Dangerous games in Chemistry revision!

A-ha! So the plot thickens. Who knew there were dangerous games in revision? Who could tell there were dark times afoot?

Of course I’m being a bit flippant - revision is one of the most indoor, risk free, solo activities imaginable how could there possibly be danger in revision? 🤨

And yet right now there are thousands of students spending time, working their way through PMT /past papers, getting their heads down, doing the right thing and getting nowhere - getting it all wrong.

So there is a real danger here.

The danger of wasting time, wasting opportunities, battling through exam days, and having a nightmare on results day. Now that’s a horror show. 😱

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The biggest problem here, is that right now, some students genuinely don’t know that the work they’re doing is a meaningless waste of time. They just don’t know. They think they’re working hard. How can that be possible?

Let me give you an example:

As a tutor, I like to work closely with the parents of my students. In one case, their daughter seems to be working hard. She spent hours working hard, studying chemistry and going nowhere. She focuses on a topic and goes through all the past paper questions she can find and she has been doing this - working diligently - for MONTHS… But in her recent mocks, she only scored 50%.

Her parents want to know why her mock results were so bad, and I know they’re not alone.

Countless families are going through the same thing. The student is working and getting nowhere. This is the real danger in revision.

www.covalentchemistrytuition.com

🌟Luckily, there are answers!🌟

The student may be confusing activity with learning.

• Looking at questions, looking at mark schemes, thinking “oh yeah, that makes sense” - but not actually testing recall or understanding

• Not identifying why she got things wrong or what concept she’s missing

• Possibly not even attempting questions properly before checking answers

• Not building foundational knowledge before attempting application

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,

• Not dealing with issues as they come up.

***At best, a past paper is only ever a diagnostic tool - it finds gaps in understanding***

So what’s the fix?

✅ Diagnostic assessment

Can the student explain key concepts without notes? For example, does she understand why mechanisms work, not just memorize them?

✅ Change the study method:

⚪️ Active recall first: close the book, write out everything you know about a topic

⚪️ Attempt questions fully before looking at answers

⚪️ If you get something wrong, you must identify the specific concept you didn’t understand and go back to learn it

⚪️ Keep an ‘Error Log’ — a list of each mistake categorised by topic, skill, and reason (misread, formula, concept gap, carelessness).

⚪️ Set measurable outcomes

⚪️ Explain concepts out loud (to you, a friend or family member, or rubber duck)

✅ Accountability system:

• Ask someone (parents) to check you’re completing specific tasks between sessions (not just “studying”)

• If you have a tutor, write specific questions/concepts you’re struggling with to each session (don’t just screenshot a question, write in your own words)

• Keep a log of topics mastered vs topics needing work and put it somewhere public - like on the fridge. That way loved ones can nag you more (!)

No, but seriously, accountability works 😊

In summary:

Here’s what you can introduce:

• Active Error Analysis: After marking, write down why the answer was wrong and what concept was misunderstood.

• Topic Review Before Practice: Spend time revisiting theory before jumping into questions.

• Spaced Practice: Mix topics instead of doing one in isolation.

• Teach Back Method: explain concepts to someone —reveals gaps.

• Mark Scheme Decoding: Show how examiners phrase answers and why certain keywords matter

Come and speak to me directly about

progress in A-level Chemistry

www.covalentchemistrytuition.com