An exam revision timetable that counts down to every paper
The exam dates are out and the revision list looks endless. This prompt has your todo.is agent work backwards from each paper, split every subject into topics you rate red, amber or green, schedule past papers in the final two weeks and keep the day before each exam light. You get an Excel countdown and a short message each morning.
The prompt
- Make me an exam revision timetable. My exams are [EXAM TIMETABLE]. For each subject, here are the topics and how confident I feel (red, amber, green): [TOPICS AND CONFIDENCE]. I can revise [HOURS PER DAY] on school days and more at weekends, and I am not free [UNAVAILABLE TIMES]. Count back from each exam: first pass through red topics, then amber, then timed past papers in the last 2 weeks before each paper. Leave the evening before every exam for light review only, and keep one half-day off each week. Give me an Excel file with a day-by-day calendar, a topic checklist tab with my red/amber/green ratings, and a past-paper log for marks. Email it to me, and every morning at [REMINDER TIME] send me today's topics on WhatsApp.
What to change
- [EXAM TIMETABLE]: Each paper with date and time, e.g. "Maths Paper 1 May 14 am, Chemistry Paper 1 May 16 pm". Or attach a photo of your exam timetable.
- [TOPICS AND CONFIDENCE]: E.g. "Chemistry: moles red, bonding green, rates amber". Or attach your syllabus or specification and rate topics later.
- [HOURS PER DAY]: E.g. "2 hours". Start smaller than you think; you can raise it.
- [UNAVAILABLE TIMES]: E.g. "Tuesdays after 6 pm (work), Sunday mornings".
- [REMINDER TIME]: E.g. "7:30". Or say Telegram instead of WhatsApp.
Example result
- Revision countdown: 38 days to the last paper
- Exams: Maths P1 (May 14), Chemistry P1 (May 16), English Lit (May 19), Maths P2 (May 21), Biology (May 23) · 2 h on school days, 4 h at weekends
- Phase 1, weeks 1–2: fix the red topics
- • Mon: Chemistry, moles and calculations (45 min) · Maths, vectors (45 min)
- • Tue: Biology, inheritance (45 min) · quick recall quiz on Monday's topics (20 min)
- • Wed: Maths, circle theorems (45 min) · English Lit, Macbeth key quotes (45 min)
- • Sat: one untimed past paper section per weak subject, then mark it with the mark scheme
- Phase 2, weeks 3–4: amber topics and mixed practice
- • Mix two subjects per session so you practise switching
- • Re-test every red topic once; move it to amber or green in the checklist
- Phase 3, final 2 weeks before each paper: timed past papers
- • May 1: Maths P1 2023, timed, then log your mark
- • May 3: Chemistry P1 2022, timed
- • May 6: Maths P1 2022 + review every lost mark
- • May 13: light review of formula sheet only, early night
- Topic checklist (sample)
- • Chemistry: moles red, rates amber, bonding green
- • Maths: vectors red, quadratics green, probability amber
- Rules built in
- • Evening before each exam: 30 minutes of flashcards, nothing new
- • Saturday afternoons off
- • Any missed session moves to the next free slot, not stacked on one day
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your exam dates, topics and free time. A photo of your exam timetable works too.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Download the Excel countdown and keep the topic checklist updated as topics turn green.
- Tell your agent "I missed today" or "moles is now green" and it reshuffles the remaining days.
Tips for a better result
- Rate topics honestly. The timetable only works if red really means "I could not answer a question on this".
- Past papers under timed conditions are the best final-stage practice; mark them strictly with the official mark scheme.
- Put the hardest subject in the time of day you focus best, not at the end of the evening.
- Ask your agent for a 10-question recall quiz on yesterday's topics with your morning message.
exam revision timetable: FAQ
- How far in advance should I start an exam revision timetable? Six to eight weeks before the first paper works for most school and university exams. With less time, focus on red topics and past papers and drop the rest.
- How many hours a day should I revise? Two to four focused hours on school days and up to five or six on free days is plenty for most students. Short sessions with breaks beat long, tired ones.
- What if two exams are on the same day or back to back? The agent front-loads both subjects earlier and keeps the days before them for light review of both. Say which paper worries you more and it gets more of the late slots.
- How is this different from a normal study timetable? A study timetable is a steady weekly routine. A revision timetable counts down to fixed exam dates, rates topics, and shifts to timed past papers near each paper.
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