Sciences
A/L Physics, Chemistry and Biology: A Revision Plan That Actually Works
Written by Ms. Fathima, Lead Teacher at Tandem Learner · 2 min read
A/L Science students often spend long hours rereading notes and highlighting, then feel surprised when the exam asks something unfamiliar. Rereading feels productive because the page looks familiar, but familiarity is not the same as being able to recall and apply an idea. A better plan trains the exact skill the exam tests.
Principle 1: Test yourself instead of rereading
After studying a topic, close the notes and write down everything you can remember. Then check what you missed. This is called active recall, and it shows you honestly what you know. It feels harder than rereading, and that effort is the point.
Principle 2: Space the practice out
Come back to each topic after a day, a week, and then a month, instead of cramming it once. Short returns beat one long session. A simple tracker listing each topic with the dates it was last reviewed is enough.
Principle 3: Practise with exam questions early
Do not wait to finish the syllabus before trying exam questions. Attempt a few questions after each topic. Exam wording and the way marks are awarded are learned only by doing real questions.
Subject tips
- Physics: practise units and rearranging formulae until they are automatic, and always sketch the situation before calculating
- Chemistry: build confidence with moles and stoichiometry early, because they appear across physical, organic and analytical topics
- Biology: use precise terminology and practise applying ideas to unfamiliar data, since many marks reward application, not recall
A sample week
Adjust the days to suit the school timetable. What matters is the pattern: learn, test, review, repeat.
- Monday: learn or rebuild one topic, then write a one page summary from memory
- Tuesday: topical exam questions on that topic, marked against the mark scheme
- Thursday: review last week's topic with ten recall questions
- Saturday: a mixed timed section, then update the error log
- Sunday: rest, or a light review of the error log only
When to get help
If the same topic keeps going wrong after two rounds of this routine, the gap is probably deeper than revision can fix. That is the moment to get the concept explained again from the base, ideally one to one, so questions can be asked as they arise.
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