Saturday, 7 March 2026

Developing a Better Exam Technique

Many students spend hours learning the content of a subject but far less time learning how to take the exam itself. Yet in reality, exam technique can easily be the difference between a B and an A, or a pass and a fail.

After more than 40 years of teaching and preparing students for GCSE and A-Level exams, I’ve seen the same pattern repeatedly. Students often know more than they manage to show on the paper. The problem isn’t knowledge — it’s exam technique.

Let’s look at how to improve it.

1. Read the Question — Properly

It sounds obvious, but many marks are lost because students misread the question.

Examiners are very precise with wording. Words like:

Describe – give the features
Explain – give reasons why
Evaluate – give arguments for and against
Calculate – show the working

If the question asks you to explain, a simple description won’t earn full marks.

A useful habit is to underline the command word before answering.

2. Use the Marks as a Guide

The number of marks tells you how much the examiner expects.

For example:

Marks	What the examiner expects
1–2 marks	Short factual answer
3–4 marks	Several points or a short explanation
6 marks	Clear explanation with multiple steps
10+ marks	Structured argument or extended reasoning

If a question is worth 6 marks, a one-sentence answer is almost certainly not enough.

3. Show Your Working

This is particularly important in maths and science.

Even if the final answer is wrong, examiners often award method marks.

For example:

Write the formula
Substitute the values
Show the calculation

A student who shows their working might still get 3 or 4 marks, while a student who writes only the wrong answer gets zero.

4. Structure Longer Answers

For longer questions, a simple structure works well.

One effective method is PEEL:

Point – make a clear statement
Evidence – support it with facts or data
Explain – say why it matters
Link – connect back to the question

This structure is particularly useful in subjects such as biology, geography, and sociology.

5. Manage Your Time

A common mistake is spending too long on one question.

A simple rule is:

Marks ≈ Minutes

So for a 60-mark paper in 60 minutes, you should spend roughly:

5 minutes on a 5-mark question
10 minutes on a 10-mark question

If you get stuck, move on and return later.

6. Practise with Past Papers

Nothing improves exam technique faster than real exam questions.

Past papers help you:

recognise question patterns
learn the mark schemes
understand what examiners want

When possible, mark your work against the official mark scheme.

You’ll quickly notice the phrases examiners expect.

7. Answer the Question That Was Asked

This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly common for students to write everything they know about a topic rather than answering the specific question.

Examiners can only award marks for relevant points.

Always ask yourself:

“Does this sentence answer the question?”

If not, leave it out.

Final Thought

Good exam technique is a skill that can be learned.

Students who practise reading questions carefully, structuring answers, showing their working, and managing their time often see rapid improvements in their marks.

Knowledge is important — but knowing how to demonstrate that knowledge in an exam is just as important.

Friday, 6 March 2026

Learning vs Revision – Why They Are Not the Same Thing

Every exam season I see the same pattern. Students say they are revising hard — hours with books open, highlighters at the ready, notes everywhere. Yet when the exam paper appears, the knowledge somehow vanishes.

The reason is simple.

Revision and learning are not the same thing.

Revision assumes the knowledge is already there. Learning is the process of putting it there in the first place.

Think of it like sailing. You can revise how to steer a boat, but if you’ve never learned how the wind affects the sails, revision alone won’t stop you sailing straight into the riverbank.

Let’s look at how real learning works.

Step 1: Understand Before Memorising

The biggest mistake students make is trying to memorise something they don’t understand.

Understanding creates a framework in the brain. Facts then have somewhere to attach themselves.

For example:

In physics, if you understand that electricity flows because of potential difference, circuits suddenly make sense.
In maths, understanding why differentiation works makes remembering the rules much easier.
In chemistry, knowing why atoms bond helps you remember reaction patterns.

Learning should start with concepts first, details later.

Step 2: Active Learning Beats Passive Reading

Reading notes repeatedly feels productive — but it is often an illusion.

Effective learning requires active engagement.

Better methods include:

Answering exam questions
Explaining the concept out loud
Teaching the topic to someone else
Drawing diagrams or flowcharts
Solving problems without looking at notes

When the brain struggles slightly, it strengthens the memory. Passive reading rarely does.

Step 3: Use Retrieval Practice

One of the most powerful learning tools is retrieval practice — forcing the brain to recall information.

Instead of reading notes again, try:

Writing down everything you remember about a topic
Using flashcards
Doing practice questions from memory
Testing yourself regularly

Each time you retrieve information from memory, the neural pathways become stronger.

This is why systems such as the Leitner flashcard method are so effective.

Step 4: Space Your Learning

Cramming might get you through tomorrow’s test, but the knowledge rarely lasts.

Spacing learning over time is far more effective.

A good pattern might look like:

Day 1 – Learn the topic
Day 2 – Review briefly
Day 5 – Test yourself
Day 14 – Test again
Day 30 – Quick review

Each gap forces the brain to rebuild the memory, making it stronger.

Step 5: Use Multiple Ways to Learn

The brain remembers things better when information arrives in different forms.

For example:

Diagrams and visual explanations
Practical experiments
Videos and demonstrations
Written summaries
Solving problems

This is one reason I often run experiments in the lab with students. Seeing a wave on an oscilloscope or measuring electrical resistance makes the idea far easier to remember than reading about it in a textbook.

Step 6: Focus on Exam Technique

Once learning has happened, revision becomes useful.

Revision should focus on:

Practising exam questions
Understanding mark schemes
Timing answers
Recognising common question patterns

Exams reward how well you apply knowledge, not just how much you remember.

A Final Thought

Learning is like building a boat.

Revision is like polishing the paintwork.

You can polish the paint all you like — but if the hull isn’t built properly, the boat still won’t float.

Build the understanding first. Then revision becomes far more effective.

Thursday, 5 March 2026

How to revise effectively (without turning into a human highlighter)

There’s a particular kind of optimism that appears every term.

It usually arrives at about 8:30pm, armed with brand-new highlighters, a packet of sticky notes, and a tragic belief that “rewriting the textbook” counts as revision.

I love the enthusiasm. I really do.
But if revision were a sport, highlighting would be the warm-up jog… and most students are doing it for three hours, then wondering why they still can’t answer a 6-marker.

So here’s a practical, no-nonsense guide to revising effectively — the stuff that actually moves marks — with a bit of humour, because otherwise we’d all cry into our flashcards.

1) Revision isn’t “taking in information” — it’s practising getting it out

If you only do one thing, do this:

Test yourself. Early. Often. Slightly annoyingly.

Because exams don’t ask:

“Have you seen this page before?”

They ask:

“Can you retrieve it under pressure with a pen that suddenly stops working?”

Best tools:

Blurting (write everything you know, then check)
Practice questions
Flashcards (done properly — see below)
Past papers + mark schemes

If it feels a bit uncomfortable, good. That’s your brain lifting weights.

2) Start with the topics that make you go “yeah… I’ll do that later”

Everyone has a “later” topic.
It’s usually algebra, electricity, enzymes, or that one poem where nobody knows what’s going on (including the poet).

Do a quick traffic-light audit:

Green: I can answer questions without notes.
Amber: I sort of know it, but I wobble.
Red: If you asked me now I’d leave the country.

Then revise in this order:
Red → Amber → Green (quick check only).

Green feels nice.
Red gets results.

3) The “45–15” method (because humans aren’t built for 3-hour marathons)

Try:

45 mins focused work
15 mins break
Repeat 2–3 times, then stop.

On the break:

Move
Drink water
Snack
Do not “just quickly check” social media unless you fancy losing 40 minutes to a video of a dog reviewing hotel rooms.

4) Make revision active: turn notes into questions

If you have notes already, brilliant — now convert them.

Instead of:

“Ohm’s Law: V = IR”

Make:

“If V = 12V and R = 4Ω, what is I?”
“What happens to current if resistance doubles (voltage constant)?”
“What’s the difference between resistance and resistivity?”

Your goal is to create something you can test yourself on.

5) Flashcards: the right way (and the way that wastes your time)

✅ Good flashcards:

One question, one answer
Include examples and common mistakes
Used with spaced repetition (coming up)

❌ Bad flashcards:

A whole page of notes squeezed onto a card
“Define photosynthesis” with a paragraph answer you never actually say
Cards you read like a tiny textbook (adorable, but no)

6) Spaced repetition: revise little and often (instead of panic and chaos)

Spacing is revision’s secret weapon.

A simple schedule:

Day 1: learn it
Day 2: quick test
Day 4: test again
Day 7: test again
Day 14: test again

Short, repeated retrieval beats one massive “revision day” every time.

7) Interleaving: mix topics like an exam does

Students love revising in neat blocks:

“Today I do only waves. Tomorrow only electricity. Friday only suffering.”

But exams don’t work like that. They bounce.

So mix it:

20 mins topic A
20 mins topic B
20 mins topic C
Then circle back.

This forces your brain to choose the right method, not just repeat the same one.

8) Past papers: how to use them without fooling yourself

A past paper is only useful if you do it like this:

Do questions without notes
Mark with the mark scheme
For each mistake, write:
- What I did wrong
- What the examiner wanted
- A model answer (or corrected method)
Re-do the same style question 2–3 days later

If you do a past paper, look at the mark scheme, and say “ah yes, makes sense” — that’s not revision. That’s mark scheme appreciation.

9) The “two-page rule” for every topic

For each topic, aim to end up with:

One page of key facts / equations / definitions
One page of exam-style questions you can answer

That becomes your personal “exam pack”.

It’s also a brilliant way to stop revision turning into a stationery hobby.

10) What to do the week before the exam

Daily: 30–60 mins retrieval + practice questions
Rotate weak topics
Do timed questions
Sleep like it’s part of your grade (because it is)

The night before:

Light review only
Pack kit
No “I’ll just learn the whole of organic chemistry from scratch” heroics

A simple revision plan you can copy

Mon–Fri (60–90 mins):

10 mins: quick flashcard review
40 mins: weak topic retrieval + corrections
20 mins: exam questions (timed if possible)

Weekend (2 hours):

1 past-paper section (or 2 shorter sets)
Mark + make corrections
Make 5–10 flashcards from mistakes

Final thought

Effective revision is boring in the way that winning is boring.

It’s not about motivation.
It’s about a system that works even when you can’t be bothered.

And yes — you can absolutely do it without becoming a human highlighter.

Wednesday, 4 March 2026

Just how many spare camera batteries do you need?

There are two kinds of filmmakers:

The ones who carry one battery and “trust the universe”.
The ones who carry eight, plus a spreadsheet, plus a small solar farm.

I have been both. Usually on the same day.

Because here’s the truth: the number of spare batteries you need isn’t “a number”. It’s a relationship between (a) how long you’re filming, (b) what you’re filming with, and (c) how likely it is that the universe will choose today to teach you humility.

The simple rule (that actually works)

Bring enough battery for your expected filming time… then add one extra battery “for chaos”.

Chaos is: wind, cold, 4K/8K, image stabilisation, autofocus, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a mic receiver you forgot was powered, and that moment when someone says:
“Could you just do that again, but… better?”

Start with a quick battery reality check

Ask yourself:

How long will I be rolling for real? (Not “how long will I be out”.)
A two-hour sailing session can become 30 minutes of actual recording… or two hours if you’re capturing everything “just in case”.
What are you filming on?
Phones sip power until they don’t. Mirrorless cameras can be efficient… until you add external monitors, IBIS, high frame rates, and continuous AF. 360 cameras have their own special talent for eating batteries while you’re distracted by “how cool this looks”.
Can you charge during the day?
Car charger? USB-C PD? Power bank? Solar? If yes, you can carry fewer batteries and more charging capability.

A practical “how many spares?” guide

Use this as a starting point (then adjust for your own kit and habits):

A) Short shoot (up to ~1 hour of actual recording)

Minimum: 1 spare
Comfortable: 2 spares
If it’s cold / you’re filming 4K/slow-mo: add 1

B) Half-day shoot (2–4 hours of mixed filming)

Minimum: 2 spares
Comfortable: 3–4 spares
If you’re using an external monitor or lots of AF: lean to 4

C) Full day / event coverage

Minimum: 4 spares
Comfortable: 6+ spares or a power solution (USB-C PD / dummy battery / V-mount style setup)
If you cannot charge at all: assume you’ll need more than you think

D) Boats, sailing, outdoor winter filming

Minimum: take your normal number and add one more
Cold weather can make a perfectly good battery behave like it’s nearing retirement.

The hidden battery killers (a short list of villains)

If your battery life feels “mysteriously short”, it’s usually one of these:

High resolution / high bitrate recording
High frame rate (50/60/120fps)
Image stabilisation working hard
Continuous autofocus and face tracking
Bright screens (especially external monitors)
Wireless features (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth)
Long “camera on, not recording” time (the silent assassin)

A smarter approach than hoarding batteries

Sometimes the answer isn’t more batteries. It’s a plan.

1) Power bank + USB-C PD charging
Great for breaks between takes (and for phones/360 cameras). Even better if your camera can run/charge via USB-C while operating.

2) In-car charging
If you’re travelling between locations, that car becomes your mobile power station.

3) One “big battery” option
Depending on your setup: dummy battery to power bank, or a larger external pack for longer stints (especially for video).

4) Label and rotate
Number your batteries. Rotate use. Retire the “problem child” that always dies early.

My “leave-the-house” battery checklist

Before you go:

Batteries charged ✅
Spares packed ✅
Charger packed ✅
Cable(s) packed ✅
Power bank / car adapter ✅
Batteries stored safely (caps/case, no loose batteries rolling around) ✅

Because nothing says “professional video workflow” quite like rummaging in a bag for a battery while your subject drifts away downriver.

So… how many do you need?

If you want a one-line answer:

Casual filming: 1–2 spares
Serious filming: 3–4 spares
All-day / mission-critical / cold / boat day: 4–6 spares or spares + a proper charging/power strategy

And always, always pack one extra battery for chaos.

Tuesday, 3 March 2026

R&D — From test tubes to tell-tales: building an electronic burgee

There’s a myth that R&D only happens in white coats, surrounded by fume cupboards and the faint smell of “who left the hotplate on?”. In our world, research and development is just as likely to happen in a buoyancy aid, crouched in the bottom of a dinghy, wondering whether that “slight breeze” is actually a wind shift or just your hat trying to make a break for it.

Because here’s the thing: sailing is basically applied physics with occasional splashing. And once you’ve spent a lifetime building experiments, teaching students to measure the unmeasurable, and persuading sensors to behave themselves, it’s only a matter of time before you look at a masthead burgee and think: Yes… but what if it had data?

The problem: the masthead knows… but the helm doesn’t

A traditional burgee and wind indicator are brilliant—simple, reliable, and they don’t need charging. The only snag is that the truly useful information is happening at the top of the mast, while the people making the decisions are down below doing impressions of a human washing line.

On rivers (hello Thames), wind can be wildly different even a few metres up. Trees, banks, moored boats, bridges—everything interferes. So the burgee might be telling the truth, but it’s telling it to the clouds.

The R&D idea: an electronic burgee you can actually see

So the concept is this:

A combined weather vane + anemometer at the masthead
Measurements relayed down the mast (wire or wireless)
A screen at the foot of the mast showing:
- Wind direction (relative to the boat’s heading)
- Wind speed (and ideally gusts)
- A “trend” indicator (strengthening / easing)

In other words: the masthead’s gossip comes down to deck level, where it can be acted on without a crew member performing an interpretive dance while staring upwards.

Why this matters (especially for learning and coaching)

This isn’t just gadget-lust (although I admit gadgets have a strong pull, like biscuits). An electronic burgee could genuinely help with:

Training: showing new helms how wind direction relates to boat trim and course
Tacking and gybing: timing manoeuvres when the wind is behaving oddly along the river
Sail setup: helping the crew see what changes in downhaul, kicker/gnav, outhaul actually do
Safety: spotting gusts building before they smack you like a wet duvet

It turns sailing into something you can observe, measure, and learn from, rather than “feel vaguely and argue about afterwards”.

Practical design thoughts (before we invent a new type of disappointment)

If we’re doing this properly, it needs to survive real sailing life, which includes: water, shocks, UV, vibration, and that special kind of accidental abuse known as “launching”.

Key R&D questions:

Power: small battery? solar trickle? or run a thin cable down the mast?
Data link: wired (reliable) vs wireless (neat but fussy around masts, water, and interference)
Ruggedness: waterproofing, salt resistance (for coastal), and impact survival
Display: sunlight readable, simple icons, big numbers, minimal menus
Calibration: direction needs a reference (boat heading / mast alignment) so it doesn’t lie politely

The dream is something that’s useful in 3 seconds, not something that requires a PhD and a laptop on a spinnaker bag.

The bigger point: R&D is a mindset, not a department

This is why R&D leaks out of science and into sailing. Once you start asking “how could this be better?” you can’t switch it off. The lab and the boat are both environments where small improvements make a big difference—and where the real world happily punishes sloppy thinking.

So yes, we’re looking at building an electronic burgee. Not because we need more screens in our lives… but because if we can make wind behaviour clearer, training quicker, and sailing safer (and maybe reduce the amount of shouting during a tack), then it’s exactly the kind of R&D that’s worth doing.

And if it all goes wrong? Well… we can always fall back on the traditional system: lick a finger, hold it up, and pretend that was “data”.