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Sources and how we check our guides

TL;DR: every StudyMorrow guide is written from official curriculum documents and respected research, lists its sources at the bottom, and shows who reviewed it and when. This page gathers all 308 references in one place.

How guides are made and reviewed

Start from the specification. We use the national curriculum, the exam board subject content or the official test description as the starting point.
Write for students. Each guide has a TL;DR, a plain-English explanation, worked examples, common mistakes, five practice questions and a diagram.
Check and review. Facts, dates and figures are checked against the sources, and the guide goes through StudyMorrow's editorial review before it is published. The reviewer and review date appear on the guide.
Keep it current. We re-check courses and exams when official bodies announce changes. Last checked: 6 November 2026.

StudyMorrow is independent. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam board, the College Board or any school, so always check your own specification or course description.

Course and exam changes we have checked

England

Curriculum and assessment review

The government published the Curriculum and Assessment Review's final report and its response on 5 November 2025. GCSEs stay, and the plans cover shorter exams and an updated curriculum over the next few years. Nothing changes for students sitting current GCSEs, so check your exam board for updates.

GOV.UK: Curriculum and Assessment Review final report, government response ↗

GCSE

Formulae and equation sheets

GCSE maths, physics and combined science exams provide formulae and equation sheets, so you do not have to memorise them. Ofqual has decided that exam boards must keep providing them from 2028 for the remaining life of the current specifications.

Ofqual: decisions on changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science GCSEs ↗

AP Statistics revised for 2026–27

AP Statistics has been revised for the 2026–27 school year. The first exam under the revised course is in May 2027, taken in the Bluebook app, and the units are consolidated from eight to five.

AP Central: AP Statistics future revisions ↗

AP Career Kickstart courses

AP Business with Personal Finance, AP Cybersecurity and AP Networking are listed on AP Central as AP Career Kickstart courses. Check each course page for launch and first exam dates.

AP Central: AP courses ↗

SAT

The SAT is fully digital

The Digital SAT has a Reading and Writing section and a Math section, each in two adaptive modules, taken in the Bluebook app. Practise with the free full-length tests in Bluebook and read our guides for the pacing and question types.

College Board: How the SAT is structured ↗

IELTS

IELTS is moving to computer delivery

IELTS is moving to computer-delivered tests in many countries during 2026, and reports say the format and scoring stay the same. Dates differ by country, so check with your test centre and the official IELTS website.

IELTS: official website ↗

Where our information comes from

GOV.UK: Department for Education and OfqualNational curriculum documents, GCSE and A-Level subject content, grading and assessment decisions.8 sources

DfE: GCSE mathematics subject content and assessment objectives ↗Used in: Fractions explained: add, multiply, divide and simplify, Solving linear equations step by step (with examples), Percentages: how to find, increase and decrease them, Pythagoras' theorem: how to find a missing side and 41 more
DfE: GCSE combined science subject content ↗Used in: Photosynthesis explained: equation, process and limiting factors, Newton's laws of motion explained with worked examples, Atoms and the periodic table: protons, neutrons, electrons, Plant and animal cells: parts, functions and magnification and 36 more
DfE: National curriculum in England, English programmes of study ↗Used in: Parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb and more, How to write a thesis statement (with strong examples), Apostrophes and commas: its vs it's and comma splices fixed, PEEL and CER paragraphs: how to structure analysis and 16 more
DfE: National curriculum in England, history programmes of study (key stages 1 to 3) ↗Used in: Causes of World War One: MAIN causes and the trigger, The Industrial Revolution: causes, inventions and effects, World War Two: causes, key events and timeline, The Norman Conquest of 1066: why William won at Hastings and 2 more
DfE: National curriculum in England, geography programmes of study (key stages 1 to 3) ↗Used in: The water cycle: evaporation, condensation and precipitation, Plate tectonics: boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes, Climate change: the greenhouse effect and the 1.5°C target, Rivers: erosion, transport, deposition and river landforms
DfE: National curriculum in England, computing programmes of study (key stages 1 to 4) ↗Used in: How AI works: machine learning and chatbots for students, Staying safe online: strong passwords, 2FA and phishing, How the internet works: IP addresses, DNS and packets, Binary numbers: convert binary to decimal and back and 2 more
DfE: GCSE English literature subject content (archived copy) ↗Used in: Simile, metaphor and personification: techniques explained, How to embed quotations in an essay (with examples), Language analysis: how to analyse a quotation, Analysing structure in texts: openings, shifts and endings and 3 more
DfE and Ofqual: GCSE 9 to 1 grading slide pack (2019) ↗Used in: GCSE grades 9 to 1 explained: what each grade means

College Board: SATOfficial SAT structure, sections and question types.3 sources

College Board: How the SAT is structured ↗Used in: Digital SAT explained: sections, timing and adaptive modules, SAT Math algebra: linear equations and systems practice, SAT Math advanced math: quadratics and exponentials, SAT Math practice: problem solving and data analysis and 7 more
College Board: The SAT Math section ↗Used in: Digital SAT explained: sections, timing and adaptive modules, SAT Math algebra: linear equations and systems practice, SAT Math advanced math: quadratics and exponentials, SAT Math practice: problem solving and data analysis and 2 more
College Board: The SAT Reading and Writing section ↗Used in: Digital SAT explained: sections, timing and adaptive modules, SAT Reading and Writing: craft, structure and words in context, SAT Reading and Writing: information and ideas practice, SAT Writing: standard English conventions practice and 2 more

Common Core State Standards InitiativeThe US maths and English standards that most high school courses follow.2 sources

Common Core State Standards: Mathematics (high school) ↗Used in: Fractions explained: add, multiply, divide and simplify, Solving linear equations step by step (with examples), Percentages: how to find, increase and decrease them, Pythagoras' theorem: how to find a missing side and 46 more
Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts and Literacy ↗Used in: Parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb and more, How to write a thesis statement (with strong examples), Apostrophes and commas: its vs it's and comma splices fixed, PEEL and CER paragraphs: how to structure analysis and 26 more

US National ArchivesPrimary sources such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.2 sources

US National Archives: The Bill of Rights ↗Used in: The US Constitution and Bill of Rights explained
US National Archives: Civil Rights Act (1964) ↗Used in: The Civil Rights Movement: key events, laws and leaders

AQAExam board guidance on GCSE grading and command words.2 sources

AQA: GCSE 9 to 1 grading ↗Used in: GCSE grades 9 to 1 explained: what each grade means
AQA: GCSE Economics command words (example of an exam board's definitions) ↗Used in: Exam command words: describe, explain and evaluate

Next Generation Science StandardsUS science standards for middle and high school.1 sources

Next Generation Science Standards: search the standards ↗Used in: Photosynthesis explained: equation, process and limiting factors, Newton's laws of motion explained with worked examples, Atoms and the periodic table: protons, neutrons, electrons, The water cycle: evaporation, condensation and precipitation and 40 more

Peer-reviewed researchJournal articles on effective learning techniques.1 sources

Dunlosky et al. (2013), Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, Psychological Science in the Public Interest ↗Used in: Active recall: the best way to revise (with examples), Spaced repetition: how to remember what you revise, Cornell notes: how to take notes you can revise from, Mind maps for revision: how to make them work and 5 more

Institute of Education Sciences (US Department of Education)Practice guides on how students learn and study effectively.1 sources

IES practice guide: Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (2007) ↗Used in: Active recall: the best way to revise (with examples), Spaced repetition: how to remember what you revise, How to make a revision timetable you can stick to, Cornell notes: how to take notes you can revise from and 7 more

Education Endowment FoundationEvidence summaries for teaching and learning in UK schools.1 sources

Education Endowment Foundation: Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning guidance report ↗Used in: How to make a revision timetable you can stick to, Exam stress: practical ways to cope and when to ask for help, The Feynman technique: study by explaining it simply, How to stay focused when studying (and avoid your phone)

IELTSOfficial test format and scoring information.1 sources