How should I revise a text for exams?

Everyone revises differently, but I found that once I had a good knowledge of the text, the most helpful thing for me was to lay my ideas out visually and do something besides just reading my notes. I would recommend making essay plans using big A3 mind maps around prominent themes. For example, if you were studying Jane Eyre, you may take the theme of 'realism vs. Romanticism', 'gender and domesticity', or 'commerce'. Write one introductory sentence at the top of the mind map that defines your interpretation of the theme; for example, if you were exploring 'realism', you could explain it is both the literary technique Brontë uses which involves presenting things as they really are, but also how her engagement with realism impacts her subject matter as she rejections traditional Victorian romantic tropes. Then think of 3 or 4 points to go under this umbrella heading; these would be the topic sentences of your paragraphs. For example, for realism you may have one point about 'Romantic Gothic aspects which contradict the idea of "Jane Eyre" as a realist novel', (settings such as the red room, use of pathetic fallacy, Jane supernaturally hearing Rochester's call). This could then lead to a contrasting point; 'how Jane is in many ways not a Romantic heroine' (her poverty, Brontë's emphasis on her plain appearance, and her realistic depiction of the struggles of the Victorian governess). A final point could be 'how the narrative style contributes to creating a realist novel' (Jane's insistence on pragmatism, how the first person narrative allows the reader to experience Jane's reality along with her, etc.). Under each heading, find quotations from the text to support your point, analysing the language where appropriate, and try and include a piece of context (If you don't have one from your class notes, try to find one!) Also think about how you'd link the paragraphs together in the exam; this could be something as simple as drawing arrows between the points with the words 'similarly' or 'in contrast'. If you do this for enough themes, it should allow you to apply your knowledge quickly and efficiently in an exam situation, as questions are usually general enough that they will match up to at least one of the themes you have prepared. Under timed conditions, it is a technique that helps you not to panic, as even if you only remembered the main points, this provides a basic essay structure, instead allowing you to focus on finding evidence and language analysis. However, don't simply try to re-create a previous essay in the exam, as this can result in you not answering the question. Rather, use the points as a spring board to allow for fresh thoughts during the exam.