Study skills
Making a revision timetable that works, with a 4-week sample
Build a revision timetable you will actually follow. Step-by-step method, a full four-week sample table for exam season and tips for when plans slip.
For students. By the Qlive team. . 6 min read.
Most students have made a revision timetable at some point. It usually looks beautiful on day one, colour-coded and ambitious, and by day four it has been quietly abandoned. The problem is rarely laziness. The timetable was built for an imaginary student with unlimited energy and no other commitments.
This guide shows you how to build a timetable for the real you, with a full four-week sample you can adapt.
Step 1: count the time you really have
Start with a calendar of the weeks before your exams. Mark:
- Exam dates and the order of papers
- School hours, tuition classes and travel time
- Fixed family commitments, festivals and events
- Sport or activities you want to keep (you should keep some)
Now count realistic study hours. On a school day, many students in Grades 9 to 12 can manage about two to three focused hours after homework. On a holiday, perhaps five to six hours, split into blocks. Be honest. A plan built on eight hours a day will collapse.
Step 2: list every topic
Go through the syllabus subject by subject and write every chapter, then break big chapters into smaller topics. “Trigonometry” is too large to revise in one session. “Trigonometric ratios”, “identities” and “heights and distances” are sessions you can actually finish.
Rate each topic:
- Red: I do not understand this well
- Amber: I partly understand, but make mistakes
- Green: I am confident
Step 3: decide the shape of each week
A good revision timetable has a rhythm:
- Two or three subjects a day, not one subject all day
- Hardest subject first, when you are freshest
- A short daily review slot for topics you covered earlier (this is spaced repetition, explained in our guide on how to revise effectively)
- One buffer slot every few days for anything that slipped
- One timed practice paper a week, which becomes more frequent closer to the exams
- At least half a day off each week
Step 4: give red topics more space
Red topics get more sessions and earlier slots. Green topics still appear, but mainly as quick self-tests in your review slot. Many students do the opposite without noticing: they revise what they already know because it feels good. Your timetable is there to stop that.
Step 5: plan for the exam order
In the last week, follow the order of your exam papers. The day before each paper should be lighter: a final review of key points, formulae and your mistake notebook, not new learning.
A sample 4-week revision timetable
This example is for a Grade 10 student preparing for term or board exams in Maths, Science, Social Science, English and a second language. School is still running in weeks 1 and 2, and weeks 3 and 4 are study leave or holidays. Each session is 45 to 50 minutes with a break after it.
Weeks 1 and 2: school days (about 2.5 hours a day)
| Day | Session 1 | Session 2 | Review (20 min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Maths: red topic | Science: chemistry | Flashcards |
| Tuesday | Social Science: history chapter | English: writing practice | Mistake notebook |
| Wednesday | Science: physics numericals | Maths: amber topic | Flashcards |
| Thursday | Second language: grammar | Social Science: geography and maps | Monday’s topics |
| Friday | Maths: mixed questions | Science: biology diagrams | Buffer |
| Saturday | Timed section of a sample paper (Week 1 Maths, Week 2 Science) | Correct the paper | Free evening |
| Sunday | Rest morning | Plan the next week, update red, amber, green |
Week 3: study leave (about 5 hours a day)
| Day | Morning (2 sessions) | Afternoon (2 sessions) | Evening review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Maths: red topics | Science: physics | Flashcards |
| Tuesday | Social Science: history and civics | English: reading and writing | Mistake notebook |
| Wednesday | Full Maths sample paper, timed | Correct it, redo wrong questions | Light review |
| Thursday | Science: chemistry and biology | Second language | Flashcards |
| Friday | Full Science sample paper, timed | Correct it | Buffer |
| Saturday | Social Science: geography and economics | Full English paper, timed | Free evening |
| Sunday | Rest | Plan Week 4 by exam order |
Week 4: final week, following exam order
Assume the first paper is English on the following Monday, then Maths, then Science.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Full Social Science paper, timed | Correct it | Flashcards |
| Tuesday | Full Second language paper | Correct it | Mistake notebook |
| Wednesday | Science: weak areas from papers | Maths: weak areas from papers | Buffer |
| Thursday | Full Maths paper, timed | Correct it | Formula sheet review |
| Friday | Full Science paper, timed | Correct it | Light review |
| Saturday | English: letter, essay and comprehension formats | English: one more practice section | Early night |
| Sunday | Light English review only | Rest, pack your exam kit | Sleep on time |
Between papers, use the gap days to review the next subject, again with a lighter final evening.
Making your timetable stick
Put it where you can see it
Print it and stick it above your desk. Tick each session as you finish it. That small tick is surprisingly motivating.
Plan sessions, not hours
“Study Science for 3 hours” is vague. “Science: 10 questions on electricity, then check” is a task you can start and finish.
Use buffer slots honestly
Buffer slots are for catching up, not for extra new topics. If you never need a buffer, give yourself that time off.
Review the plan every Sunday
Update your red, amber and green list after each week. Topics move, and your timetable should move with them.
Protect sleep and meals
Revising until 2 am on Wednesday usually wrecks Thursday. A steady routine with proper sleep gives you more good hours across the week.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filling every hour with no breaks or rest day
- Spending most of the time making notes rather than testing yourself
- Leaving all practice papers to the final week
- Revising only favourite subjects
- Copying a friend’s timetable without thinking about your own red topics
Timetable checklist
- I know exactly how many hours I have each day.
- Every topic is listed and rated red, amber or green.
- Red topics get the most and earliest sessions.
- Each day has two or three subjects and a review slot.
- There is a buffer slot every few days and a rest half-day each week.
- Timed papers start early and increase towards the exams.
- The final week follows the exam order.
When the red list does not get shorter
A timetable organises your time, but it cannot explain a topic you do not understand. If the same topics stay red week after week, it may help to work through them with a teacher who can find where the confusion starts.
Qlive offers live one-to-one classes with a teacher who follows your curriculum, at a fixed weekly time that suits you. A good first step is the free assessment, which shows exactly which topics need work so you can put the right ones at the top of your timetable. Enrolled students can also use the study planner in the Qlive Learn app on the web to keep track of school exams.