# What are "revisions"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566 "2003-05-30T16:36:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566/1 "2003-05-30T16:36:48Z")

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British students are always talking about “revisions”. “I’ve been doing my revisions for hours!” or “I’d love to come, but I have to do my revisions”.

What are “revisions”?

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566/2 "2003-05-30T16:46:45Z")

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I suspect it’s revision, singular. They’re swotting. Studying. Looking over recently-taught material in order to better comprehend it.

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**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566/3 "2003-05-30T16:51:31Z")

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“revision”, “to revise” is going back over all the work you’ve done usually to get ready for an exam.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566/4 "2003-05-30T20:39:19Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> “to revise” is going back over all the work you’ve done usually to get ready for an exam.

Aha. From the context I knew it meant “studying” or “cramming”; but I kept thinking, “What is there to revise? Don’t they write down the correct information to begin with?”

So what’s a “revision timetable”? Just an appointment with yourself to set aside a given block of time to study a given subject?

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**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-revisions/178566/5 "2003-05-30T20:43:04Z")

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revision timetable is something that you are encourage to do before the big (GCSE/A-Level/degree) exams. Just basically organising your revision so you cover all subjects/areas and building in breaks and free time.