How to Revise for IGCSE Maths in 4 Weeks
Sir Faraz Hassan
12 Apr 2026
Four weeks sounds like nothing — but it is exactly enough time to transform your IGCSE Maths grade if you use every day strategically. This is not a vague “revise topics and do past papers” guide. This is a precise, day-by-day plan that I have used with hundreds of students sitting both Pearson Edexcel (4MA1) and Cambridge (0580) — and it works. Whether you are aiming for an A*/Grade 9 or trying to secure a solid B/Grade 7, the structure is the same. Only the intensity changes. Print this page, pin it above your desk, and follow it daily.
28
days to transform your grade
2-3hrs
daily revision needed
12+
past papers you will complete
Before You Start: The Diagnostic Day
Day zero is not revision — it is reconnaissance. Before you revise a single topic, you need to know exactly where you stand. Take one full past paper under timed conditions: no notes, no phone, and only a calculator if the paper permits it. Cambridge 0580 Extended students should start with Paper 4 (calculator) to get a broad diagnostic; Edexcel 4MA1 students can use either paper. Mark it honestly using the official mark scheme. This single paper tells you everything you need to know: your strong topics, your weak topics, your timing under pressure, and whether your marks are being lost to knowledge gaps or technique errors.
Week 1: Foundation Repair (Days 1–7)
Week 1 is entirely about your RED topics — the ones where you scored below 50%. These are knowledge gaps, not revision gaps. You cannot revise what you never properly learnt. For each RED topic, follow this sequence: watch or read a focused explanation (your teacher, a trusted resource, your textbook), work through three to five worked examples to understand the method, then attempt ten practice questions independently. If you can get seven out of ten correct, the topic moves to AMBER. If not, you need more teaching time on that topic before moving forward.
Days 1–2: Algebra gaps
Simultaneous equations, the quadratic formula, rearranging formulae with the subject in more than one term, algebraic fractions, and completing the square. These topics appear on every paper and are typically worth 15 to 20 marks combined. If algebra is RED, this is your single most important fix.
Days 3–4: Geometry and trigonometry gaps
Circle theorems (including the alternate segment theorem), trigonometry beyond SOHCAHTOA (sine rule, cosine rule, area of a triangle using ½ab sin C), Pythagoras in three dimensions, similar shapes and their area/volume scale factors, and vectors. Cambridge 0580 students should note that these topics dominate Paper 4. Edexcel 4MA1 students will see multi-step geometry in the final third of each paper.
Days 5–6: Number and proportion gaps
Percentage change and reverse percentages, compound interest and depreciation, ratio division, direct and inverse proportion, and standard form calculations. These are often considered accessible marks, but students lose them consistently through method errors. Nail the procedure for each type and you protect a reliable source of marks on every paper.
Day 7: Review and reclassify
Revisit every RED topic from the week. Attempt three fresh questions on each — different questions from those you practised earlier. Reclassify honestly: how many topics moved to AMBER? How many are still RED? Topics that remain RED need dedicated attention in Week 2 alongside your AMBER work.
Week 2: AMBER Attack (Days 8–14)
Week 2 targets your AMBER topics — concepts you understand but cannot execute reliably under pressure. The fix is not more teaching; it is targeted, timed practice using real exam questions. For each AMBER topic, work through fifteen to twenty exam-style questions drawn from past papers — not textbook exercises, which are often too structured. Time yourself strictly. Mark every set immediately. Identify whether your errors are conceptual (wrong method) or careless (right method, wrong execution). Conceptual errors need re-teaching. Careless errors need slower, more deliberate working.
Daily structure: The 2-hour block
Split each day into three forty-minute blocks with ten-minute breaks between them. Block 1: AMBER topic practice — fifteen questions, timed, from past papers. Block 2: RED topic review — five questions on each topic that remains RED from Week 1. Block 3: one section from a real past paper under timed conditions — thirty minutes of continuous exam practice. This rotation prevents burnout, ensures balanced coverage, and builds exam stamina gradually.
The error journal
Buy a small notebook and dedicate it entirely to mistakes. Every time you get a question wrong, write three things: the topic name, exactly what you did wrong, and the correct method in your own words. By the end of Week 3, this notebook becomes your most powerful revision tool — it is a personalised guide to every error you make. Review it for fifteen minutes before bed each night. Your brain consolidates the corrections while you sleep.
Timed topic tests
At the end of Week 2, test each AMBER topic one final time. Five questions, fifteen minutes, strict timing. If you score four or five out of five, the topic is now GREEN. If you score three, it stays AMBER and receives more practice in Week 3. If you score below three, reclassify it as RED — you need to go back to the teaching stage before more practice helps.
Week 3: Past Paper Phase (Days 15–21)
By Week 3, most of your topics should be AMBER or GREEN. Now it is time to practise under real exam conditions. This week you will complete six to eight full past papers — roughly one per day, timed, marked, and analysed. This is where exam technique crystallises. You will learn time management, question selection, and how to maximise marks even when you are unsure of a method.
| Day | Paper | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Day 15 | Full paper (your board) | Baseline timed attempt — record your score |
| Day 16 | Mark + analyse Day 15 | Update error journal, identify remaining gaps |
| Day 17 | Full paper (your board) | Focus on time management — 1 mark per minute |
| Day 18 | Paper from the other board | Edexcel students try Cambridge; Cambridge try Edexcel — same content, different angles |
| Day 19 | Full paper (your board) | Target: improve on Day 15 score by 10% |
| Day 20 | Weak topic sections only | Cherry-pick questions from remaining AMBER topics |
| Day 21 | Full paper set under exam conditions | Cambridge: Paper 2 + Paper 4 back to back. Edexcel: both papers with a real break between |
Week 4: Exam Simulation and Fine-Tuning (Days 22–28)
The final week is about sharpening, not learning. No new topics. No panic revision. Your job this week is to simulate the exam experience so accurately that the real thing feels completely familiar. You should also reduce your revision intensity slightly — cramming to exhaustion the night before an exam is proven to reduce performance. Trust the three weeks of work you have already put in.
Days 22–23: Final full paper set
Complete one more full paper set under strict exam conditions. Aim for your highest score yet. Mark it, analyse it, and update your error journal one final time. This paper is your benchmark — compare it to your diagnostic on Day 0.
Days 24–25: Error journal review
Re-attempt every question from your error journal. Not from memory — from scratch, as if you are seeing them for the first time. How many can you now solve correctly? This tells you exactly how much you have improved over four weeks. Celebrate the progress.
Day 26: Light topic sweep
Spend one hour going through GREEN topics with quick-fire questions — three per topic. This is pure maintenance: keeping familiar content fresh without any pressure or timing.
Day 27: Formula and method review
Review all formulae you need to memorise: the quadratic formula, area of a trapezium, surface area and volume of cones and spheres, compound interest formula, sine and cosine rules, and trigonometric ratios. Write each one from memory, check against your notes, and repeat until you can produce them all perfectly.
Day 28: Rest and prepare
Light revision only — thirty minutes maximum. Pack your exam bag: calculator with fresh batteries, ruler, protractor, compass, pencils, eraser, black pen, water bottle. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. You are ready.
Your Daily Revision Schedule
Consistency beats intensity. Here is the daily structure that works for every student I have coached through this plan.
| Time Block | Duration | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | 40 minutes | Topic practice (RED/AMBER focus) |
| Break | 10 minutes | Walk, water, no screens |
| Block 2 | 40 minutes | Past paper section or full paper |
| Break | 10 minutes | Snack, fresh air |
| Block 3 | 40 minutes | Mark, analyse, error journal |
| Evening | 15 minutes | Error journal review before bed |
4-Week Revision Checklist
- I have completed a diagnostic past paper and categorised topics into RED/AMBER/GREEN
- I have a written list of my RED topics pinned above my desk
- I have an error journal that I update after every paper
- I complete at least one past paper section every day from Week 2 onwards
- I mark every paper immediately and in a different colour
- Cambridge students: I practise non-calculator skills for 20 minutes daily
- I revise in 40-minute blocks with 10-minute breaks
- I have completed 12+ past papers by the end of Week 3
- I can write all required formulae from memory
- I am sleeping 7–8 hours per night in Week 4
Four weeks is not a lot of time, but it is enough. I have watched students jump from a Grade 5 to a Grade 7, and from a Grade 7 to a 9, in exactly 28 days. The students who succeed are not the ones who revise the longest — they are the ones who revise the smartest.
Sir Faraz Hassan — GCSE & IGCSE Maths Specialist
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