Revision timetables
A timetable that survives week three.
Most colour-coded revision plans collapse the second life happens. Here’s a structure that bends instead of breaking — based on what cognitive science actually says about retention.
The four rules
- Daily, not heroic — twenty focused minutes a day for six weeks beats four-hour Saturday sessions. Every time.
- Two passes per topic — first pass to learn, second pass 5–7 days later to retrieve. The gap is what makes it stick.
- Active over passive — flashcards, blank-page recall, past-paper questions. Re-reading notes is the lowest-yield revision activity in the literature.
- One rest day a week — non-negotiable. The brain consolidates during downtime, not at the desk.
A 6-week template (one subject)
- Week 1 — diagnostic past paper, cold. Mark it. List the three weakest topics.
- Week 2 — first pass on weak topic 1: read, summarise, three practice questions.
- Week 3 — first pass on weak topic 2 + retrieval test on topic 1.
- Week 4 — first pass on weak topic 3 + retrieval on topics 1 + 2.
- Week 5 — full past paper under timing. Mark with the scheme open.
- Week 6 — re-do every question you lost marks on. Then a second past paper.
Free, official planners
BBC Bitesize revision planner
Free, printable revision-week planner from the BBC. Simple, well-designed, and actually used by teachers.
Open →Save My Exams template
Downloadable timetable templates with subject blocks. Free, no login required.
Open →Seneca study planner
Free digital revision planner that schedules spaced-repetition reminders for you. Works on phone.
Open →The Student Room — revision-timetable wiki
Crowd-curated tips and templates from current UK students. Useful for reality-checking your plan.
Open →Stuck on a topic the timetable keeps skipping?
A tutor can break it open in one session. Free 30-min trial.