Meaning & use
exam revision
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableBritish
The work of studying again what you have learned, done before an exam.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'do some revision', not 'do a revision'.
Patterns
- do exam revision
- exam revision for something
- exam revision notes
I have three days of exam revision left before the history paper.
She turned off her phone so she could do some serious exam revision.
Our teacher gave us a list of exam revision topics for the final test.
nouncountable or uncountable
The changing or improving of a text or plan after checking it.
Grammar: Countable when it means one round of changes: 'a revision of the plan'.
Patterns
- a revision of something
- undergo revision
The budget went through a final revision before the meeting.
After revision, the report was much clearer and shorter.
Common combinations
- do exam revision
- I need to do exam revision every evening this week.
- intensive exam revision
- The school runs intensive exam revision classes in April.
- exam revision timetable
- Write an exam revision timetable so you cover every subject.
- a bit of exam revision
- A bit of exam revision each day is better than one long night.
- exam revision tips
- The website offers exam revision tips for nervous students.
Synonyms and how they differ
- studying
- The general word for learning; it can mean learning new material, while exam revision means going over material you already know.
- review
- Common in American English for going over schoolwork; 'revision' in this sense sounds British.
- cramming
- Informal and negative: studying fast just before an exam, not the steady preparation that revision suggests.
Word family
Commonly confused: exam revision or review?
exam revision vs review
In British English 'revision' is study before an exam, but a 'review' is usually a report or opinion about something, such as a film review.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'exam revision' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Exam revision' is uncountable when it means the activity, so 'some exam revision' fits. 'An exam revision' and 'many exam revision' treat it as countable, and 'exam revisions' would mean separate changed versions, not study.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exam revision”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.