Revising for stuff that is less than interesting...

Fact sheets. Helped me garner lots of Fantastic results

Draw a mindmap and stick it to the door in your toilet.

Dazzler21 said:

Hi Guys

I'm currently revising for the Certificate in Pensions Automatic Enrolment (CPAE). It only relates to my job in that I work for a pensions company, however i'm on a web based team where Pensions AE rules aren't the most important.

I really enjoy my job, but this learning material is not sticking as it's so poorly written...

What is the best revision trick you used/use for exam revision?

Cheers for any helpful tips!

Get up early if you can and go for short, sharp revision bursts, i.e. two-hours sessions and then a break. As @soapy_jones has said, succinct, bullet points that are well marked (highlighted, underlined, capitals etc). I read somewhere recently that you shouldn't revise for too long in one hit or after 6pm as your brain will not retain that information as well as it can earlier in the day.

I revised for an exam for my industry recently using this method and the exam went really well…proof is in the pudding though and I don't get the results for another three months yet! I found the early, short sessions a great help for certain areas that were pretty dull.

Good luck!

Flashcards app. Got me through some of the most mundane of subjects.

Sounds like the issue is the revision literature. The best way to learn something is to find a way to understand it in your own way. If that fails, then write everything down then read it back to yourself. Then wait a day and do it again. Then repeat one final time. You'll basically be able to regurgitate it on the 4th day without looking at the material. Time-consuming, not really an effective 'retention' method but will get you through most exams.

'Retrieval learning' is all the rage these days, backed up by neuroscience and research. Thankfully, it's very simple and just involves testing yourself on small amounts of material regularly. The key thing is though, that you must allow yourself some forgetting time before each test. Reading something then testing yourself won't help much. Instead, read something carefully, then read something else for ten minutes, then test yourself on the first thing.
take my word for it, this really works.

Uboat said:

'Retrieval learning' is all the rage these days, backed up by neuroscience and research. Thankfully, it's very simple and just involves testing yourself on small amounts of material regularly. The key thing is though, that you must allow yourself some forgetting time before each test. Reading something then testing yourself won't help much. Instead, read something carefully, then read something else for ten minutes, then test yourself on the first thing.
take my word for it, this really works.

or alternatively, just go to the pub.

Regular porn hub breaks. I was blowing sand by the end of my o levels but passed them all.

Dazzler21 said:

Hi Guys

I'm currently revising for the Certificate in Pensions Automatic Enrolment (CPAE). It only relates to my job in that I work for a pensions company, however i'm on a web based team where Pensions AE rules aren't the most important.

I really enjoy my job, but this learning material is not sticking as it's so poorly written...

What is the best revision trick you used/use for exam revision?

Cheers for any helpful tips!

From someone who had to take G60 years ago and who, fortunately, now only has to consider the implications of changing rules in pensions legislation for the Mrs and myself, you have my deepest sympathies.

I can't think of anything I'd less like to be doing and can't offer you any tips as I am the worst when it comes to revision. But I do sincerely wish you all the very best in your exam and hope you pass with flying colours.

Ha ha, if only it all boiled down to that one page!


Was only joshing. Don't know why anyone would try and produce learning material from the Pension Regulator's learning material. It's all on their website.