same time, you should not neglect the strong subjects completely. Revision is always a good thing for maintaining performance.
Revise Current Affairs Frequently
Current affairs should not be revised at the last minute before the exam date. New current affairs topics keep coming, so a proper system for revising current affairs topics is required for students.
Students should develop current affairs notes on a weekly and monthly basis. Students should revise their current affairs every week and once again at the end of the month in short notes and question form.
Categorization of current affairs will help students to revise more easily. National affairs, international affairs, policy affairs, awards, sports, appointments, economic affairs, science affairs, and other relevant topics should be kept separately.
A Final Revision Technique to Employ
As you get closer to the exams, your revision technique must be concentrated. Try not to cram too much new information in a short time before the exam.
The areas that need attention include important topics, formulas, commonly tested concepts, current events, past mistakes, and analyses of mock test answers. Your short notes may come in handy during this stage of your preparation.
You must keep solving practice questions so that you do not lose pace and accuracy. But do not exhaust yourself in cramming the night before the exam through extensive studies.
Revisions – Avoiding Common Pitfalls
The most common pitfall is the practice of just reading your notes over and over again but not actually testing yourself. Reading something gives you a feeling of familiarity, but it doesn’t necessarily imply that you will be able to recall the knowledge by yourself.
Another pitfall is doing one revision. The syllabus for the government examination is quite big, so you will have to revise it many times.
Also, don’t spend much time writing the perfect notes but neglecting to revise them. Keep it simple and concentrate on learning and understanding your knowledge.
Finally, don’t compare your revision speed to others’. Focus on improving yourself instead.
Conclusion
Revision is one of the most vital components of preparing for government exams. Simply going through the syllabus is just not enough; you need to revise key concepts multiple times by answering questions and giving yourself mock examinations.
Make a realistic revision schedule, practice active recall, practice spaced revision, make short notes, answer questions from past years, and give yourself mock tests. Pay extra attention to subjects where you are weaker while also maintaining your strong subjects.
The preparation of government examinations is a lengthy process, and by practicing revision consistently, you can make it much easier for yourself. Instead of cramming at the last minute, incorporate revision into your daily schedule.
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