Recall
Close your notes. Write what you remember or attempt a short question. A blank spot tells you where to begin.
How to study for exams
A mountain of revision? Start with one topic, one honest attempt and one small correction. Here’s a practical way to turn “I need to study” into something you can do today.
Make a seven-day revision plan01 / Start small
A 30-minute session you can actually finish
Pick a narrow target, such as “solve an equation with brackets,” rather than “revise all of maths.” Put one question, your notes and the answer or mark scheme within reach. Keep the answer covered until you have tried.
Practise
Check the idea you missed. Study one example, cover it, then attempt a different question using the same idea.
Check & choose
Mark your work. Write the specific error and a question to revisit in a later session. Make your next step small.
The timings are a flexible StudyForA template, not a research-prescribed formula. Adjust them for your task and attention.
02 / Find the right starting point
Match your resources to your exam
Before planning the week, check your qualification, exam board, syllabus code and exam year with your school. Similar subject names can cover different content. Use the current syllabus as your checklist, then choose topics from the errors in your recent work.
Study for IGCSE
Choose your subject and board, then use the guide to find available lessons and papers.
Find IGCSE subjects →Study for AS & A Levels
Check which components you are taking. Plan time for explanations and extended answers as well as recall.
Find A Level subjects →Study for IELTS Academic
Plan around specific Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills. Use the assessment criteria when checking writing or speaking.
Explore IELTS practice →Study for the Digital SAT
Start with a skill you find difficult, then practise applying it in a mixed set of questions.
Explore SAT practice →Study for the ACT
Choose a skill or section. Separate learning the method from practising the timing.
Explore ACT practice →Coverage varies by course. The subject guides show what is available; your teacher and official syllabus remain the reference for what you need to study.
03 / Give the week a shape
Make your seven-day revision plan
Choose up to three topics or skills you have already met in class. The plan alternates new attempts with returns to earlier work. If the exam is more than a week away, repeat the cycle with your next priorities.
Your next seven sessions
IGCSE · 30 minutes a day
Each session: 6 minutes recalling, 18 practising and 6 checking. Move the days around your timetable; this is a starting plan, not a complete syllabus schedule.
- 01
Find your starting point: Linear equations
Recall. Write what you remember about Linear equations, with notes closed.
Practise. Try a question on Linear equations. If you get stuck, study one worked example, then try a similar question yourself.
Check. Check the answer. Write one specific correction and the question you will revisit.
- 02
Build on yesterday: Graphs
Recall. Answer yesterday’s question on Linear equations again without looking at the solution.
Practise. Work on Graphs. Explain one step aloud before checking it.
Check. Mark your work. Record whether each mistake was about the idea, the method or the question wording.
- 03
Try another angle: Fractions
Recall. Recreate a key step from Graphs from memory.
Practise. Try a question on Fractions. Use an example only after making your own attempt.
Check. Check your reasoning as well as your final answer. Write a small, concrete next step.
- 04
Return to Linear equations
Recall. Explain Linear equations without notes. Compare your explanation with a reliable reference.
Practise. Try a new question on Linear equations, then one on Graphs. Choose the method before calculating or writing.
Check. Revisit your day-one correction. Can you now avoid that mistake without a reminder?
- 05
Return to Graphs
Recall. Answer a short question on Graphs that you previously found difficult.
Practise. Practise Graphs and Fractions together. For essays or speaking, make an outline, then produce one answer.
Check. Use the mark scheme or assessment criteria. Note one missing step, detail or example.
- 06
Bring the topics together
Recall. List the main ideas for Linear equations, Graphs, Fractions from memory.
Practise. Try a mixed set of questions. If the methods are secure, use a short timed section in your exam’s format.
Check. Mark the set and choose the weakest skill using the errors you actually made.
- 07
Check what stuck
Recall. Redo an earlier question on your weakest skill without notes or hints.
Practise. Try a different question on that skill. Compare your approach with your earlier attempt.
Check. Keep one topic for next week, add one new topic, and schedule another return to anything still uncertain.
Find IGCSE resources No account needed. Download your plan to keep it.
04 / Make practice useful
How to study with past papers
- Choose a matching paper. Check the board, syllabus, component and year. Keep the matching mark scheme beside it.
- Pick the right mode. Work untimed while learning a method. Use a timed section when you want to practise pacing. Write down which mode you used so your scores mean something.
- Attempt before checking. Show working, plan an argument or underline the evidence. If you need a hint, mark that question for another attempt.
- Record an actionable correction. “Careless” is hard to practise. “I dropped the negative sign in line two” gives you something to check next time.
- Try a fresh question. Getting the same answer after reading a solution can feel reassuring. A new question helps you see whether you can apply the idea yourself.
| What happened? | What will I do next? | What counts as progress? |
|---|---|---|
| I expanded only the first term in a bracket. | Do two bracket-expansion questions and explain each multiplication. | Both terms are correct without a hint. |
| My essay paragraph made a claim without evidence. | Write one paragraph with a specific example and an explanation of how it supports the claim. | I can point to the claim, evidence and explanation. |
| I chose a reading answer because it sounded familiar. | Find the exact passage evidence before checking the answer. | I can explain why the other choices do not match. |
05 / When time is short
What if the exam is tomorrow?
Make the plan smaller. Check the exam instructions and identify two or three fixable gaps from your recent work. Recall the key ideas, attempt a few relevant questions and check them carefully. Leave time to organise what you need for the exam and rest.
A last-minute session cannot replace learning the whole course. If a topic is unfamiliar, ask your teacher which foundations to prioritise. Avoid using predictions about likely questions as a substitute for the syllabus.
How many hours should I study?
There is no single number that fits every student, course or exam date. Start with the time you can sustain, then judge the session by what you can explain or do afterwards. The planner offers 15–60-minute sessions; it does not estimate your total preparation time.
Should I reread my notes?
Use your notes to understand an idea or check a gap. Then close them and try to retrieve or apply it. Reading a familiar explanation is a different task from producing an answer yourself.
What if I miss a day?
Move the next session to a realistic slot. Keep the return visits to earlier topics, and reduce the number of new topics if the week is too crowded. A usable plan can change.
A little evidence behind the routine
A review by Dunlosky and colleagues rated practice testing and distributed practice among the most broadly useful learning techniques it examined. That supports two ideas here: try to retrieve an answer yourself, and return to learning across sessions. It does not validate this particular seven-day timetable or guarantee an exam result. Read the research overview (Dunlosky et al., 2013).
The Education Endowment Foundation also notes limits in how cognitive-science findings transfer to everyday classrooms. Adapt the routine to your subject and the guidance you receive. Read the EEF evidence summary.
This guide and planner were prepared by StudyForA. The example schedule is a practical template, not official exam-board advice. Found an error? Send us a correction.