Start from what is examined
Your notes cover what was taught. The exam covers what is in the syllabus. Start from the syllabus or the last three past papers and write one line for each topic. That list is your study plan's backbone, and it shows the topics your notes skipped.
Mark each topic: green if you could explain it now, amber if you half know it, red if it is new. Red and amber get most of the time.
Count back from the exam date
- Keep the last week for practice. Full past papers under time, and fixing what they show.
- Share the rest between topics. Red topics get two or three sessions, amber two, green one.
- Plan short sessions. Twenty-five to forty minutes on one topic, then a short break. Two or three a day beats one long night.
- Leave one free day a week. Plans slip. A spare day keeps one bad evening from breaking the whole plan.
Test yourself instead of re-reading
Re-reading feels productive because the page looks familiar. Familiar is not the same as remembered. The method that works is active recall: you try to bring the answer back without looking, then you check.
- After reading a section, close it and write the key points from memory. Then compare.
- Turn each topic into questions and answer them out loud or on paper.
- Use flashcards for facts, terms and formulas, one idea per card, with the answer on the back.
More on this in Active recall and flashcards.
Revise at the right moments
Memory fades fast at first and then more slowly. Coming back to a topic just as it starts to fade fixes it far longer than studying it twice in one day.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| The next day | Five minutes of recall on yesterday's topic. |
| A week later | Answer its questions again; redo the ones you missed. |
| The week before the exam | A past paper that includes it, under time. |
The last week and the day itself
- One past paper a day, under time, then mark it and fix what it shows. That is the most valuable hour of the week.
- Keep a "mistakes" page and read it every evening.
- Sleep. A night's sleep after studying is when memory settles. Staying up late the night before costs more than it gains.
- On the day, read every question once before you start, and answer the ones you are sure of first.
Your exam study plan
- List every examined topic from the syllabus or past papers.
- Mark each topic green, amber or red.
- Count back from the exam date; keep the last week for past papers.
- Study in 25 to 40 minute sessions, one topic each.
- Close the book and recall; then check.
- Revisit each topic after a day, a week, and the week before.
- Last week: one timed past paper a day, and a mistakes page.
- Sleep well the night before.
Save this plan: print the page or save it as a PDF from your browser's menu, or keep the plain-text version.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a day should I study for exams?
Two or three focused sessions of 25 to 40 minutes beat one long night. What matters is testing yourself in each session, not the hours.
Is re-reading my notes a good way to study?
It is the weakest way. Closing the notes and recalling what they say, then checking, works far better.
When should I start studying for an exam?
As early as you can give each examined topic two or three sessions plus a final week of past papers. Count back from the date to see how many days that is.