May/June IGCSE Chemistry Exam Preparation Timeline
A month-by-month preparation timeline for the May/June IGCSE Chemistry 0620 exam series, from January to exam day.
Published by IGCSEChemistry.com.my
Chemistry teaching team: K. S. Tan (15+ years teaching IGCSE Chemistry) and Ms Yash (10+ years teaching IGCSE Chemistry) and Ms Kartini (15+ years teaching IGCSE Chemistry).
Mapped to Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 (2026–2028). Last updated 2026-08-19.
The May/June exam series is the main sitting for most IGCSE Chemistry candidates worldwide. Schools typically finish teaching the syllabus between January and March, leaving a narrow window for revision. This timeline turns that window into a structured plan. The detailed 8-week revision plan is in revision plan; this guide gives the broader timeline from January to exam day.
January: assess and plan
Diagnostic week (first week of January)
Sit one full past paper under timed conditions: Paper 2 (45 minutes), Paper 4 (1 hour 15 minutes). Mark both against the real mark scheme. Do not start revising yet; you need data first.
Sort your lost marks by topic. You will likely find 2-3 topics where most marks are being lost. These are your priority topics for the next three months.
January plan
- Continue learning new content if your school has not finished the syllabus.
- Begin flashcard decks for memory-heavy content: ion tests, gas tests, reactivity series, organic reactions.
- Spend 30 minutes per day on active recall for your priority weak topics.
- Start your error log: a notebook or spreadsheet tracking every lost mark by topic and error type.
February: strengthen weak areas
By February, the syllabus should be nearly complete. Shift the balance from learning to practising.
Weekly structure
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday-Tuesday | Active recall and practice questions on weak topic 1 |
| Wednesday-Thursday | Active recall and practice questions on weak topic 2 |
| Friday | Flashcard review (20 min) + rest |
| Saturday | Timed past-paper section (one paper, full conditions) |
| Sunday | Mark Saturday’s paper, update error log, plan next week |
February targets
- Complete topic-by-topic past paper questions for your three weakest topics.
- Build and maintain flashcard decks with spaced repetition (Anki or paper cards).
- Sit at least 2 full timed papers this month.
- Identify whether calculation technique or content knowledge is causing more mark loss.
If calculations are the issue, focus on the method in mole calculations technique. If content recall is the issue, increase flashcard time.
March: full past-paper mode
March is when revision intensity increases. The syllabus should be finished, and revision takes priority.
Weekly structure
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Timed Paper 2 (MCQ) + marking |
| Tuesday | Weak topic drill based on Monday’s errors |
| Wednesday | Timed Paper 4 (theory) section or full paper |
| Thursday | Mark Paper 4, error log, re-do failed questions |
| Friday | Paper 6 practice (one full paper or planning question set) |
| Saturday | Timed full Paper 4 under exam conditions |
| Sunday | Review week, flashcards, rest |
March targets
- Complete 4 full timed papers this month.
- Reduce your error log repeats: the same errors should appear less often.
- Focus Paper 6 practice on tables, graphs and error analysis (see Paper 6 guide).
- If a topic is still causing consistent losses after three weeks of focused work, consider getting help. A trial lesson at this point still leaves time to close the gap before the exam.
April: peak revision
April is the final stretch. The exams may start in late April or early May depending on the timetable.
First two weeks of April
- Sit the most recent available past papers (the ones you saved).
- Focus on exam technique, not new content. If you do not know it by now, the return on learning it fresh is low compared to perfecting what you already know.
- Drill your top 5 error types from the error log.
- Do one Paper 6 per week under timed conditions.
Final week before exams
- Review your error log: read through every entry one more time.
- Do flashcard review for 15 minutes per day.
- No new past papers in the last 3 days. You are consolidating, not cramming.
- Read what to do the night before.
- Prepare your exam equipment: calculator, pencils, ruler, eraser.
Exam day checklist
- Arrive 30 minutes early.
- Read every question fully before writing.
- Allocate roughly 1 minute per mark (Paper 4: 80 marks in 75 minutes).
- Show all working in calculations.
- Check that you have answered every question.
- If you finish early, re-read your answers, checking units, state symbols and command word compliance.
What if you are running behind
If it is March and you have not started serious revision:
- Do not panic. Six weeks of focused revision is still effective.
- Prioritise the highest-mark topics: stoichiometry, acids and bases, organic chemistry, periodic table.
- Do past papers immediately, even if you feel unprepared. The papers reveal exactly what you need to learn.
- Follow the 8-week revision plan compressed into 6 weeks: cut the first two weeks and start at full intensity.
The May/June series rewards consistent preparation, not last-minute cramming. Start in January, and by exam day the content will feel familiar, the question types predictable, and the time pressure manageable.