IGCSE and A-Level revision: flashcards that match the command word
The papers ask you to describe, explain, calculate and evaluate. A deck of definitions cannot teach that — here is the shape of deck that can.
IGCSE and A-Level revision punishes cards that only test definitions. The papers ask you to describe, explain, calculate and evaluate — so the deck has to hold those shapes, not just vocabulary. Build cards from your own notes and mark schemes, and check every generated answer against the source.
Why the usual flashcard advice fails here
Most card advice comes from language learning: one word, one meaning, one card. That works because the test is recognition. A Physics or Economics paper is not a recognition test — it hands you an unfamiliar situation and asks what happens next.
A deck of "state the definition of X" cards can be flawless and still leave you unable to pick up four marks on an explain question. The content is there; the ability to produce it in the shape the mark scheme wants is not.
Build cards that match the command word
Every question in your paper opens with a command word, and each one asks for a different performance. Four card shapes cover most of it:
- Define. Term on the front, precise definition on the back. These are cheap to make and should be the smallest part of the deck.
- Describe. "What happens to X when Y increases?" — the answer is a sequence, and the card is only useful if the sequence is on the back in order.
- Explain. "Why does X cause Y?" — the back needs the causal chain, not a one-word reason. If your card's answer is a single word, it is not an explain card.
- Calculate or apply. One worked step per card, with the formula visible on the front. Formula cards with no application are why people can recite a formula and still lose the marks.
Count your deck by shape before you review it. If 80 per cent of it is definitions, the deck does not match the paper.
Use the mark scheme, not just the textbook
Mark schemes are the most underused revision document there is. They are written in the language the examiner will accept, which is not the language of the textbook — and the difference is exactly what costs marks.
A practical pass: take one past paper question, read the mark scheme, and write the card so that the back contains the marking points as separate lines. Then when you review, you can score yourself against the points rather than against a feeling of familiarity. Two or three questions treated this way teach more about exam technique than a whole chapter highlighted in three colours.
Where a generator saves real time
The expensive part of this method is not reviewing, it is producing the first draft from a 30-page chapter and two past papers. That is mechanical work with a clear standard: find the testable statements, phrase them as questions, keep the wording close to the source.
A sensible split is to let the draft come from the document, then spend your own time on the part only you can do — checking each card against the mark scheme and cutting the ones that do not match how your board asks questions. On IGCSE and A-Level, board and syllabus differences are real: Cambridge and Edexcel phrase the same content differently, and a card that ignores that is a card that teaches the wrong phrasing.
Mixed-language and formula-heavy notes
If your notes mix Chinese and English, or switch notation between a textbook and a teacher's handout, keep the card in the language you will write the answer in. Translating at review time adds a step the exam will not give you credit for. Formulas are the same story: write them the way the mark scheme writes them, including units, because a missing unit is a lost mark that no amount of understanding recovers.
What this cannot do for you
- No syllabus mapping. Lookfornotes does not know your board, your syllabus code or your paper structure. It reads the document you give it — nothing more.
- No diagrams. Generated cards are text. Labelled diagrams, graphs and structures still have to be drawn by hand, and for many science questions that is the answer.
- Drafts, not truth. Anything you will be graded on should be checked against the source. A confidently phrased wrong answer is worse than no card.
Cost, honestly
A flashcard set costs 5 points, a summary 2, a mind map 3 and a practice test 4. A new account starts with 30 free points and no card required; extra points are one-off packs from HK$38 and do not expire. Over a two-year course, the total depends entirely on how many documents you process — which is the honest answer, and the reason there is no subscription.
Try it on one chapter and one mark scheme
Upload a chapter, draft the set, then check it against a real past paper. A flashcard set costs 5 points; a new account starts with 30.
FAQ
Can I make IGCSE flashcards from my own notes?
Yes. Paste your notes, upload a PDF or DOCX, or give a URL, and choose flashcards. The set is drafted from that document, so it follows your board's wording rather than a generic syllabus.
Does Lookfornotes know the Cambridge or Edexcel syllabus?
No. There is no syllabus mapping. It works from the document you supply, so give it your own notes or the relevant chapter and check the output against your mark scheme.
Will it generate diagrams and labelled structures?
No. Output is text, and it downloads as a PDF. Diagrams, graphs and labelled structures still need to be drawn by hand.
How many cards should I make per chapter?
Fewer than feels satisfying. A 30-page chapter usually yields 20 to 40 card-worthy points; anything past that tends to be restatement. A smaller deck you actually review beats a large one you avoid.
Is it suitable for A-Level as well as IGCSE?
Yes, with the same caveats. The tool reads the document; it does not model the paper. Command words and mark allocation come from your past papers, which is why the workflow here starts with the mark scheme.