How much time? Aim for 1.5 to 2 hours on school days and 3 to 4 hours on weekend days, in blocks of 30 to 45 minutes with short breaks. Rotate subjects so each one comes up at least twice a week.
Weeks 1 to 4: find your gaps and fill them
Week 1: take stock
- List every subject and paper you are sitting, with the dates. Your school's exam timetable is the one to trust.
- Print or download the syllabus for each subject. The topic list in it is your checklist.
- Do one short set of mixed questions per subject, without notes, to see where you stand.
- Rate every topic red (can't do it), amber (shaky) or green (confident).
Weeks 2 to 4: work through the reds
- Spend about 70% of your time on red topics and 30% on amber.
- For each topic: read your notes or textbook once, make a one-page summary, then answer questions on it.
- Mark your answers against a mark scheme, not your memory. Note the exact words examiners reward.
- End each week with a short mixed quiz covering everything so far.
Weeks 5 to 8: practise by topic and by paper
Weeks 5 and 6: topic questions
- Move ambers to green with past-paper style questions on each topic.
- Keep a mistakes list: every question you get wrong, why, and the correct method.
- Revisit red topics from week 2 for a short check. If they are still red, go back over them.
Weeks 7 and 8: whole papers, open book
- Do one full paper per subject each week, with notes allowed but timed.
- Learn each paper's format: how many questions, which command words, how marks are split.
- Practise the extended-answer and calculation questions, where most marks are lost.
Weeks 9 to 12: rehearse the real thing
Weeks 9 and 10: timed papers, closed book
- Sit full papers under exam conditions: timed, no notes, phone in another room.
- Mark them strictly. Add every lost mark to your mistakes list.
- Use the results to pick two or three topics per subject for a final fix.
Weeks 11 and 12: sharpen and rest
- Work through your mistakes list. These are the marks you are most likely to win back.
- Keep doing short timed sets so exam pace feels normal.
- Ease off in the last few days. Sleep and routine matter more than one more late night. See the final-week plan.
A typical week
| Day | Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Maths: red topic | Biology: red topic | 10-minute recap quiz |
| Tue | Chemistry: red topic | English: practice question | Mistakes list |
| Wed | Physics: red topic | Maths: amber topic | 10-minute recap quiz |
| Thu | Biology: amber topic | Second language or option subject | Mistakes list |
| Fri | Chemistry: amber topic | Physics: amber topic | Rest |
| Sat | One full paper | Mark it | Fix two mistakes |
| Sun | Mixed quiz, all subjects | Plan next week | Rest |
Swap in your own subjects. The pattern matters more than the exact slots.
Less time than this?
Use the 6-week plan, which cuts straight to the topics worth the most marks. In the last seven days, switch to the final-week plan.