IGCSE Mock Exam Revision: A 6-Week Plan

Quick answer

The best way to approach IGCSE mock exam revision is to work backwards from your first paper and split the last six weeks into three stages. Spend weeks 1 to 3 finding and fixing weak topics, weeks 4 and 5 sitting timed past-paper practice and marking it strictly, and week 6 reviewing your own mistakes. Give more hours to your weakest subjects, not equal hours to all of them. Mocks are a rehearsal, so the goal is to find out what still loses you marks while there is time to fix it.

Key takeaways

• Start six weeks before your first mock. If you have less time, use the shorter plan further down.

• Rate every topic red, amber or green before you revise anything, then give your time to the reds.

• Topic-by-topic questions come first. Full timed papers come later, once the gaps are smaller.

• Marking is where most of the learning happens. Keep a log of every mark you lose and why.

• Your mocks are set by your school, so your school's timetable and topic list decide what you revise.

• After the mocks, your results become the plan for the real exams.

Why do IGCSE mocks matter if they aren't the real exam?

IGCSE mocks are school exams. Your school writes or chooses the papers and sets the dates, and the marks are not part of your Cambridge grade. So why put in six weeks of work?

First, schools often use mock results when they make decisions about you. These can include your predicted grades and, in some subjects, whether you are entered for Core or Extended. Ask your teachers how your school uses them, because practice varies.

Second, a mock is the only time you get to test your whole routine under pressure: your timing, your nerves, your revision method and how well you remember things from last year. A bad surprise in January is useful. The same surprise in May is expensive.

There is time to act on what you find, too. Cambridge has published its final June 2027 timetables by administrative zone. In the Zone 4 timetable, the first IGCSE written papers are on Monday 26 April 2027, and Chemistry Extended Paper 4 follows on Tuesday 27 April. A January mock leaves you about three months to fix what it shows. Check the timetable for your own zone, because dates and sessions can differ.

What should you do before week 1?

Spend one short session, about an hour, getting three things in place.

1. Find out what is being tested. Ask each teacher for the mock dates, the paper format and the topics included. Some schools test the full course. Others leave out what you have not finished yet. Revising a topic that isn't on the paper is wasted effort.

2. Count back six Mondays. If your first mock is on Monday 11 January 2027, week 1 starts on Monday 30 November 2026. Write the start date of each week in your calendar.

3. Add up your real hours. Take out school, sport, family commitments and sleep, then see what is left. A plan built on 12 honest hours a week will beat a plan built on 25 hours you never find.

How do you plan IGCSE mock exam revision over 6 weeks?

Here is the whole plan on one page. The sections below explain each stage.

Week	Main job	What you actually do	Done when
1	Audit	Rate every topic red, amber or green. Try one short timed section per subject as a baseline.	You have a ranked list of weak topics for each subject
2	Fix the reds	Relearn your weakest topics, then answer past-paper questions on just those topics.	You can answer a question on each topic with your notes closed
3	Fix the ambers	Keep going through the list. Begin your mistake log if you haven't already.	Most reds are now amber or better
4	Mix topics	Sit timed sections that jump between topics. Mark them straight away.	You can spot what a question is testing without a topic heading
5	Full papers	Sit one full timed past paper for each main subject, using the real time limit.	You finish inside the time, or you know why you didn't
6	Review	Redo the questions in your mistake log. Learn definitions, formulae and formats. Sleep properly.	Your log is getting shorter

Weeks 1 to 3: how do you find and fix weak topics?

Start with the audit. Print or copy each subject's topic list and rate each line using a simple rule:

• Red: you couldn't start a question without your notes.

• Amber: you could start, but you often lose marks.

• Green: you get most of the marks most of the time.

Be honest. Feeling that a topic looks familiar isn't the same as being able to do it, so test the ratings with a few questions from each section. That is what the short timed section in week 1 is for.

Next, divide your time by how much each subject needs. One easy way is to give each subject shares: three for mostly red, two for mostly amber, one for mostly green.

Worked example: sharing 12 hours a week

Imagine a student has 12 hours a week and five subjects. Chemistry and Maths are mostly red, Physics and Economics are mostly amber, and Biology is mostly green. That makes 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 11 shares, and 12 ÷ 11 is about 1.1 hours per share.

Subject	Rating	Shares	Hours per week
Chemistry	Mostly red	3	3¼
Maths	Mostly red	3	3¼
Physics	Mostly amber	2	2¼
Economics	Mostly amber	2	2¼
Biology	Mostly green	1	1
Total		11	12

Re-rate your topics at the end of each week and move the hours as things improve. Keep a little time for your green subjects so they stay green.

For each red topic, use the same four-step session:

1. Spend 10 to 15 minutes relearning the idea from your notes or textbook. Keep it short.

2. Close your notes and write down what you remember.

3. Answer past-paper questions on that topic only, without help.

4. Mark your answers against the mark scheme and write down what you missed.

Topic-by-topic questions work well here because they let you repeat one skill until it sticks. If you want to know why this kind of practice beats rereading, our guide to the benefits of IGCSE past papers goes through it in more detail. Calculation-heavy topics reward this approach most. For example, if moles are a red topic, work through our guide to IGCSE mole calculations and then do questions until you stop checking the method.

Weeks 4 and 5: how should you practise under timed conditions?

Real exam papers don't tell you which topic comes next. In week 4, practise with mixed sections so you get used to working out what each question wants. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough at first, and you should still mark everything the same day.

In week 5, sit full papers. Use a timer, put your phone in another room, use only the equipment you are allowed, and don't stop to look anything up. If time runs out, draw a line, finish in a different colour pen and mark both parts. The line shows you how many marks timing cost you.

Worked example: working out your time per mark

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 Paper 4 is 1 hour 15 minutes for 80 marks. That is 75 minutes ÷ 80 marks, or about 56 seconds per mark. So a 6-mark question deserves about 5 to 6 minutes, and there is very little spare time for checking. Do this sum once for each of your papers. Then you will know straight away whether you're spending too long on a question.

Mark it like an examiner

Marking properly usually takes about as long as sitting the paper. Use the mark scheme word for word, and don't give yourself a mark because you "meant" the right thing. Then put every lost mark into a log:

Subject and question	Marks lost	Topic	Why I lost them	What to do
Chemistry, Q4(b)	2 of 3	Moles	Forgot to convert cm³ to dm³	Five more concentration questions on Thursday
Economics, Q2(c)	2 of 6	Demand	Listed points but gave no explanation	Rewrite with a chain of reasoning
Maths, Q11	1 of 4	Bounds	Rounded too early	Keep full calculator values until the last line

After a week or two, patterns appear. Most lost marks fall into a few types: you didn't know the content, you misread the question, you ran out of time, or your answer was correct but didn't match what the mark scheme rewards. Each one has a different fix, so naming the cause matters more than writing out the right answer.

Week 6: what should you do in the final week before mocks?

The last week is for tightening things up, not for learning whole new topics. Spend most of your time redoing the questions in your log with no notes. If you get one right twice, cross it off.

Use short sessions to memorise anything that simply has to be recalled, like definitions, formulae, chemical tests and accounting formats.

The night before each paper, check your equipment and the start time, then stop at a sensible hour. Late-night cramming costs you the clear head you need the next morning.

What should each subject's practice focus on?

The plan stays the same across subjects, but the practice looks a little different.

Subject type	Focus your practice on	A habit that pays off
Maths and Additional Maths	Lots of mixed questions, and methods you can use without notes	Show every line of working, because method marks can rescue a wrong answer
Physics and Chemistry	Calculations, definitions and practical skills	Write units and formulae on every calculation
Biology	Precise keywords and explaining processes in order	Compare your wording with the mark scheme line by line
Economics and Business	Short definitions and longer answers that develop a point	Add "this means that..." after each point to force an explanation
Accounting	Correct formats and working through full statements	Practise layouts from a blank page, not from a template

Don't forget practical papers. For example, IGCSE Chemistry candidates sit either a Practical Test or the Alternative to Practical, and that paper is worth 20% of the qualification. Ask your teacher which one applies to you.

What if you have less than 6 weeks?

You can still do useful work, but you have to cut more. With three weeks left, use this version:

• Week 1: run a quick audit, then work only on red topics in your two or three weakest subjects.

• Week 2: sit timed sections and one full paper in your most important subjects. Mark everything.

• Week 3: redo your mistakes and memorise the must-know facts.

With one week left, skip the full papers. Pick the topics most likely to be tested from your teacher's list and do short question sets in each, then mark them on the same day.

What should you do after your mocks?

Don't look at your grade and put the paper in a drawer. Your mock script is the most useful revision document you own. When it comes back, add every lost mark to your log and ask your teacher about anything you don't understand.

Then rebuild your topic ratings for the real exams. From there, keep working through past papers, and bring in predicted papers closer to the exams. Our guide on how to use predicted papers for May/June 2027 shows when they fit in.

If you are a parent reading this, the most helpful thing is usually practical: put the mock dates on the family calendar, protect the revision time and talk about the mistake log rather than only the grade. Our guide on whether online IGCSE revision is worth it covers how to tell if extra support is needed.

What are the most common mock revision mistakes?

• Revising what you already like. Green topics feel productive, but they earn you few new marks.

• Rereading and highlighting. Both feel like work, yet neither tests whether you can answer a question.

• Making beautiful notes for weeks. Keep notes short and move on to questions quickly.

• Sitting papers without marking them. An unmarked paper tells you almost nothing.

• Peeking at the mark scheme. Once you have seen the answer, you can't find out whether you could have got there alone.

• Giving every subject equal time. It looks fair, but it doesn't help the subjects that need the most work.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I revise for IGCSE mocks?

Six weeks is a comfortable length for most students, because it gives you time to fix weak topics and still sit timed papers. The right number of hours depends on your subjects and your starting point. Steady sessions most days will do more than a few very long weekends.

Do IGCSE mock exams count towards my final grade?

Your mock marks are not part of your Cambridge grade. Your final result comes from the exams and other components you are entered for. But schools may use mocks for predicted grades or for decisions about Core or Extended entry, so ask how yours uses them.

How many past papers should I do before my mocks?

Quality matters more than the total. One or two full papers per main subject, properly timed and carefully marked, is a sensible target for week 5. Add plenty of topic-based questions before that. A paper you mark and learn from is worth more than three you rush.

Can I revise for mocks in 2 weeks?

Yes, if you are selective. Spend the first week on the red topics in your weakest subjects, and the second on timed practice and redoing your mistakes. You won't cover everything, so choose the topics your teacher has confirmed are on the paper.

What if I do badly in my mocks?

A poor mock doesn't decide your final grade. Find out exactly where the marks went, and sort them into content gaps, misread questions, timing problems and exam technique. You then have a clear list of what to fix before the real exams, which is the reason mocks exist. Speak to your teacher soon if the result might affect your entry.

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