How to Get Top GCSE Grades: UAE Students Share Their Revision Secrets

How to Get Top GCSE Grades: UAE Students Share Their Revision Secrets

Who better to offer revision tips than Dubai’s top GCSE scorers? Four high achievers, now in Year 12, reveal how they earned their best marks, even in their toughest subjects.

By Natalie Long

28th Apr 2025

Who better to offer revision tips than the latest cohort of GCSE students? Four of the UAE's highest scorers, now in Year 12,  share what they actually did to get the best marks – even in their most challenging subjects.

Meet the students

Marthinus Le Roux, from South View School, got three 9s, three 8s, a 7 and a 6. He is most proud of his maths mark, because he almost got 100 per cent.

Julia Anna Rajeev, also from South View School, got five 9s, three 8s and a 7. She is most proud of her French and English language and literature marks. “My predicted grades were much lower than the grades that I actually achieved – they were the subjects I struggled with the most. With hard work I was able to achieve top grades for these subjects.”

Diana Vasile, from British International School Abu Dhabi, achieved nine grade 9s and one grade 8. “I am proud of them all equally!" she says. "Each subject has taught me its own unique skills and having put so much effort throughout the two-year course, I am truly happy with my achievements. I value how all subjects collectively contributed to shaping my overall growth, thinking, and perseverance as a learner.”

Leena Laribi, also from British International School Abu Dhabi, received eight 9s and three 8s. She is particularly proud of her maths results. “There were a few topics that I struggled with towards the end of the course, which I prioritised in my revision, and to see that I scored well on these questions, and that my revision was effective, made me proud.”

Elizabeth Evans, a student of the online school Kings Interhigh, received eight 9s. She is most proud of her science and maths results, as she had to work a bit harder at those.

Rather hear from the teachers? Read our Ultimate Revision Guide 

The students share their experience in...

When to start revising for your GCSEs

Julia: I started with the GCSEs that I had first, at least a few weeks prior to my examinations, and focused solely on a specific unit every day. 

Leena: My revision started at the beginning of the course, as I would come home to review notes or attempt practice questions after school. However, I created a structured revision schedule closer to the exams. I ranked my subjects in terms of how comfortable I felt with them and prioritised those I needed more time to study on my timetable, leaving suitable time for breaks and time with my family. 

Diana: From the beginning, I ensured I understood and deepened all knowledge shared in class, with topic-specific past paper questions  to strengthen content retention and application. 

Thanks to our school's emphasis on mock exams, timed practice became an integral part of my revision routine. As a result, I gradually developed a more strategic approach to assessments – focusing on concise answers consisting of the primary mark-scheme points.

During exam season, my subject revision schedule followed the order of my examinations. I found this truly helpful in prioritising my studies according to paper order (ie. Paper 1, then Paper 2).

Elizabeth: My revision was an ongoing process. At the end of year 10, I produced all of my flashcards for the content from Year 10.  Throughout year 11 I produced my flashcards as I went along.

Top Revision Techniques

Leena: Past papers really do work best. I do go through the content before trying out questions, but constantly testing my knowledge truly was the technique for me. Additionally, to memorise content quicker, I would attempt to explain it to my family. It let me know what the gaps in my knowledge were. I also occasionally used the Pomodoro technique for covering content, with adjusted times.

Julia: My favourite revision technique was practising past papers, and if I did not get enough time to do a past paper, I would briefly go over content for a subject by watching videos or skimming through notes.

Diana: My primary revision technique has been note-taking, followed by past paper questions. Notes allow me to learn, revise, and recall information, whilst past paper questions develop fluency in articulating and applying the content and ideas from my notes. It encouraged me to actively engage with the content I was writing, rather than passively reading or highlighting it. IGCSE subject textbooks and condensed revision books formed the foundation of all my notes.

Marthinus: Reading through mark schemes – they helped me realise the structure required to gain marks.

Elizabeth: I had a robust approach: 1) Know the specification 2) Keep up with all classwork and assignments 3) Learn the content through creating flashcards 4) Past papers 5) Use the mark scheme to mark the papers 6) Read the Examiners report thoroughly.

What Didn’t Work: Common Revision Mistakes

Leena: My note-taking used to be very time-consuming, which was a setback for my revision, as I had less time for practice. I started summarising key points rather than writing all details down. 

Julia: Note-taking did not help me much with learning content at the point when I only had weeks/days left until my exams, so I would instead practice topic questions and learn from my mistakes.

Marthinus: Reading the textbook gave me the knowledge needed, but not how to apply it.

Elizabeth: Originally, I wrote long notes on A4 paper. I found this very difficult to learn.

Diana: Notes can be periodically re-written! They are extremely helpful for short-term memory boosts, and do not have to serve the sole purpose of providing a source of reading.

Why Past Papers Are Key

Leena: Past papers formed a large part of my revision; they allowed me to identify patterns within papers and put my knowledge to the test. For notes, I referred to the specification, which really helped me structure my revision, the revision guides, textbooks and class notes. 

Julia: Past papers were the main source of revision for me, followed by revision notes that are already available online.

Diana: In the weeks prior to my exam season, I completed as many full past papers as possible under timed conditions- typically 4 to 5 per day. Using the official mark-schemes available online, I ensured I self-marked all my answers to improve response efficiency, as well as to minimise the risk of repeating mistakes in future practice. This process boosted my confidence. 

Best Online Resources for GCSE Success

Julia: I used Physicsandmathstutor.com and Maths Genie for most of my subjects, and for other subjects I would watch YouTube videos. 

Leena: I found Save My Exams extremely useful for past papers and for trying exam questions sorted by difficulty.

Where to Revise

Julia: I mostly revised at home, and occasionally I would play music, but only if I was doing questions, not while I was learning/revising content. I made sure to take breaks around every half hour.

Leena: Strangely enough, I found that revising in places that I was not familiar with was best for my revision, as I was less likely to fall into the trap of getting too comfortable while revising. I did briefly try listening to white noise, as a way to limit distractions and stay focused while revising, and I believe it may be a good technique to try.

I would set myself an achievable task to carry out, one that wouldn’t take too long, and let myself work until I finished it, then I would be able to take a break to reconnect with hobbies or simply speak with family members or friends. 

Elizabeth: I revised in different parts of the house so that I didn't get too fed up. I got rid of distractions, like my phone, and no music.

Stress-Free Revision

Leena: I attempted to turn this stress into motivation to study. I believe this is truly important because otherwise stress will only hinder you. I definitely felt worried about the upcoming exams, but through setting these clear plans and outlines for revision, I tried to ensure that there was no reason to worry other than nerves.

Looking back, having finished my GCSEs, I realise most of these worries sprouted from the fact these exams were such a milestone in my education, but by staying organised and working on reducing stress, it’s very possible to achieve good grades.

Ensure that you avoid falling into unhealthy habits. I made sure that revision wasn’t consuming my days, and I did so by taking some time during breaks to focus on my hobbies.

Exam-Day Stress: How To Stay Calm and Focused

Marthinus: On the day, realise that you have studied, and that stressing won’t do anything for you.

Julia: Make sure not to spend too much time doing revision, having a balance in life is the key. 

Leena: I focused on simply getting ready to take the exam; last-minute revision was more distracting or confusing than it was useful. After the exam, the best way to move forward is to prepare for the next exams, rather than contemplating previous papers and how you did. 

Exam-Day Time Management: Top Tips

Julia: Time management is key for doing exams. I would suggest timed practice papers, and for each subject strategise by doing questions that you struggle with or take the longest to do first, then do the easier questions. 

Leena: I had different methods for each subject, however the general rule I applied was that I could only spend a minute per mark. For example, with papers that included essays such as economics, I divided the time during the exam by the marks available and allocated specific time slots where I would be doing them. This allowed me to maintain a steady pace and also left time for me to check answers at the end. Also, I practised under timed conditions. It is vital you do this. It was invaluable for me, as it allowed me to walk into the exam being familiar with the conditions. 

Get Your Parents Involved

Julia: They helped me focus and supported me throughout my GCSE revision so I could do the best I could.

Leena: My parents supported me immensely: They provided me with the time and space to revise, supported me in subjects they were familiar with, such as economics and mathematics, and finally, they helped to alleviate any stress that I felt.  

Elizabeth: My mother has always been a good support and would print out examiner reports, specifications and past papers/mark schemes. If I did get overwhelmed, which was not very often, she would help me prioritise. Other than that, her job was to keep me fed!

Final Tip for GCSE Exam Success

Julia: Ensure that you understand what you are learning, rather than just memorising information, as it is important that you can apply current knowledge to answer trickier questions. If you can do this, you have a good chance of getting top GCSE grades!

Leena: What was easiest to forget during this period was to remain positive about the exams, while still taking a serious approach to revision.

Elizabeth: It is important to know why exams are important. What are your long-term goals – do you want to be a lawyer, doctor, engineer, investment banker, academic, or scientist?  Do you want to be rich? All of these need you to do well in school and get good grades in GCSE. That will help you with A Levels and then get you into a top university or degree apprenticeship.

SOURCE

1. Whichschooladvisor: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/guides/how-to-get-top-gcse-grades-uae-students-share-their-revision-secrets

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