How to Prioritize Topics When You Have 5+ Exams Coming Up
It’s exam season.
You have 5, maybe 7 subjects.
And each one feels urgent.
So where do you start?
Without a strategy, most students fall into panic mode — jumping from topic to topic, never going deep enough to make real progress.
But top scorers do it differently:
They prioritize what matters — based on data, structure, and outcome.
Here’s how to do the same.
1. Start With a Realistic Audit
Don’t begin with your syllabus — begin with yourself.
Ask:
- Which subjects feel the most overwhelming?
- Which exams are earliest?
- Where is your weakest understanding?
📌 The Fix:
Use a simple spreadsheet to rate every subject and major topic:
- ✅ Green = Confident
- 🟡 Amber = Unclear
- 🔴 Red = Struggling
Start with the Red–Amber zones in your first exam subject.
2. Prioritize by Exam Format and Weight
Some exams are longer. Some have more marks at stake.
Some test skills that are harder to "cram."
For example:
- AP Biology FRQs reward application, not recall
- IB Econ Paper 1 tests command term fluency
- A-Level Physics calculations require method accuracy
📌 The Fix:
Sort your priority list by:
- Exam date
- Exam length/difficulty
- Skills tested (recall vs analysis)
3. High-Frequency Topics First
Not all topics appear equally.
Use public past paper data to see:
- Which chapters come up most often
- Which question types dominate
- Which skills are always tested (e.g., evaluation, graphs, structured data)
📌 The Fix:
Use Predict Exam papers or your own past paper analysis to build a “High-Yield Topic List” for each subject.
This ensures you're not wasting time on fringe topics.
4. Use a Rotating Daily System
Trying to revise all subjects every day burns you out.
Instead, rotate:
- 2 subjects per day
- 1 exam skill session (e.g., timed practice)
- 1 light review block (e.g., flashcards)
📌 Example Plan:Day 1: Econ (Essay), Physics (Calculations), Review Chem Flashcards
Day 2: Chem (Data), Bio (FRQs), Review Econ Concepts
This creates variety without chaos.
5. Lock In Strategic Practice Time
Once you’ve built your topic map, spend 80% of time on practice — not note review.
Prioritize:
- Past papers
- Predictive questions
- Exam-timed simulations
- Reviewing markschemes
This helps convert knowledge into marks.
Need a Smarter Shortcut?
Predict Exam helps you:
- Focus on high-frequency topics
- Practice exam-style questions that mirror the real thing
- Use markschemes that reflect how scoring actually works
You don’t need to guess. You need to focus.
We’ve already done the topic analysis for you.
👉 Explore Predictive Papers Now →
Conclusion: More Isn’t Better — Smarter Is
When you have 5+ exams, the biggest mistake is trying to study everything equally.
✅ Prioritize what counts
✅ Rotate your subjects
✅ Practice under pressure
And use the tools that help you stay sharp without burning out.