With fewer university places available this year and following the introduction of the A* grade at GCE, there is now more pressure than ever on A-Level students to get the grades they need to secure a place at university.

The Easter holidays provide an ideal opportunity to get down to serious revision, but it is often difficult for students to know where and how to start, particularly in formulating a balanced revision schedule.

It is for this reason that structured Easter revision courses have become increasingly popular in recent years.

This year, Easter course providers are reporting a surge in demand as parents and students look for an edge that will help them convert two years of study into tangible examination success.

There are many benefits to undertaking an intensive Easter revision in one or more A-Level subjects over Easter.

Perhaps the most important, and least appreciated, is the impetus given to the student to actually make a start, and to do so in good time.

A well-structured and delivered course enables the student to identify syllabus areas that they do not fully know or understand.

It will help them concentrate their efforts over the next six to eight weeks on honing their skills in these areas rather than trawling through their notes, spending too much time on areas in which they feel comfortable and leaving it too late to get to grips with aspects of the syllabus that they struggle with.

Furthermore, a good course will encourage participants to develop good study skills habits, which are a vital platform for a successful programme of revision.

There is also the opportunity to look at the material with a fresh perspective, an experience that many students report to be vital in reinvigorating their interest which so often wanes once they have completed the syllabus at school.

Thus, material which has been covered seemingly exhaustively, but perhaps not effectively, can be revisited, revised and fully understood.

A different classroom dynamic, free from the peer pressures that often inhibit students in the classroom, can also serve to engage students much more effectively.

Another great benefit of a good revision course is the opportunity to focus on the examination and hone one’s exam techniques.

Even the best-taught and most able students can benefit from an examination-oriented approach which covers crucial areas such as timing, question selection, planning and meeting the examiner’s requirements and thereby maximising marks.

Many a good response will answer the question but nevertheless fail to meet the ‘assessment objectives’ — so being aware of these, and targeting them in one’s response, is a vital component of success at A-Level.