Advice
Struggling to stay on top of your revision? Whether you’re preparing for A Levels, BTECs, or T Levels, having a solid plan can help you study smarter, stay focused, and feel more confident in your assessments. Whether your exams are months away or just around the corner, this guide will help you make the most of your time.
Key Takeaways
- Mark your exam dates in a planner so you can work backwards and schedule revision sessions.
- Use spaced repetition to review topics regularly rather than cramming at the last minute.
- Prioritise weaker subjects to make the biggest impact on your results.
- Use active recall techniques like blurting and past papers to strengthen memory.
- Short on time? Try the 2,3,5,7 revision method for last-minute revision.
- Break revision into small sessions—focus on one topic at a time for better retention.
What You'll Need
Before you start revising or studying, it helps to have a practical way to organise your time. Whatever works best for you is fine, but having a way to see your time laid out visually will help you identify gaps and opportunities.
- Download our free revision timetable – A ready-made template to help you get started.
- Use the My Study Life App – Great for tracking exams, assignments, and study sessions.
- Google Calendar or your phone’s calendar – Use colour coding to make it easy to see what’s coming up.
- Paper planners – A simple handwritten timetable works just as well!
📥 Download your free revision guide
Plan Your Revision in Five Steps
1. Write down your exam dates
This helps you see how much time you have and plan your revision sessions properly.
2. Add your regular commitments
Include lessons, hobbies, work, holidays, and anything else that takes up time. This will show when you’re actually free to revise.
3. Use spaced repetition to plan your sessions
Spaced repetition is a proven way to improve memory by reviewing topics at set intervals. Start early and spread your revision over time instead of cramming.
4. Prioritise your weakest topics
Spend more time on subjects or topics you find hardest, so you can improve where it matters most.
5. Be realistic and plan breaks
Trying to revise all day, every day isn’t realistic. Use short, focused study sessions with breaks in between. The Pomodoro technique is a great way to stay productive.
What should you cover in each session?
Start with the topics you know least about and break them into smaller sessions. Here are some examples:
- Business: One session on key terms, another on Strategic Direction.
- Engineering: One session on thermodynamics, another on circuit analysis.
- Psychology: One session on cognitive biases, another on research methods.
This keeps revision manageable and helps you feel more productive. If you don't know where to start with this, find the specification or mark scheme for your course. Just search for your course name, the exam board and the word specification or mark scheme.
Example: BTEC Level 3 computing specification
If your exams are months away
If you’re starting early, you have time to build strong knowledge using active recall and spaced repetition.
- Use blurting – Write down everything you know about a topic, then check for gaps.
- Try past papers under timed conditions.
- Spread out revision and review topics at regular intervals.
If your exams are just weeks away
If time is running out, focus on the topics that will make the biggest difference.
- Go straight to your weak areas – Spend time on what you struggle with most.
- Use high-impact techniques – Blurting, active recall, and past paper questions will help you remember key information.
- Stick to a clear plan – The 2,3,5,7 revision method is designed for last-minute revision.
Next steps
A good plan is just the start—now it’s time to put it into action! For more revision techniques, study tips, and how to use AI to optimise your studying, download our free revision guide.
