Mocks are useful only if you squeeze the learning out of them. Scoring 52% and throwing the paper in your bag does nothing. The real value is in finding out why you lost each mark and how to stop losing it in the real exam. A good mock review turns one bad script into a clear plan for the next 4 to 6 weeks.
Step 1: read the whole paper calmly
Don’t start by arguing with the mark. First, read the paper like a teacher.
- Look at the overall score
- Look at section scores (Paper 1 vs Paper 2, Reading vs Writing, Calc vs Non-calc)
- Note where the big drops are
- Check if you ran out of time
This tells you if it was a knowledge problem, a timing problem or a technique problem. Verified: mock analysis is more accurate when broken down by section. Unverified: exact split per board.
Step 2: sort errors into 3 types
Not all mistakes are the same. Sort them.
- Knowledge errors — you did not know or forgot the content
- Method/structure errors — you knew it but missed a step or didn’t write it clearly
- Exam technique errors — misread command words, poor timing, wrong choice of questions
Knowing the type decides the fix. Knowledge needs revision. The method needs guided practice. Technique needs timed past papers.
Step 3: use the mark scheme, not memory
Open the official mark scheme for that exact mock or for the real past paper it was based on.
- Tick what you got right
- Underline the exact words the examiner wanted
- Circle any alternative answers you could have used
- Write the correct answer below your own
Most UK boards (AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, WJEC, CCEA) with A Level exam and GCSE exams publish schemes for their papers. Verified.
Step 4: build a proper error log
A vague “I need to work harder at maths” is useless. Your log should look like this:
- Paper: AQA GCSE Maths, Mock 1
- Q: 7b
- Topic: Simultaneous equations
- Mark lost: 2
- Cause: Did not eliminate x
- Fix: Write both equations aligned, subtract, solve, check
- Retest: Friday
Do this for every 1–2 mark loss. Students who keep an error log and retest within a week usually stop repeating the same errors. Verified: error correction and immediate feedback improve performance. Unverified: every school enforces log keeping.
Step 5: redo only the wrong questions
Do not redo the whole paper right now. Redo only the questions you lost marks on.
- Cover the mark scheme
- Rewrite the answer in full
- Check again
- If still wrong, go back to the note or textbook
- If right, tick it in the log
This keeps review time short and focused.
Step 6: pull out weak topics for extra practice
Mocks expose the topics you thought you knew. For example:
- Biology: enzymes
- English: comparison questions
- Geography: 9 mark evaluations
- Business: calculation + interpretation
Make a mini list of these and schedule 2 or 3 short practices in the next week. That way the mock turns straight into revision tasks.
Step 7: compare with examiner reports or model answers
If your mock was built from a real past paper, find the examiner report for that year.
- Read what real students did wrong
- Check if you made the same mistake
- Copy the “better” approach into your notes
Examiner reports often say “candidates did not link to the context” or “candidates described instead of explaining.” That is exactly what you need to fix. Verified.
Doing this in one interface
Review is faster when the paper, the scheme and your notes sit together. Using a single hub like SimpleStudy helps because it already has syllabus-matched notes, topic quizzes, past papers and mock exams for UK, Ireland, Australia and other English-speaking markets. You can sit the mock, open the scheme, log the mistake and then do the matching topic quiz in the same place. If your school or parent has accounts, teachers can even tell the whole class, “redo Topic X” right after the mock.
Step 8: fix timing issues separately
If you lost marks at the end of the paper, it’s a timing issue.
- Redo the last section only, under strict time
- Practise scanning all questions at the start
- Start with the medium questions you can definitely score
- Keep 5–8 minutes for checking
Timing mistakes are technique mistakes. They are fixed by timed practice, not by rereading the book.
Step 9: turn repeated errors into mini-lessons
If you and your classmates all missed the same 6 marker, turn it into a lesson.
- Write the perfect answer from the scheme
- Highlight command words
- Underline context links
- Swap and peer mark
- Add the best answer to your notes
Teachers love this because it narrows the teaching to what actually went wrong.
Step 10: update your revision plan
A mock is feedback. Use it.
- Move weak topics earlier in the month
- Add one past paper per week for that subject
- Reduce time on topics you scored well in
- Set a retest mock in 3 to 4 weeks
Students who adapt plans to mock results improve more than those who keep the old plan. Unverified: exact uplift per cohort.
Common mistakes after mocks
- Throwing the paper away because the mark was low
- Blaming the marker instead of checking the scheme
- Redoing the whole paper without marking
- Not retesting the same question later
- Not recording errors anywhere
- Studying random topics instead of the ones the mock exposed
Avoid these and your mock will actually help.
Final takeaway
Mocks are not the exam. They are practice runs that tell you exactly what to fix. If you read the paper calmly, sort errors, mark with the official scheme, keep a real error log, redo only the wrong questions and schedule topic-level revision in the same week, you will walk into the final exam having already solved your biggest problems.
