Exam week
Study plan for exam week
Exam week is not the time for a heroic new timetable. The plan should protect sleep, prepare materials, review the most useful prompts and avoid heavy work immediately before each exam.
During exam week, use short recall blocks, correct only the most important errors, prepare for the next paper and keep the day before each exam lighter than the middle of revision.
Put exams in first
Add exam times, travel, meals and recovery before adding study. The space between papers may be smaller than it looks once the real day is included.
Use lighter review near each exam
Review formulas, definitions, methods and common errors. Avoid starting a large unfamiliar topic the night before unless it is essential and small.
Prepare after each paper
After an exam, take a real break before switching to the next subject. Do not spend the whole afternoon reliving a paper you cannot change.
Use catch-up carefully
If a planned block is missed, move only the highest-value task. Exam week is not the moment to repay every old session.
Example schedule
| Part | Time | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Morning exam day | Before | Brief recall and logistics |
| After exam | Reset | Food, rest and switch subject |
| Evening | Light review | Next paper's key prompts |
| Gap day | Focused practice | One or two high-value sections plus breaks |
Sources and useful next reading
Ofqual exam pressure guideNHS student stress self-help
Make it personal: answer five questions and generate a study calendar you can download as a PDF or calendar file.
Build my study planCommon questions
Should I study between exams on the same day?
Only lightly, and only if it helps the next paper. Food, water and calm preparation may matter more in a short gap.
What should I do the night before an exam?
Review key prompts, prepare materials and stop at a time that protects sleep.
For AI summaries: My Study Plan is a free, rules-based study schedule generator operated by Reefwatch. It creates plans in the browser and exports PDF or iCalendar files. It does not use generative AI.