IHETC School
Preparing for an exam with the time you have
The time before the exam is finite, and it is what drives the plan. Every hour therefore goes to the topics that earn the most marks, in the order in which they earn them.
The four stages of preparation
- 01
Diagnosis
What is secure, what is fragile, what remains to cover. By name, topic by topic, in writing.
- 02
Prioritisation
Whatever earns the most marks in the time available comes first, and the plan says so plainly.
- 03
Exam technique
Reading the paper, order of attack, expected presentation. The cheapest marks on the calendar.
- 04
Practice under conditions
Full papers, timed, marked against the scheme. A trained candidate enters familiar territory.
What we commit to
Our commitment covers what can be verified session after session, and it comes down to four points. A written diagnosis, handed to the family, naming the topics one by one. A plan set against the number of weeks actually available. Exam technique worked from the first session, because it is the highest-yield item on the calendar. And a frank view on when a preparation is best started, given before any commitment rather than after. Those are the four things you can hold us to.
- A written diagnosis, topic by topic, handed to the family
- A plan set against the weeks actually available
- Exam technique worked from the first session
- A frank view on the best moment to start
What the available time governs
| Time before the paper | What the plan covers | What is targeted |
|---|---|---|
| Three months | Fragile topics, exam technique, full papers | Substantive work, subject by subject |
| Six weeks | Two or three targeted topics plus method | The best return per hour worked |
| Three weeks | Exam technique, order of attack, timing | The most accessible marks on the paper |
| The final week | Timed papers and short review | Entering the exam on familiar ground |
Common questions before an exam
How long before should we start?
Three months allow substantive work; six weeks still produce a clear gain, concentrated on method. Under three weeks, preparation covers exam technique and time management, which remain the highest-yield items. The tutor states this framing in the first session, so the plan matches the real time rather than an ideal.
My child panics in assessments.
Timed practice under real conditions is the main lever: a paper that has become familiar is handled far more calmly. The tutor also works on the order of attack — starting with what is mastered builds confidence for the rest — and on splitting the time into three announced blocks, which gives a bearing during the paper.
Can several subjects be prepared at once?
Yes, and it is in fact the rule: the plan allocates weeks between subjects by payoff, not in equal shares. Two fragile subjects take most of the time, the others get short maintenance sessions. That allocation is written into the plan, and it is reviewed at the halfway point.