How to revise for mocks in 2 weeks: a day-by-day plan
A 14-day GCSE mock revision timetable, with topic priorities, focused study sessions and tips for each subject.
Two weeks is enough to close your biggest gaps before your mocks, as long as you stop trying to cover the whole course. Choose the topics with the most marks to gain, spend most of your time answering exam questions, and spread your subjects across the fortnight. The plan below takes 1 to 2 hours on school nights and about 3 hours on weekend days.
Is two weeks enough to revise for mocks?
Yes, for your biggest gaps. It won't be enough to relearn every topic in nine or ten subjects, so the plan depends on choosing what to leave out.
How you revise matters as much as how long you spend. A review of ten study techniques led by John Dunlosky rated practice testing and spacing revision out over time as the two most useful. Rereading and highlighting rated poorly, even though they're familiar habits.
Mocks are there to show you what you don't know yet, so even a rough result gives you something to work with. If you're wondering how much they count, take a read of our blog post on Year 11 mocks here.
How to prioritise topics for GCSE mocks
Spend your first hour on this. It saves time for the rest of the fortnight.
- Ask each teacher what's on the paper. A mock often covers only what you've been taught so far.
- List the topics for each subject.
- Mark each topic red (I couldn't answer a question on this), amber (I'd get some of the marks) or green (I'm confident).
- Sort your subjects by how many marks you could gain, which usually means the ones with the most red and amber.
Then share your time out. As a starting point, give about 60% to the three subjects with the most to gain, 30% to the next three and 10% to the rest. Amber topics are often the quickest wins, because you only need to fix part of them. Leave green topics alone until the last few days.
Your two-week mock revision timetable
This assumes Day 1 is a Monday and your first mock is on Day 15. Swap the days around your school week, with Subject 1 as the subject that has the most to gain.
| Day | Time | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Mon) | 1 hour | Find out what's on each paper, then mark your topics red, amber or green |
| Day 2 | 1.5 hours | Subject 1: two red topics, then exam questions on each |
| Day 3 | 1.5 hours | Subject 2: two red topics, then exam questions on each |
| Day 4 | 1.5 hours | Subject 3: two red topics, then exam questions on each |
| Day 5 | 1.5 hours | Subjects 4 and 5: one red topic each |
| Day 6 (Sat) | 3 hours | Subject 1: a timed section of a past paper, marked with the mark scheme |
| Day 7 (Sun) | 3 hours | Subject 2: the same again, then fix what went wrong |
| Day 8 | 2 hours | Subject 3: timed questions, plus 20 minutes on last week's topics from memory |
| Day 9 | 2 hours | Subjects 4 and 5: timed questions, with the same 20 minutes from memory |
| Day 10 | 2 hours | Subjects 6 and 7: amber topics and exam questions |
| Day 11 | 2 hours | Remaining subjects: the quotes, formulas and dates you can't do without |
| Day 12 | 1.5 hours | Redo the questions you got wrong in the first week |
| Day 13 (Sat) | 3 hours | A full timed paper for your first mock, then mark it |
| Day 14 (Sun) | 1 hour | Read your mistakes list, pack your kit and get an early night |
If your mocks are spread over two weeks, carry on with the same pattern between papers. Use each free evening for the next subject on your timetable.
How to structure a mock revision session
Try 45-minute blocks, in this order:
- Spend 5 minutes writing down what you remember about the topic, with your book shut.
- Spend 25 minutes answering exam questions on it.
- Spend 10 minutes marking your answers with the mark scheme.
- Spend 5 minutes adding anything you got wrong to a mistakes list.
Take a break, then move to a different subject. Your mistakes list is what you'll use on Days 12 and 14.
Marking your own long answers is hard. Medly's free plan marks 5 exam questions a day and 1 uploaded paper a day, and you can find papers and mark schemes in our past papers directory.
What to revise for GCSE mocks in each subject
| Subject | Best use of your time |
|---|---|
| Maths | Past paper questions on red topics, writing out every step of your working |
| Sciences | Exam questions, especially required practicals and longer answers |
| English Language | Timed writing, because half the marks are in the writing questions. See how to pass GCSE English Language |
| English Literature | A few short quotations for each character and theme, then essay plans |
| History, Geography, RS | Longer answers against the clock, because timing is often where marks go |
| Languages | Vocabulary from memory, then past paper listening, reading and writing tasks |
What to do the night before a mock exam
Avoid revising late into the evening before your exam. Pack your kit ahead of bedtime and leave yourself time to wind down. The NHS says most teenagers need 8 to 10 hours' sleep a night, and that cramming all night before an exam is usually a bad idea.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to start revising two weeks before mocks?
No. Two weeks gives you time to work on your weakest topics in most subjects and to practise under timed conditions. You won't cover everything, and you don't need to.
How many hours a day should I revise for mocks?
There's no official number. Between 1 and 2 hours on a school night and about 3 on a weekend day is enough to work through this plan and still sleep properly.
Is revising 3 hours a day good?
It's fine on a weekend or a day off, if you split it into blocks with breaks and change subject. Three hours of exam questions will do more for you than three hours of rereading.
What is the 2-3-5-7 revision method?
It's a spaced revision schedule. You learn a topic, then come back to it on days 2, 3, 5 and 7. The fixed days matter less than the gaps, so the 20-minute recall slots in this plan do a similar job.
Can I revise for mocks in one week?
You can, with a tighter list. Pick your three subjects with the most to gain, do two red topics in each, and finish with one timed paper.
What if I still do badly?
Then you know what to work on, with months left before the real exams. Get your papers back, work out why you lost each mark, and ask your teacher which topics would make the biggest difference.