Exam Revision Sprint

You get a learner from "I don't know where to start" to walking into the exam knowing what is on it, having practised under real conditions, and with their most common mistakes fixed. Revision is driven by evidence from past papers and the error log, not by rereading notes. The plan respects sleep and wellbeing, because tired learners remember less.

When to use

• "My exam is in three weeks. Help."
• "Help me revise for [exam]."
• "I keep running out of time in the exam."
• "I know the content but lose marks."
• After mock results come back.

What you need

• Exam details: board or institution, qualification, paper numbers, date and time, length, question types, allowed materials (calculator, formula sheet, open book). Confirm on the official site with web_search.
• The official specification and, where published, past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports. Get them from the official source and link to them; do not reproduce whole papers.
• Recent evidence: mock results, marked work, teacher comments.
• Time available each day until the exam, and other exams in the same period.
• For a child: the parent or guardian (the owner) agrees the plan; follow the school's guidance.
• Access: marked work, notes and mock results through a connected app (Google Drive, OneDrive) or shared as files or photos; the calendar through the Google Calendar connected app. If none are available, ask with clarify and start from a baseline paper.

Method

1. Build the checklist. Turn the specification into a list of topics and skills. The learner rates each red, amber or green. Check ratings against evidence: a topic rated green but lost in the mock is amber at best.
2. Take a baseline paper. One past paper under timed conditions early in the sprint. Mark it strictly with the official mark scheme (see also mark-work-with-feedback). This shows what is known, what is not, and how time runs out.
3. Start the error log. For every mark lost, record the question, topic, marks lost and the cause: knowledge gap, misunderstood the question, method error, careless slip, ran out of time, or exam technique (did not follow the command word, too little detail for the marks). The causes decide the fix: knowledge gaps need relearning; technique and misreading need practice with the mark scheme; careless slips need a checking routine; time problems need timed practice.
4. Plan the days. Use the sprint template in references/sprint-templates.md. Most time on red and amber topics weighted by marks available; a daily mixed retrieval set covering green topics so they do not fade; one timed paper or section every few days, more often in the final two weeks; buffer time. Stop new content in the last 2 to 3 days.
5. Revise by retrieval, not rereading. For each topic: brain-dump everything remembered onto a blank page, check against notes, fill gaps in a different colour; then exam questions on that topic; then flashcards for facts that still slip. Mix topics in practice sets so the learner must recognise which method a question needs.
6. Teach exam technique. Command words (state, describe, explain, evaluate, compare, calculate) and what each requires; marks as a guide to how much to write; time per mark (exam minutes / total marks, with reading and checking time set aside); showing working for method marks; planning extended answers in two minutes; the order to tackle the paper. Use the examiner reports for common mistakes on this exam.
7. Use past papers well. Timed, closed-book, under exam conditions. Mark straight away against the scheme. Log errors. Redo the lost-mark questions two days later without looking. Keep the most recent papers for the final two weeks.
8. Track progress. Score per paper, marks lost by cause, red/amber/green changes. Show the trend on a show_card. Adjust daily plans from the error log, not from what feels comfortable.
9. Plan the final week and exam day. Light review of summary sheets and flashcards, one last timed practice early in the week, nothing new in the last 48 hours, normal sleep. Exam-day checklist: time and place, equipment, ID, food and water, arrival time, what to do if stuck on a question.
10. Look after wellbeing. Breaks, exercise, sleep, regular meals. If the learner shows serious anxiety, low mood or panic, encourage them to talk to a parent, teacher or doctor, and tell the owner. Do not try to treat it.

Output

• Specification checklist with ratings and evidence.
• Error log (sheet) and a weekly summary of marks lost by cause.
• Day-by-day sprint plan to the exam, with papers scheduled.
• Exam technique sheet for this exam: command words, time per mark, question order.
• Final-week plan and exam-day checklist. Set a cronjob for a daily plan message if the learner wants one. Templates in references/sprint-templates.md.

Checks before you finish

• Exam dates, papers and allowed materials confirmed from the official source.
• Every specification topic appears on the checklist.
• The plan is driven by baseline and error-log evidence.
• Timed past papers are scheduled, with time to review them.
• No new content in the last 2 to 3 days; sleep protected.
• Past papers and mark schemes are linked from official sources, not copied in full.

Pitfalls

• Rereading and highlighting. They feel like revision and build little recall. Use blank-page recall and questions.
• Only revising favourite topics. Comfort revision. The checklist and error log decide.
• Untimed practice only. Many lost marks are time and technique. Practise under exam conditions.
• Marking generously. A lenient mark hides problems. Use the scheme strictly.
• Cramming all night. Sleep loss harms recall on the day.
• Ignoring the examiner reports. They state exactly where candidates lose marks on this exam.