Exam Countdown and Revision Tracker

Who this is for

Every paper, with the days ticking down and the topics behind it. The first table holds each exam, its date and how many days are left; the second breaks the subjects into topics you tick as they are revised and tested.

Students sitting several papers in one season, and anyone revising alone who wants the dates and the coverage on the same page instead of in their head.

What this helps you track

• Each paper, module or unit with the date and time you were given
• How many days are left before each one
• Topics revised and topics tested, subject by subject
• How many past papers you have worked through for each subject

How to use it

1. Write your name and the exam season at the top.
2. Add a row for each paper: the subject, the board, module or unit exactly as it appears on your own timetable, the date and the time.
3. The days-to-go column counts from today in the browser version and the workbook; on paper, write the number in and update it when you reprint.
4. List the topics for each subject in the second table, in whatever order your syllabus or notes set them out.
5. Tick a topic when you have revised it, and tick 'tested' only when you have answered questions on it without the notes in front of you.
6. Keep the past papers column up to date — it is the plainest measure of what you have actually practised.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Where do the topics come from?

Your own syllabus, specification, module handbook or notes. We do not print a topic list because they differ by subject, level and country, and they change.

What is the difference between revised and tested?

Revised means you have been through it. Tested means you have answered questions on it and seen how that went. The gap between the two columns is usually the useful part.

Does the sheet say how many past papers to do?

No. It counts the ones you have done. How many are available, and how many are worth doing, depends on your subject and what your teachers advise.

The days-to-go figure is wrong on my printout.

It was worked out on the day the sheet was filled in or printed. Reprint the browser version when you want it refreshed, or update the column by hand.

Can I use it for one exam only?

Yes. Use a single row in the first table and give the whole topic list to that subject; the countdown works the same way.