How to prepare for exams: a 4-week plan

A realistic, week-by-week approach that replaces last-minute cramming.

Good exam results usually come from steady preparation, not an all-night marathon the day before. Here is a simple four-week plan you can adapt to your own timetable. If you have more or less time, stretch or compress the phases — the order is what matters.

Week 4 — map the syllabus and build a timetable

List every course and the topics each exam will cover. Mark which topics are heaviest or weakest for you. Then turn your available time into a concrete schedule with the Study Planner, giving more sessions to the subjects with the nearest or hardest papers.

Week 3 — learn actively

Work through topics using active recall and spaced repetition rather than re-reading. Turn notes into questions, answer from memory, and revisit earlier topics on a short cycle so they don't fade.

Week 2 — practise under conditions

Shift from learning to testing. Use the Practice Quiz and any legitimate practice questions, timed where possible, and review every miss. If you have continuous-assessment marks already, use the Exam Score Planner to see the exam score you need for your target — it helps you prioritise.

Week 1 — revise and consolidate

Narrow down to summaries, formulas, and the topics you still miss. Keep sessions shorter and more frequent, protect your sleep, and stop trying to learn brand-new material the night before — consolidate what you already know.

Exam day

• Arrive early with everything you need.
• Read the whole paper first; start with questions you know.
• Watch the clock and allocate time by marks available.
• Leave a few minutes to check your work.

Common mistakes

• Cramming everything into the final days instead of spacing it out.
• Only re-reading and never testing yourself.
• Sacrificing sleep, which hurts recall more than the extra hours help.
• Ignoring weighting — spend time in proportion to each paper's importance.