Last-Minute IGCSE Chemistry Revision Checklist

You have 48 hours before your IGCSE Chemistry exam. This is not the time to learn new content. This is the time to consolidate what you know, refresh what might slip under pressure, and prepare practically. Work through this checklist in order.

48 hours before: review, do not cram

Review your error log

If you kept an error log during past-paper practice, read through it now. Focus on the errors that appeared more than twice. These are the mistakes most likely to recur under exam pressure.

If you did not keep an error log, think back to your most recent past papers and recall the marks you lost. Write down the top five errors and read them again tomorrow.

Flashcard sprint: memory content

Spend 30 minutes on flashcard review for the following (these appear on every paper):

Qualitative analysis:

• Flame test colours: Li (crimson/red), Na (yellow), K (lilac), Ca (orange-red), Cu (blue-green).
• Cation tests with NaOH: Cu2+ (blue precipitate), Fe2+ (green precipitate), Fe3+ (red-brown precipitate), Al3+ (white precipitate, dissolves in excess), Ca2+ (white precipitate), Zn2+ (white precipitate, dissolves in excess).
• Anion tests: carbonate (acid, fizzes, limewater goes milky), sulfate (BaCl2 + HCl, white precipitate), chloride (AgNO3 + HNO3, white precipitate), bromide (AgNO3, cream precipitate), iodide (AgNO3, yellow precipitate).
• Gas tests: hydrogen (burning splint, squeaky pop), oxygen (glowing splint, relights), carbon dioxide (limewater, milky), chlorine (damp litmus, bleaches), ammonia (damp red litmus, turns blue).

Reactivity series: K Na Ca Mg Al (C) Zn Fe (H) Cu Ag Au.

Organic chemistry: General formulae, first four members of each series, functional groups.

Review key equations

Write out these equations from memory, then check:

• Neutralisation: acid + base -> salt + water
• Acid + carbonate -> salt + water + CO2
• Metal + acid -> salt + hydrogen
• Combustion: hydrocarbon + O2 -> CO2 + H2O
• Thermal decomposition of a carbonate
• Electrolysis half-equations for aqueous NaCl and molten PbBr2

If any are wrong, correct them and write them again.

24 hours before: light review and preparation

Command words (10 minutes)

Re-read the meaning of each command word. The full list is in command words. Focus on:

• Describe = what happens (observations, steps).
• Explain = why it happens (reasoning, particles, electrons).
• Compare = similarities and differences, paired statements.
• Suggest = give a reasonable answer, not a memorised one.
• Deduce = work out from information given.
• State = short, direct answer, no explanation needed.

Calculation method (10 minutes)

Write out the mole calculation method once:

1. Write the balanced equation.
2. Find moles of the known substance (mass/Mr, or concentration x volume, or volume/24).
3. Use the mole ratio.
4. Convert moles to the required quantity.

Check: can you convert cm3 to dm3? (Divide by 1000.) Can you calculate Mr from Ar values?

Paper 6 skills (10 minutes)

If you have Paper 6, review:

• How to draw a results table (independent variable first column, dependent variable second, units in headers, not in cells).
• How to draw a graph (axes labelled with units, sensible scale, points as crosses, line of best fit, anomalies identified).
• How to identify sources of error and suggest improvements.

Practical preparation

Lay out everything you need for tomorrow:

• Black pen (and a spare).
• Pencil (sharp) and eraser.
• Ruler (for graphs and diagrams).
• Scientific calculator with fresh batteries.
• Clear water bottle.
• Watch or clock (if phones are not allowed in the exam hall).

The morning of the exam

• Eat breakfast. Your brain uses glucose; skipping breakfast impairs concentration.
• Arrive 30 minutes early. Rushing increases anxiety.
• Do not discuss chemistry with friends outside the exam hall. Hearing someone mention a topic you feel weak on creates unnecessary panic. You know what you know.
• If you have 10 minutes to spare, glance at your error log one more time — the top 3 errors only.

What NOT to do

• Do not learn a new topic. If you have not studied environmental chemistry by now, 48 hours is not enough to learn and retain it. Spend the time strengthening topics you already know.
• Do not do a full past paper. A bad result the day before the exam damages confidence without improving performance.
• Do not stay up late revising. Sleep is when your brain consolidates memory. A well-rested student with 80% knowledge outperforms an exhausted student with 85% knowledge.
• Do not change your revision method. If you have been using flashcards, keep using flashcards. Switching to a new technique now wastes time learning the technique instead of the content.

The checklist summary

• Read through error log.
• Flashcard sprint: ion tests, gas tests, reactivity series, organic table.
• Write out key equations from memory and check.
• Review command words.
• Write out mole calculation method once.
• Review Paper 6 table and graph rules (if applicable).
• Prepare exam equipment.
• Get a full night of sleep.
• Eat breakfast.
• Arrive 30 minutes early.

More detail on the night before is in what to do the night before the chemistry exam. If this checklist reveals a major gap that cannot be fixed alone, a single focused session can still help — our trial lesson exists for exactly this purpose.