Why Six Weeks Is the Sweet Spot
Many students either start revising too early and lose momentum, or leave it too late and panic. Six weeks before your October/November IGCSE Maths exam is the ideal time to begin a focused, structured revision plan. It gives you enough time to cover every topic, practise past papers, and still have a few days for final review before the exam.
This timeline assumes you are sitting the 0580 Extended papers, but the approach works equally well for Core candidates with minor adjustments.
Week 1: Audit and Plan (6 Weeks Before Exam)
The first week is about understanding where you stand. Do not start revising random topics immediately.
What to do:
- Complete one full past paper under timed conditions. Do not worry about the score — this is a diagnostic exercise.
- Mark it honestly using the mark scheme, and record which topics you lost marks on.
- Sort every topic on the IGCSE Maths syllabus into three categories: confident, partially confident, and weak.
- Create a revision timetable that allocates more time to weak and partially confident topics.
Common mistake to avoid: Spending all your time on topics you already know well because they feel comfortable. Your biggest grade gains will come from improving your weak areas.
Week 2: Number and Algebra Foundations (5 Weeks Before Exam)
Focus this week on the foundational topics that underpin much of the paper.
Priority topics:
- Fractions, decimals, and percentages (including reverse percentages)
- Standard form and bounds
- Algebraic manipulation: expanding, factorising, simplifying
- Solving linear and quadratic equations
- Simultaneous equations
- Rearranging formulae
Daily routine: Study a topic for 30-40 minutes, then attempt 5-10 exam-style questions on that topic. Check your answers against the mark scheme immediately, and rework any questions you got wrong.
Week 3: Geometry and Measures (4 Weeks Before Exam)
Geometry tends to be the area where students lose the most marks unnecessarily, often because they forget key properties or formulae.
Priority topics:
- Angle properties (parallel lines, polygons, circle theorems)
- Pythagoras’ theorem and trigonometry (SOHCAHTOA, sine rule, cosine rule)
- Area and volume of 3D shapes (cylinders, cones, spheres, prisms)
- Transformations (translation, reflection, rotation, enlargement)
- Bearings and construction
Tip: Create a formula sheet as you revise. Write down every formula you need, then practise recalling them from memory. By exam day, you should be able to reproduce the entire sheet without looking.
Week 4: Statistics, Probability, and Advanced Topics (3 Weeks Before Exam)
This week covers the topics that tend to appear in the later questions on each paper.
Priority topics:
- Cumulative frequency, histograms, and box plots
- Probability (tree diagrams, Venn diagrams, conditional probability)
- Functions (composite, inverse)
- Differentiation (for Extended candidates)
- Vectors
- Set notation and Venn diagrams
Important: These topics often carry higher marks per question but are attempted by fewer students. Mastering them is one of the most efficient ways to push your grade from B to A or A to A*.
Week 5: Past Papers Under Exam Conditions (2 Weeks Before Exam)
This is the most important week. Stop studying individual topics and switch entirely to full past papers.
What to do:
- Complete at least 4-5 full papers this week (a mix of Paper 2 and Paper 4).
- Always work under timed conditions. Paper 2 is 1 hour 30 minutes. Paper 4 is 2 hours 30 minutes.
- After each paper, mark it thoroughly. For every mark you lost, write down why: did you not know the method, make a calculation error, misread the question, or run out of time?
- Keep a running list of recurring mistakes and review it daily.
Target scores: If you are aiming for an A*, you should be consistently scoring 85% or above on past papers by the end of this week. For a Grade A, aim for 75% or above.
Week 6: Final Review and Exam Readiness (1 Week Before Exam)
The final week should be lighter in intensity. You have done the hard work already.
What to do:
- Review your error log from Week 5 and rework the questions you got wrong.
- Go through your formula sheet one last time and test yourself on recall.
- Complete one final past paper two days before the exam, then stop.
- The day before the exam, do light revision only: review notes, flip through your formula sheet, and get to bed early.
Practical checklist:
- Confirm your exam dates, times, and locations.
- Prepare your equipment: scientific calculator (check the batteries), ruler, protractor, compasses, pencils, and pens.
- Set an alarm with a backup.
What If You Have Less Than Six Weeks?
If you are reading this with less time available, compress the plan by combining Weeks 2, 3, and 4 into a single week of intensive topic review, then spend the remaining time on past papers. Past paper practice is the single most effective revision activity for IGCSE Maths, so prioritise it above all else.
A Note for October/November Candidates Specifically
The October/November session often receives slightly different question styles compared to the May/June session, but the syllabus content is identical. Make sure you practise past papers from both sessions to see the full range of question types. The examiners’ reports for previous October/November sessions are particularly useful because they highlight exactly where candidates in your session lost marks.
Need help with your October/November exam preparation? Teacher Rig offers specialist IGCSE Maths tutoring online. Book a free trial class to see how targeted support can improve your grades.
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