Making a revision timetable for Years 9 to 11
On this page
- Step 1: list the topics and traffic-light them
- Step 2: find the time you really have
- Step 3: cut the time into blocks
- Step 4: fill the blocks with spacing and mixing
- Step 5: decide what you will do in each block
- Step 6: review every Sunday
- Worked example: three weeks before Year 9 exams
- When it isn't working
- For parents
- Sources and further reading
A useful revision timetable answers one question on any given evening: what exactly am I revising tonight, and for how long? A colourful poster that says "Monday: Science" does not. Neither does a plan so full that it collapses by Wednesday.
The method below works for Year 9 end-of-year exams, Year 10 and 11 mocks, and GCSEs, which in England usually run from May into June. Only the scale changes: a Year 9 pupil might plan three weeks, a Year 11 pupil several months.
Step 1: list the topics and traffic-light them
Write down every subject and, under each, its topics. Your exercise books, your teachers and, for GCSE, the exam board specification are the best sources. If you are unsure which board or specification you are on, ask; topics differ between boards.
Then rate each topic honestly:
- Red: I could not answer a question on this today.
- Amber: I know some of it but would make mistakes.
- Green: I am confident.
A list of all greens is not a plan, it is a wish.
Step 2: find the time you really have
Block out what is already fixed in a normal week: school, travel, clubs, part-time work, family commitments, meals. Leave at least one evening or a half day at the weekend completely free.
| Year | Weekdays | Weekends |
|---|---|---|
| Year 9 | 20–40 minutes, as exams approach | Up to an hour |
| Year 10 | 30–60 minutes | 1–2 hours |
| Year 11 | 1–2 hours in the run-up to exams | 2–4 hours, with breaks |
These are rough guides, not targets. Ninety focused minutes beat three hours with a phone buzzing.
Step 3: cut the time into blocks
Blocks of about 25 to 40 minutes, with a 5 to 10 minute break between them. Each block gets one topic from one subject. "Science" is too vague for a block; "Chemistry: rates of reaction" is about right.
Step 4: fill the blocks with spacing and mixing
This is where a good timetable differs from a bad one.
Space it out. Do not spend a whole day on one topic and never return. Revise it, come back a few days later, then again a week or two after that. Each visit can be shorter than the last. Spaced practice is one of the best-supported findings about memory, and it helps you remember for the exam rather than for tomorrow.
Mix subjects. Use two different subjects in an evening rather than one. Switching keeps you fresher and helps you notice the differences between similar ideas.
Weight towards red and amber, but keep a quick check on greens every couple of weeks so they stay green.
A sample Year 11 weekday evening:
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 5:00–5:35 | Maths: simultaneous equations (red) |
| 5:35–5:45 | Break |
| 5:45–6:20 | History: causes of the First World War (amber, second visit) |
| 6:20–7:00 | Tea |
| 7:00–7:30 | Biology: quick quiz on cell structure (green check) |
Step 5: decide what you will do in each block
Rereading feels comfortable but is one of the least effective methods. Use active ones:
- past paper questions, marked with the mark scheme
- flashcards, tested from memory
- writing out everything you remember, then checking for gaps
- explaining the topic aloud as if teaching it
Our guide to quizzes and retrieval practice explains why testing yourself works. For quick self-tests, ModernScholar's GCSE section has free quizzes that suit a short block or a warm-up.
At the end of each block, write one line on the timetable: what you did and one thing still to check. That note tells you what to do on the next visit.
Step 6: review every Sunday
Ten minutes. Move topics between red, amber and green, and reschedule missed blocks. If you keep missing blocks, the plan is too ambitious: cut it back rather than abandon it. And do not try to catch up by doubling the next day.
Worked example: three weeks before Year 9 exams
A Year 9 pupil has exams in maths, English, science, history, geography and French in three weeks. After traffic-lighting, the reds are maths (algebra), science (electricity) and French (the past tense). They have about 30 minutes on most weekdays and an hour at the weekend.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Maths: algebra (red) | Science: electricity (2nd visit) | Maths: algebra (3rd visit) |
| Tue | French: past tense (red) | History: quick quiz (green) | French: past tense (3rd visit) |
| Wed | Science: electricity (red) | Maths: algebra (2nd visit) | Mixed quiz on all reds |
| Thu | Geography: rivers (amber) | French: past tense (2nd visit) | Science: electricity (3rd visit) |
| Fri | Free | Free | Pack bag, early night |
| Weekend | English practice question; history timeline | Geography: rivers (2nd visit); past paper questions | Light review only |
Each red topic gets three visits, roughly a week apart. Greens get a quick check, and Fridays stay free. It fits into about 30 minutes a day and does far more than six hours the weekend before. As exams approach and past papers become useful, use them in later visits; our guide to using past papers properly explains how to mark them and act on the results.
When it isn't working
"I made a timetable and never followed it." It was probably too full. Start with three blocks a day and add more once the habit holds.
"I don't know where to start." With the subject whose exam comes first, and a red topic in it.
"I keep getting distracted." Phone in another room for each block. If you need it for an app, use a focus or do-not-disturb mode.
"I'm exhausted." Sleep is part of revision. Memory consolidation happens partly during sleep, and a tired brain learns badly. Protect bedtime, especially in the week before exams.
For parents
Your role is support, not supervision: a quiet space, regular meals, lifts to revision sessions, fewer household jobs in exam weeks. "How's the plan going?" works better than "Have you revised?" The homework habit from earlier years is the foundation here; if it has slipped, our guide to homework routines is a useful reset.
Try it: build week one tonight. Take twenty minutes. List every subject and topic with a traffic light. Block out fixed commitments for the next seven days. Fill the free slots with red topics first, one per block, and leave one evening free. Plan week two on Sunday, once you have seen how week one went.
Sources and further reading
- Downloadable materials (The Learning Scientists) – free guides to spaced practice, retrieval practice and interleaving for students.
- Exam stress (YoungMinds) – advice for young people on realistic revision plans, breaks and sleep.
- Joint Council for Qualifications – the body that coordinates exam arrangements for the main boards, including key dates and timetables.
