Past paper

Also called Practice paper, Specimen paper

A real exam from a previous year. The closest thing to the actual test, and free.

What it is

Past papers are previous years' question papers, published by the boards with their mark schemes. Specimen papers are written for a new specification before any real sittings exist.

Where it applies

Every subject. Availability varies — a recently reformed specification may only have specimen papers.

How it works

Doing a paper under timed conditions tests something re-reading notes never touches: retrieving information under pressure, in the order the paper wants it, with a clock running.

The evidence on this is strong. Retrieval practice and testing yourself outperform re-reading and highlighting by a wide margin, and past papers are retrieval practice with the format thrown in.

How to use it in your work

Timed, closed-book, in one sitting. A paper done over three evenings with the notes open measures nothing.

Then mark it against the mark scheme and write down what you lost marks for, by category. Do the next paper targeting that.

Do not save them all for the last week. Use them from the start; they show you what you do not know while there is still time to learn it.

Where to get help

Your board's website. Your teacher for which papers match your specification — old papers from a previous specification can be misleading.