One focus per day, building to a timed run. Work it in order.
Ranked from analysed past papers. Start at the top: if you run out of time, you will have covered the most-tested ground.
Higher tier only. A high-frequency multi-step topic: simplifying, then all four operations over a common denominator, often the largest single algebra question on the paper
Very high frequency for solving quadratics that will not factorise. Edexcel gives you the formula, but you must substitute a, b, c correctly and simplify surds in the answer
Higher tier only. Used to find the turning point of a quadratic graph without plotting it, and to solve quadratics in an alternative exact form
A reliable geometry topic worth 3-5 marks. Fractional and negative scale factors are the Higher-tier trap: the shape shrinks or flips through the centre of enlargement
A high-frequency topic across every series. Interior angle sum is (n-2) x 180 degrees, exterior angles always sum to 360 degrees, know both formulae cold
Higher tier only. Perpendicular lines have gradients that multiply to give -1 (the negative reciprocal), a fact examiners test directly and within longer graph questions
Compound growth and decay problems (population growth, depreciation) using the multiplier method, tested most series in a real-world context
A skill tested both on its own and buried inside longer problems. Practise rearranging formulae where the subject appears more than once
PrepWise has a one-page Knowledge Organiser for every topic above. In the final 3 days, use them the same way each time: cover the page, try to recall the method and a worked example from memory, check what you missed, then repeat the next day.
Rules specific to Paper 3. On this paper, structure earns as many marks as knowledge.
If you know a topic tripped you up on Paper 1 or 2, it is worth an extra 10 minutes of practice this evening. Paper 3 samples the whole spec again, weak topics get a second chance to cost you marks or earn them back.
Write b squared, then minus 4ac, then the square root, then the two answers, as separate lines. Doing it all in one calculator button-mash is where sign errors creep in on a 3 or 4-mark question.
An enlargement answer needs both a correctly drawn shape AND a stated scale factor and centre for full marks. Missing the written statement loses marks even with a perfect drawing.
Keep the full calculator display between steps in multi-step problems and only round your final answer to the accuracy asked for. This matters even more on a final paper where fatigue makes early rounding tempting.
A 5-mark algebraic fractions question needs roughly 5 distinct steps of working. If you have written one line and reached an answer, you have almost certainly missed something. Go back and check.
The errors examiners see most on this paper. Each one is an easy mark you already know how to keep.
Forgetting the negative sign when finding a perpendicular gradient → If a line has gradient m, a perpendicular line has gradient -1/m. Flip the fraction AND change the sign, both steps are needed
Enlarging by a fractional scale factor as if it were a normal enlargement (making the shape bigger instead of smaller) → A scale factor between 0 and 1 shrinks the shape. A negative scale factor flips it through the centre of enlargement. Sketch what should happen before you draw
Finding a common denominator incorrectly when adding or subtracting algebraic fractions → Multiply the two denominators together to find a common denominator, just as with numerical fractions, then adjust each numerator to match
Substituting values into the quadratic formula with sign errors, especially when b or c is negative → Write out b squared, minus 4ac, and the square root as separate lines rather than doing the whole calculation in one go on your calculator
Using the wrong angle sum for interior or exterior angles of a polygon → Exterior angles of any polygon always sum to 360 degrees. Interior angles sum to (n-2) x 180 degrees, where n is the number of sides. Learn both formulae separately
The 60 minutes before you walk in. Review what you know and settle your nerves.
You do not revise maths by reading it. Work exam-style questions in PrepWise, get them marked instantly, and see exactly which topics still cost you marks.
Open the Maths Knowledge Organisers, quiz every priority topic and walk in ready. Free during alpha.
Get started with your personalised revision