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Is it a good practice to revise a module (be it A levels or university module) through studying past papers? I have been asked this question over and over again from students and parents alike. And as with many things in life, because the coin has two sides, my answer is “It depends”. It depends on how you use past papers for your revision.
I say “Yes” to the use of past papers as a means of getting extra practice, familiarising yourselves with the exam paper layout and even timing yourselves to see whether you can remain focused and manage to solve all questions within a given timeframe. “Extra practice” means that as a prerequisite you should have studied all relevant chapters from your course book and gone through all exercises/notes that your teacher/professor has handed out during the course of the year.
On the other hand, I say “No” to the practice of using past papers as the sole means of revision or even first time study – as was the case with many of the university students I had over the years. You can not learn a subject solely by studying exercises. In all subjects, let alone in mathematics, you need to study the theory before attempting to solve a problem. It’s like setting out to build a house without consulting the building plans, in fact, without having any idea of how a house is constructed.
Now, I have frequently faced arguments, that even if you only study through past papers you can achieve a respectable mark at the exams, and isn’t this what it all is about in the end of the day? Well, no. I might be a romantic in the era of rationalists, but I still believe that in the end of the day you get a “paper to put on your wall” (degree) that says that you are qualified as a mathematician, engineer, doctor, lawyer, etc. and in order for you to be worthy of that paper you need to have a certain degree of subject knowledge.
Subject knowledge is not obtained, let alone retained, through studying solely past papers three weeks before the exams. And this is why many students who actually employ this practice in their first year of study find severe difficulties in their second year. Coming back to my example of building a house without referring to the building plans, you might be able to set the foundations and even erect the ground floor, but if the construction is weak, there is no way you’ll be able to erect a first floor; the building will collapse.
So my advice to all students, especially university students is this. Take ownership of your study. The university years are few and you have every right, amidst the essays and labs and exams and retakes, to want to have fun. But you are in a uni because you chose to and once you’ve finished you can not come back and change what has been done, so make the most of it whilst you can. Knowledge is infinite, but even glimpsing into its infiniteness is such a rewarding experience. Enjoy it!
