Exam Busters

• To stimulate and grow a positive attitude towards learning and exams
• To reduce exam stress
• To upskill students with effective memory techniques
• To provide a comprehensive exam toolkit

Don’t be fooled by the name. Exam Busters teaches skills that can be used all year round – not just during the exam periods.

Students will leave the Exam Busters workshop feeling energised and enthusiastic. Our practical tools will make students better prepared to handle their workload, remember facts, retain information, overcome mental blocks, and manage time in exams. This course also teaches wider life skills such as preparation, relaxation, stress reduction and organisation, and supports mental and physical wellbeing.

We usually run Exam Busters workshops from Year 8, but the course is useful for students of all ages. We suggest starting the course as early in the academic year as possible to give students time to embed these skills and reduce the pressure they may feel as exams approach.

The course can also support students who need help with:

• Improving learning skills
• Wider exam support
• Gaining confidence to aspire higher
• Preparing themselves mentally and physically for exams (especially in Key Stage 4 and above) to alleviate exam stress

This highly interactive workshop equips students with a range of effective revision and exam preparation techniques, including reflective thinking and reviewing skills. Students will also learn stress management techniques to help reduce exam stress and ensure their focus is on their strong performance.

Not only does this workshop help prepare students for exams but it also embeds wider life skills that will help in pressured situations, such as interviews, auditions and public speaking.

This workshop aligns with Gatsby Benchmarks 3, 7 and 8 as well as the Ofsted three ‘I’s (intent, implementation and impact) and the NERUPI framework.

Exam Busters covers a range of content, including:

• The RICE exam system for answering exam questions
• Past paper challenge
• Managing time in an exam
• Secrets of a successful memory
• Metacognition
• Overcoming mental blocks

Techniques include:

• Dual coding
• Sticky note snap
• Flashcards
• Cheat/CRIB sheet
• The Leitner system

You will also have the option to subscribe to our new Online Resources Hub, which can greatly further the impact your live workshop has on your students.

Students leave the exam busters workshop with:

• A clear plan on how they can best revise for exams
• Multiple tools to aid the learning and retention of information
• A range of techniques to help alleviate exam stress
• Increased confidence that they can perform well in exams and achieve their full potential
• New ideas about what they can achieve and the steps they can put in place to help along the journey

We recommend sitting students at tables of four to six, making sure all students are facing the presenter. Alternatively, students can be sat in rows.

Your Positively You event can be broken down as follows, depending on your timetable:

• 4 x 1-hour workshops
• 3 x 80-minute workshops
• 2 x 2-hour workshops

Each workshop can accommodate no more than 100 different students.

Exam Busters can be delivered face-to-face or online and is able to be delivered in Welsh.