Check what your school’s mocks will assess
There is no national GCSE mock timetable. Your school decides the dates, coverage and paper choices. Ask which taught topics are included, what format to expect and which board, tier or route applies. A summer board timetable cannot supply your mock dates.
Keep the school’s instructions with your plan. A mock may use selected questions, adapted material or a full paper; do not guess the content from a discussion online. Use the revision resources your teacher recommends and respect restrictions on secure papers.
Choose tasks from feedback you already have
Start with classwork, homework or a marked assessment. Pick a small number of specific gaps rather than giving every subject a vague ‘revise’ slot. A topic you have not yet been taught needs a different conversation from a familiar topic you cannot retrieve.
For an already taught Biology process, try explaining it from memory, then check the sequence. For a Maths method, attempt a fresh example and identify the first step that fails. For English Literature, plan a response and explain how the evidence supports the argument. These are illustrative task types, not questions taken from a real mock paper.
A complete two-week mock-revision example
Imagine three school-set mocks begin after the second week. This fictional student has 200 focused minutes each week outside assigned homework. The table uses five sessions: 40 + 35 + 40 + 35 + 50 = 200 minutes. Breaks need separate time. Subject names and task choices are examples, not a recommendation that everyone study only these subjects.
In week one, use feedback to find and correct gaps. In week two, revisit those gaps and add appropriately bounded practice. Obtain the paper and mark scheme before a practice slot begins; include checking within the time budget. If your school advises different priorities, change the tasks rather than defending the example timetable.
| Day / focused time | Week one | Week two |
|---|---|---|
| Monday — 40 min | Maths: attempt a weak method; check each step | Maths: retry a different example; note remaining errors |
| Tuesday — 35 min | Biology: recall a taught process; correct missing links | Biology: recall again, then check a short practice task |
| Thursday — 40 min | English Literature: plan an argument with evidence | English Literature: write a bounded paragraph; review reasoning |
| Saturday — 35 min | Maths: practise one recurring error from marked work | Biology: revisit a gap identified on Tuesday |
| Sunday — 50 min | English 25 min; review and plan 25 min | Maths 25 min; review and prepare materials 25 min |
| Weekly total | 200 focused minutes | 200 focused minutes |
What if an evening disappears?
If Thursday’s 40-minute session is lost, the original week no longer fits. One honest response is a 160-minute week: keep the other sessions and move the English task into the next plan. Another is to use 20 minutes of Sunday’s review block for a smaller English plan, leaving five minutes to choose next week’s first tasks. Neither option requires pretending the missed 40 minutes happened.
Choose based on the school’s mock sequence and your existing feedback. Do not remove every break or push the work into late nights to preserve a tidy grid. If several tasks keep slipping, reduce the number or size of the tasks and discuss subject priorities with your teacher.
Use a mock-feedback template when work is returned
Keep the marked paper and any teacher comments. Record one error you can explain, one correction and a fresh task that checks it. The examples below show the format; the last row can be copied into a notebook or document. If the marking is unclear, write down a specific question for your teacher.
A mock score is a piece of assessment feedback, not a fixed description of your ability or a guarantee of a final grade. Distinguish a knowledge gap, a method problem and a timing issue before choosing the next action. Avoid copying a whole mark scheme into the log without deciding what to do differently.
| Paper / question | What happened | Correction / feedback | Next task | Retry date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Maths Q6 | Applied a method before checking the units | Use consistent units first | Three conversions, then a different calculation | Choose a later session |
| Example: English paragraph 2 | Listed evidence without explaining its relevance | Connect the evidence to the argument | Rewrite one paragraph and ask for feedback | After teacher feedback |
| Your paper / question | Your specific gap | What needs to change | One task you can begin | Your date |
Turn the feedback into next week’s first session
Make the next task small enough to start without another planning session. For example, use a 25-minute block to recall a method for five minutes, attempt a fresh task for ten, check it for five and explain the correction for five. A later attempt can show whether the correction transfers.
Use the free timetable builder to allocate time, then write these tasks into its downloaded plan. The builder rotates subjects evenly; it does not read your mock marks or decide which paper matters most. Pace’s app organises revision effort, while your school supplies assessment feedback and the subject materials.
Practical answers
Questions before you start
When are Year 11 mock exams?
Your school sets its own mock timetable. Ask for the dates and assessed content; there is no single UK mock-exam calendar.
Is two weeks enough to revise for mocks?
Two weeks is the illustrative planning window on this page, not a universal preparation requirement. Start from your current knowledge, school instructions and available time, and choose the most useful work you can repeat.
Sources & checking
Primary sources checked on . Examples are illustrative. Confirm assessment arrangements with your centre; linked documents may be updated.