List every exam and every topic
Write down each exam with its date, then every topic it can cover, using the syllabus or course outline rather than memory. Seeing the full list is uncomfortable, but it is the only way to know how much time each topic can have.
Rate each topic honestly
Mark each topic red (do not understand it), amber (shaky) or green (confident). Spend most of your time on red and amber. It is tempting to revise what you already know because it feels good; the ratings stop that.
Plan backwards from exam day
Count the weeks you have, keep the last week for review and practice papers, and spread the topics across the rest. Then plan each week in sessions: a topic, a goal and a time, for example "45 minutes, chemistry bonding, practice questions".
Study actively, not just by rereading
- ✓Recall: close the book and write or say what you remember, then check.
- ✓Practice questions and past papers under timed conditions.
- ✓Spaced review: revisit a topic after a day, a few days, a week and a few weeks, rather than all at once.
- ✓A mistakes log: write down every error and why, and review it before the exam.
Protect sleep and breaks
Short breaks between sessions, regular meals and enough sleep are part of the plan, not a reward at the end. Tired revision takes longer and sticks less. If stress becomes overwhelming, talk to a teacher, tutor or someone you trust.
Review the plan every week
At the end of each week, update your topic ratings and move sessions around. A plan you adjust as you learn will carry you to the exam; one you never look at again will not.
What a good study day looks like
A realistic day might hold three or four focused sessions of 40 to 60 minutes, each on one topic, with short breaks between them. Start with the hardest topic while you are fresh, and end with a short review of what you covered. Write the next day's first session down before you stop.
The last week
Use the final week for timed past papers, your mistakes log and quick reviews of red topics. Avoid starting large new topics now. Plan the night before each exam to be light: check the time and place, pack what you need and sleep.
A full revision system on paper or screen. The Exam Study Planner is a 32-page fillable PDF for school, university and professional exams, with a 100-day countdown, red, amber and green topic checklists, a 12-week plan, weekly timetables, a past paper tracker, a mistakes log and a spaced review tracker. The free 5-page starter has the exams list, countdown, a weekly timetable and a topic checklist.
View in the StoreFrom the Stelaah Store
- ✓Exam Study Planner. A 32-page undated fillable study planner for SAT, ACT, AP, GCSE, A level, IB, university finals and professional exams, with a 100-day countdown and revision timetables.
- ✓Student Academic Planner. A free, undated 12-page fillable PDF academic planner with an assignment tracker, weekly study plan, exam prep and grade tracker.
- ✓Free 2026 to 2027 Student Academic Planner. A free, dated July 2026 to June 2027 student academic digital planner with class schedules, homework with due dates, assignment and exam trackers and grades.
We build Stelaah and the Stelaah Store. These guides cover the everyday problems our planners, kits and tools are made for, in plain steps you can use with or without them.
