How to Revise for IGCSE Mocks in Two Weeks (or Six Days)

PapaMarks Team · November 10, 2026 · 7 min read

#IGCSE #Mock exams #Revision #Past papers #Exam technique

To revise for IGCSE mocks in a short time, stop trying to cover everything. Spend most of your time on past-paper questions from the most-tested topics, mark them strictly against the mark scheme, and learn the definitions that come up every year. Two weeks can move a grade. Six days can stop you losing easy marks.

Short version

Your school writes the mock, usually from past papers, so past-paper questions are the closest practice you can get.
Rank your subjects by how far you are from your target grade, then give the most time to the biggest gap.
In each subject, start with the most-tested topics and the questions you can learn in one sitting, such as definitions.
After the mock, keep a list of every lost mark and its cause. That list is your plan for the real exams in April to June 2027.

What mocks are, and why they matter more than they look

A mock is a practice exam set by your school, not by Cambridge or Pearson. Many schools hold them between late November and January, and most build them from real past papers or from questions in the same style. That is good news: anything you practise from past papers is practice for the mock itself.

Mocks also carry weight inside your school. Cambridge's deadline for June 2027 entries is in February 2027, so the mock is often the most recent evidence your teacher has when choosing whether to enter you for Core or Extended papers. Many schools also use mock results when they write predicted grades for sixth-form or university applications. If you are on the edge of a tier, a mock is the place to show it.

The real June 2027 exams start on 26 April, with Biology Paper 4 first. The June 2027 timetable has every date.

Step 1: decide where the time goes

Write down each subject, the grade you would get if the mock were tomorrow, and the grade you want. Give the most time to the biggest gaps, and give some time to every subject so nothing collapses. A student at a B in Chemistry and an A* in English gets more out of an extra hour of Chemistry.

Inside each subject, order the topics by two things: how often they are examined, and how quickly you can fix them. Our most-tested lists rank the topics by how many past-paper questions each one has, for Maths 0580, Biology 0610, Chemistry 0620, Physics 0625 and others. Start where the marks are.

Step 2: practise questions, not notes

Rereading notes feels productive, but it gains marks slowly. In a short revision window, the method that works is to answer a question, mark it with the official mark scheme, and fix what you got wrong.

Past papers Practise this on the real papers Every Cambridge and Edexcel paper with its mark scheme, by subject, year and session — or answer one inside PapaMarks and have it marked against the official answer. Browse the past papers →

Pick one topic and do 8 to 15 past-paper questions on it
Do them on paper, without notes. Topic-sorted questions save you hunting through whole papers.
Mark every part against the mark scheme
Give a mark only when your answer has exactly what the scheme asks for, including units and keywords. Our self-marking guide sets out the rules.
Write the cause next to each lost mark
Short tags work: CONTENT, KEYWORD, UNIT, METHOD, MISREAD, TIME.
Fix only the causes, then do the next topic
Learn the missing fact or method, and rewrite one answer in full using the mark scheme's wording.

Definitions are the fastest marks you can bank. In Biology, for example, we read 23 written past-paper questions on diffusion, osmosis and active transport, and 7 of them simply asked for the definition of diffusion. Our guide to diffusion, osmosis and active transport shows the full count. Learn the definitions from the mark scheme and the syllabus, word for word, and test yourself with flashcards. Spaced repetition keeps them in your head until the exam.

A two-week plan

Days 1 to 2
List your subjects, current grades and targets. For each subject, pick its three most-tested topics that you are weakest in.
Days 3 to 9
Two or three topic sessions a day, rotating subjects. Each session follows the four steps above. Spend 15 minutes a day on definitions and formulas.
Days 10 to 12
One timed paper a day in your weakest subjects, using a paper you have not seen. Mark it the same day.
Days 13 to 14
Go back through your lost-mark tags and redo the questions you got wrong. Light review only the night before; our night-before guide covers it.

If your mocks are in six days

You cannot cover a whole course in six days, so don't plan as if you can. Choose the two or three topics per subject that are most tested and least secure, and do only these:

Learn the definitions, formulas and command-word meanings that the mark scheme rewards. Our command words guide is a 20-minute read.
Do topic questions with the mark scheme beside you for those topics only.
Do one timed paper in your weakest subject, to practise pacing.
Sleep. A rested brain recalls more than one that crammed until 2 am.

A mock taken after six good days, with honest marking, still tells you exactly what to fix before April.

After the mock: the part most students skip

When the scripts come back, don't stop at the grade. Go through every lost mark and tag it the same way you did in practice. Then count the tags. If half your lost marks are KEYWORD or UNIT, the fix is exam technique, and it is quick. If most are CONTENT, those topics go first in your January plan.

Ask your teacher which tier they plan to enter you for, and what you would need to show to change it before the February entry deadline. Then use the revision timetable guide to plan the weeks to April.

Practising by topic on PapaMarks. The library has real Cambridge and Edexcel past-paper questions sorted by syllabus topic, each with the official mark scheme. Maths 0580 has instant answer checking, and the sciences run as topic quizzes. Where to find past-paper questions by topic explains what is there.

FAQ

How do I revise for IGCSE mocks in two weeks?

Rank subjects by the gap to your target grade, then spend most sessions on past-paper questions from each subject's most-tested weak topics. Mark every answer with the official mark scheme, tag each lost mark, and finish with timed papers in the last few days.

Are IGCSE mocks harder than the real exam?

Not as a rule. Your school writes the mock, usually from past papers, so the difficulty depends on which papers it chose and how strictly it marks. Some schools mark mocks harshly on purpose. Treat the result as a list of what to fix.

Do IGCSE mock results count towards my final grade?

No. Your final IGCSE grade comes only from the papers you sit with Cambridge or Pearson. Mocks still matter inside school, because teachers often use them for tier decisions before the February 2027 entry deadline and for predicted grades.

How many past papers should I do before mocks?

In a short window, quality beats volume. Fifteen topic questions marked strictly and fixed are worth more than three full papers done quickly. Do one or two timed papers near the end for pacing. Our past-papers guide has fuller numbers.

What should I do if I failed my IGCSE mocks?

Count your lost marks by cause. Exam-technique losses, such as missing units or keywords, are quick to fix. Content gaps need topic practice from January onwards. The first June 2027 paper is not until 26 April 2027, so there is time.

When are IGCSE mocks usually held?

Each school sets its own dates. Many hold mocks between late November and January for students sitting in May and June. Schools entering students for the March series can hold them earlier.

Sources

Cambridge International, Key dates and activities for 2026: monthly calendar (international): June 2027 entry deadlines.
Cambridge International, Cambridge Final Exam Timetable June 2027, Zone 4, version 1, November 2026.
PapaMarks question bank: 0610 diffusion, osmosis and active transport questions, read 10 November 2026.

Put this into practice on real papers

9,164+ past papers, flashcards and an AI tutor for O Level, AS & A2. Free: every past paper and mark scheme, the opening 20% of every subject, and 5 quiz questions a day.

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Diffusion, Osmosis and Active Transport (IGCSE Biology 0610)

IGCSE May/June 2027 Timetable: Exam Dates, Zones and Entry Deadlines

Edexcel International GCSE Maths 4MA1 Topic Questions: How to Practise by Topic