How to Revise Law
- teachlawhub
- Nov 15, 2025
- 6 min read
Revising for A-Level Law or BTEC Law can sometimes feel overwhelming. You are expected to remember legal rules, apply them to scenarios, recall cases (including names and legal rules), and construct clear legal arguments in exam conditions. However, revision does not have to be stressful or confusing. With the right approach, you can revise efficiently, develop confidence in your knowledge, and improve your exam performance. In this blog we will explore why revision is essential, how memory works, which revision strategies are scientifically proven to work best and ultimately how to revise law.
Why Students Need to Revise
Even if you understand a topic in class, your brain will not store that information permanently unless you return to it. Information you have understood once does not stay accessible by itself, your memory fades over time. Revision strengthens your memory so that when you reach the exam, you can recall case law, principles and evaluation points quickly and accurately under pressure.
This is especially important in law, where the difference between a good answer and an excellent one is often the precision of your recall and being able to clearly state legal rules and support them with relevant cases. Revision helps you store and organise this knowledge so that you can retrieve it confidently.
How Memory Works (and Why This Matters When Revising Law)
To revise successfully, it helps to understand what your brain is actually doing when you learn. When you first encounter new information for example, the definition of murder, it enters your working memory. Your working memory is like your mental notepad; it can only hold a small amount of information at once. If you don’t do anything with new information, it fades very quickly, sometimes within minutes.
Your goal when revising is to transfer information from working memory into your long-term memory, where it can be stored more permanently. But information does not move into long term memory just by re-reading notes or watching videos. It moves there when your brain actively processes and retrieves the information.
Once information is stored in your long term memory, you still need to be able to recall it and pull it back into working memory when you need it. This is exactly what happens in an exam. The question appears, and your brain has to quickly locate the right rule, principle and case from your long term memory, and bring it into working memory so you can write about it.
This is why active recall is the most effective revision method. When you test yourself, for example, by blurting, flashcards, or answering exam questions, you train your brain to retrieve information. Every time you successfully recall something, the memory becomes stronger and faster to access.
In other words:
Revision stores the information in long-term memory
Active recall teaches you how to bring it back into working memory when needed
This ability to retrieve information quickly is exactly what you need in an exam
Passive revision (re-reading, highlighting, listening to videos) can make you feel like you know something, but it does not train your brain to recall it. This often leads to the exam experience of being able to recognise a topic but then unable to remember the actual law or precise legal rules and cases. Active recall prevents this from occurring.
Example: Applying This When Revising Murder
Imagine a student, Aisha, revising the law of murder. She learns the basic rule: Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being under the Queen’s peace with malice aforethought.
At first, this sits in her working memory. If Aisha simply reads it again later, it won’t stick.
Instead, she:
Creates flashcards for actus reus, mens rea and key cases
Blurts (writes everything she remembers without looking)
Checks what she missed, adding missing details in a different colour
Then answers a scenario question applying the law to facts
Each of these steps forces the information into long-term memory and strengthens her ability to recall it.
So, when she sits down in the exam and sees: “Discuss whether D is liable for murder,”
she can immediately bring:
· the definition,
· the elements,
· and the key cases
back into working memory to construct a confident, accurate answer.
Effective Revision Techniques (and Why They Work)
The most effective revision strategies are active, meaning they require your brain to work.
Mind Maps
A mind map is a visual diagram that organises information around a central topic. To create one, start with the main topic in the centre (e.g., Law of Murder) and draw branches for key elements such as actus reus, mens rea, and key cases. Add smaller branches for definitions and case law examples (add in evaluation too if needed). Mind maps are effective because they show connections between ideas, help you see the bigger picture, and make it easier to recall information visually. They also encourage active engagement with the material as you decide what to include and how to organise it.
Flashcards
Flashcards are small cards with a question or prompt on one side and the answer on the other. For law, you could write the name of a case on one side and the legal principle on the back. You can make them physically on card or digitally using apps like Quizlet. Flashcards are effective because they force you to actively recall information rather than just recognise it. Testing yourself repeatedly with flashcards strengthens memory pathways and improves long-term retention.
Blurting
Blurting is a self-testing technique where you cover your notes and write down everything you can remember about a topic. After writing and blurting, compare your answers to your notes or mind map, and highlight missing information. This technique is effective because it directly trains your recall from long-term memory, helps identify knowledge gaps, and reinforces learning through repeated retrieval. It also makes you more confident in recalling information under exam conditions.
Practice Exam Questions
Completing practice exam questions involves applying your knowledge to real or past-paper questions under timed conditions. You can find these in textbooks, past papers, or online resources. This technique is effective because it helps you transfer knowledge into application, improves exam technique, and allows you to practice structuring answers, applying cases to scenarios, and including evaluation points. Regular practice questions make you exam ready and improves your ability to recall and apply the law.
Marking Your Work
Marking your work involves checking your answers against model answers, mark schemes, or teacher guidance. When marking, identify missing content, incorrect statements, or areas that could be improved, and then add corrections or missing points. This is effective because it allows you to learn from mistakes, consolidate correct information, and focus your revision on areas that need improvement. It also mirrors exam conditions, helping you develop accuracy and confidence.
A Step by Step Revision Cycle
Use this process for any topic:
Turn notes into flashcards or a mind map
Learn from them actively (test yourself, recite aloud)
Blurt the topic from memory
Compare to original notes and fill gaps in a different colour
Complete a practice exam question
Mark your answer & correct mistakes in a different colour
Repeat this cycle regularly and develop your long term memory and recall skills.
How TeachLaw Can Support Your Revision
Attached at the bottom of this blog to guide your learning and revision.
These will help you track which topics you’ve revised and identify what still needs work.
Don’t leave difficult topics until the last minute.
Comprehensive guides for A-Level and BTEC Law topics.
These will support you to learn the knowledge in a clear, structured way.
Each guide includes key principles, legal rules, case law, and evaluation points.
Encourage you to break down topics yourself, reinforcing understanding.
Can be used for mind maps, bullet points, or flashcard content.
Accessing the Blog & Free Resources
All content is free and easy to access online.
Download the student activity pack attached to each blog.
The blogs will provide explanations, examples, and practice materials to support learning and test your knowledge and skills.
Pre-populated question and answer flashcards for each topic.
Build your knowledge and active recall skills quickly.
Ideal for testing yourself on definitions, case law, and legal principles.
Include short answer questions and multiple choice questions.
Designed to test your ability to recall knowledge and apply it to scenarios.
Help strengthen memory and prepare you for exam conditions.
Free Revision Checklists:
Free Revision Posters (Featured in this blog)
Comments