I can tell you from experience that Advanced English, Modern History and Legal Studies require analytical thinking. You need to be able to write essays from your ass (unless you're a rote learner - usually they're great essayists anyway/ besides the ones who get their tutors to write it for them). It's about knowing the content well enough to apply it to any question that will appear in the exam.
I never studied properly. I mainly listened in class, participated in discussions and helped other people to consolidate my understanding. The only thing that fucked me over each time was my inability to remember ALL the dot points, so sometimes I rambled a bit. Hahahaha.