REVISION

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REVISION

• Department of Laws

Produced by Dr Peter Jepson
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1 - An important message ...
Remember Selective revision Does NOT work

• Do not revise just part of the syllabus. YOU MUST
  - with LAW - REVISE ALL ELEMENTS.
• For example ... what happens in criminal law if
  you do not revise causation and/or participation?

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2 - NEVER ...
This is not GCSE

• Never answer an examination question by simply
  writing about the subject. You MUST answer the
  exam question. To do that you need revision of
  depth.

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3 - NEVER ...

• Never rush into answering an examination
  question. ALWAYS take your time - plan your
  answer - Write a brief essay plan.
• Focus on the examination question and work out
  the key issues prioritise issues in your plan
  (lets do that briefly now - with questions?).
  Start by underlining or highlighting key words!

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4 - Always
Is that sexist?

• Discuss ALL of the possibilities. Assume that
  your examiner is a little boy in short trousers.
• Remember the examiner cannot read your mind - he
  can only read what you write on the paper.

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5 - Always Practice
Well he used to be!

• David Beckham is great at taking free kicks. It
  is not a natural ability - he has to keep
  practising to succeed.
• You have to pass these exams and that means that
  you have to practice to succeed. There are NO
  shortcuts!

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6 - What do I mean by practice?

• I do not mean that you practice by doing an
  examination question once.
• How many times would you need to do an essay on
  say Manslaughter or the EU before you can say -
  without any doubt - that you know the area fully?

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7 - What are the key areas?

• Machinery of Justice
• Sources of Law
• Criminal Law (2)
• Special Study

With the person next to you produce a list of key
areas that need to be studied
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8 - Writing a case note

• A case note requires the following
• Name of case
• Year and Court of Case
• The ratio of the case
• Judges comments relative to the ratio
• Major cases also require the facts of the case
  and possibly obiter comments

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9 - A list of key cases

• Now - with your working partner - produce a list
  of key law cases.
• For the next lesson produce a case note for each
  of these cases.

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10 - Use past exam Qs

• The best way to revise is to practice over and
  over again answering past exam questions.
• Produce essay plans for and after you do an exam
  question.
• Do the first in depth and after that in exam
  conditions.

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11 - Exam Timetable

• Do revision EVERY day between now and the exam.
• Plan to revise six days a week. If you have six
  subjects that is one day per subject (today is
  Law Revision Day).
• Start early - you should already have started.

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12 - The exam can be fun
Remember You are as good as your revision

• But only if you know the subject!

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13 - Do you get nervous?
So I can learn while asleep?

• I recommend using a CD-Rom that is designed to
  ease examination nerves. These do work and you
  dont have to waste time listening to them (play
  them as you get into bed).

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14 - Confidence is a key...

• Confidence comes from revision.
• Confidence comes from talking over examination
  questions with fellow students.
• You are ALL students who have succeeded in the
  past - Law is more challenging and if you
  practice you will improve and will succeed.