How exams are actually marked, and how to lose fewer marks.

A decade of one-to-one tutoring, written down. Command words, method marks, how the grades are banded, and where AQA and Edexcel mark the same content differently.

Exam Technique · 6 min read

How GCSE Maths Is Marked: Why Your Working Is Worth More Than the Answer

Maths feels like the answer is all that counts — but the marks are spread through the working. Method marks, error carried forward, and how to keep marks you would otherwise lose.

Jason Daswani · 16 August 2026

Exam Technique · 6 min read

How GCSE Physics Is Marked: Equations, Units and Where Marks Slip

GCSE Physics is marked on applying the right equation and showing the working. Here is where students lose marks they should have had — the equation, the units, the significant figures.

15 August 2026

Exam Technique · 7 min read

How GCSE Biology Is Marked: Why ‘Nearly Right’ Earns Nothing

Biology is marked on precise definitions, and an answer that is nearly right in everyday words often scores zero. Here is where the marks hide — the exact terms, the explain questions, the six-markers.

14 August 2026

Exam Technique · 7 min read

How GCSE Chemistry Is Marked: State Symbols, Working and Where Marks Vanish

GCSE Chemistry is marked on precision — state symbols, significant figures, the exact word. Here is where students lose marks they should have had, and how to stop.

5 August 2026

Exam Technique · 7 min read

How 6-Mark Questions Are Marked — and How to Get All Six

Six-mark questions are not marked by counting facts — they are marked by levels. Here is what actually moves you up a band, and why writing more rarely does.

24 July 2026

Exam Technique · 6 min read

Method Marks: How to Score When Your Final Answer Is Wrong

In most calculation questions the final answer is worth only one mark — the rest are for your working. Here is how method marks and error carried forward really work.

3 July 2026

Exam Technique · 7 min read

Command Words in GCSE Exams: What ‘Describe’, ‘Explain’ and ‘Evaluate’ Actually Want

The verb at the start of a question tells the examiner what they are allowed to give you marks for. Here is what each command word wants — and the marks students lose by ignoring it.

12 June 2026

Revision Strategy · 8 min read

How to Improve Your GCSE Grades: What the Research Actually Says

Most GCSE revision advice ignores the learning science. Here is what actually moves grades, based on a decade of one-to-one tutoring and cognitive research.

15 May 2026

Exam Technique · 6 min read

What Is a Mark Scheme and Why Does It Matter for Your GCSE?

Most students have never read a mark scheme carefully. Here is why that is costing them marks, and how to use mark schemes to revise more effectively.

8 May 2026

Revision Strategy · 7 min read

Spaced Repetition for GCSE Revision: The Complete Guide

Spaced repetition is the most evidence-backed revision technique available. Here is how to apply it to your GCSE subjects, with practical schedules and tools.

29 April 2026

Exam Boards · 6 min read

AQA vs Edexcel: Which Exam Board Is Right for You?

AQA and Edexcel are the two largest GCSE exam boards. Here is a clear comparison of their marking styles, question formats, and which subjects each board is strongest in.

18 April 2026

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