Past papers can be valuable revision tools – but used improperly, they can set you up for exam hall disaster. A common mistake to avoid while revising is lack of effort to condition yourself. Even if you are able to happily focus on textbooks or lecture notes with the noise of family, friends, or passengers around you, there’s no substitute for complete silence when ‘sitting’ past papers. Give yourself time to read through the questions before you start, working out how much time you can allocate to each one. And set the same strict time limit for the whole paper, from start to finish, as the original exam allowed – no breaking off to stretch your legs, have a snack, or find a mate to chat to. Would you have the opportunity to do that on exam day? The aim is to create an atmosphere that’s as close to exam conditions as possible