Do you want to improve in your studies but are unsure how you are making progress?
You are not alone. Many students often focus solely on the scores they achieve during each assessment as an indication of their progress. In doing so, they fail to realise that the important process of reviewing and evaluating one’s progress goes beyond ascertaining that one’s marks are increasing.
Here are some ways to get you started on a more effective way of assessing your learning progress:
1. Don’t throw away your test papers
It is tempting to just glance at the mark on your paper each time you receive one and subsequently toss it aside without further thought. However, it is crucial to thoroughly analyse every assessment – be it a quiz, a mini test, or a major examination. This helps you identify the topics or concepts you made mistakes in – these are the ones you are weaker in – as well as those in which you did well. Focus your revision on topics and concepts you are weak at
Doing so helps you track, over time, topics and concepts you were previously weak at. If you forget the specifics of a topic, you will be able to quickly recognise it and refresh your memory by looking into it once more.
2. Revision: summary notes and practice questions
What sort of revision should you do for topics and concepts you are weak at?
First, ensure you have a firm grasp of all knowledge relating to the topic/concept. Clarify with your teachers if you do not. Consolidate your understanding of the topic/concept by writing summary notes for it. These will give you a comprehensive yet concise guide to refer to, should you need one.
Next, practise. You can start by reattempting the exam questions you previously made mistakes in without referring to the answers. Thereafter, you can move on to topical revision using resources such as past year school exam papers or ten-year-series papers. In the process, you should flag out any difficult questions or recurring mistakes with post-it tags so you can quickly locate and revisit them in your revision before exams.
Lastly, when you are confident that you have a thorough understanding of all topics and concepts, go on to tackle full-length exam papers under exam conditions to round off your learning.
3. Consistency is key
To make significant improvements, reviewing and evaluating one’s progress should be a continuous and consistent effort. Doing so allows you to determine how you are doing over time as that helps you to identify if something you are doing works or if it does not. Like working out, you cannot expect instant results unless you consistently exercise.
Putting off doing so and rushing through the process right before major exams is unlikely to yield results. Consistency builds discipline which in turn helps to make a person successful.
All the best and remember, hard work pays off!
— Cheralyn Liu
Valedictorian, NAN HUA PRIMARY, 2015
INTEGRATED PROGRAMME, NANYANG GIRLS’ HIGH, 2019
Integrated Programme, HWA CHONG INSTITUTION, 2021.
The Elucidation Learning advantage
Our Daily Revision Program is a unique program with a proven track record. It promotes consistency in revision and develops good study habits in your child. Through this program, your child learns to be an independent learner and develops habits that empower them to be individuals who are able to spend their time productively with minimal adult supervision.
Read more about the Daily Revision Program. Contact us today and make an appointment to meet with us to find out more about how we can help you empower your child.
