Read the whole A-level paper before you write
Metacognitive planning is linked to better exam performance — here’s how to use it
In the first minutes of an A-level exam, reading every question before committing ink sounds like lost time. It buys you something valuable: you see mark distribution, spot optional questions, and let your working memory start retrieving answers for later items while you write earlier ones.
Evidence
Research on metacognitive study strategies links planning, monitoring, and evaluating to higher exam performance; constructive strategies (which include planning how to allocate effort) tend to predict outcomes better than low-level ‘active’ strategies alone. See Zepeda & Nokes-Malach (2021) in Memory & Cognition: https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13421-020-01106-5 — and the Education Endowment Foundation’s metacognition guidance (plan–monitor–evaluate): https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/metacognition-and-self-regulation
A 5-minute paper read routine
- Check total marks and pages; note any optional sections
- Skim every question; star those you can start quickly vs those needing thought
- Decide order if the paper allows (some don’t — then note time targets per section)
- Jot a one-line plan for the highest-mark question before you write low-mark items