Flint, Steel, and A*s: My Raw Exam Grind Plan
Back in RAW
Hey everyone,
I hope you’re doing well.
You might have already noticed that I haven’t written a newsletter in quite some time. It’s been more than a minute. Thanks to an awesome chap who reminded me that exams are rolling around and I haven’t shared some of my productivity juice—here I am.
So let’s get to the point. Exams are round the corner. Like, literally. Yet the corner isn’t close enough for you to see it. You just know it’s somewhere near. Maybe you’re tentatively preparing for it, or frantically prepping like someone who’s seen the signs of a storm. Either way, here’s my barebones grinding method. My flint and steel.
How to Ace Your Final Exams 101
1) Make a plan.
I’m pretty sure if you had to revise, you’d know what to do. But how long can you keep it all in your head? As someone once said, “Even though in battle a plan falls apart, to fail to plan is to plan to fail before you even start.” SO PLAN.
The first golden rule for success is to predetermine your tasks, so you don’t waste time each day wondering what to do. That time-wasting leads to either procrastination or guilt from doing nothing—both of which kill your momentum. Make a straightforward, to-do-list-type plan for every single day leading up to your exams. YES. Every. Single. Day. Keep some space for breaks, but if you want to lock in and smash those papers, you’ve got to put the work in, day in and day out. No pain, no gain.
Exams are nicest and easiest when you know your subjects so well that you feel like you’ve already done the paper before. We all want a smooth exam season—at least as close to that as possible. Below, I’ve included my plan. Depending on how much time you’ve got, the workload varies. Since I’ve realized they’re kicking us out after two weeks, I’m making a revised plan with double the tasks. I’ve now got the time I’d usually spend in school—and I may or may not have realized that study leave actually gives me more time than I thought. So, plan every hour of your time. What’s next? And how?
Just to give you an insight into how i’ve done it here is my original overview plan:
And here is my plan in the works now with a tad bit more detail:
2) Intentional revision
This is the time to get to know your exam really well. Like, really well. You want to know the exam and the topics like the back of your hand. Like your partner, really.
So, the only reasonable form of revision? Exam practice. Or exam plans. Unless you’re recapping weak topics, this is the most effective way to revise and sharpen the saw.
Best strat IMO? For each subject:
Do a past paper → then do a session of exam questions on your weak topics → repeat.
Keep doing this until you’ve ironed out every mistake and can walk through those exams like it’s nothing. Worked for my GCSEs and the tactic has aged like fine wine for my A-Levels.
I sometimes get friction when starting papers—partly due to perfectionism (I don’t want to get the question wrong) and partly because I’m stingy with my time (spending two full hours on one paper is a big ask). But JUST DO IT. Often, when I start the paper, my mind locks in. The friction disappears. The perfectionism fades. Whether or not I get it right, I need to know—because I need to fail to get better.
No matter how close or far you are from exams, failure is part of the process. It’s only through failing that we learn and grow. So grind those papers—no matter how well you do—and turn your mistakes into strengths. Seriously, this is the strategy. Your fears should become your strengths.
Be the Batman.
You’ve got to break that mental barrier to starting and get the rhythm going, because what do you have to lose? Just start. If you don’t, you’ll only feel it later.
3) It’s all in the head
Missing a day doesn’t mean it’s over. Sleeping in doesn’t mean you’re cooked. Doing badly on a mock or getting every question wrong on an exam pack doesn’t mean it’s lost.
Your biggest enemy is you.
The biggest component to acing your exams and getting those A*s is your mindset. Without belief, you won’t start revising. Without belief, you won’t push yourself. Without belief, your brain won’t spot the subtle hints in questions that are the key to picking up marks.
Keep going. Never stop. Stay hungry, even when your appetite is low.
Commitment is what carries you through — and commitment, in the end, is what gets you where you need to be.
I did my best for end-of-years in Year 12: got A*A*A, scored an average 4.3/9 on TMUA, and applied to top unis in the UK. Got rejected from Cambridge, Imperial, and Edinburgh. Alhamdulillah, I am grateful that I got Southampton and Aston.
Keep in mind — I’m applying for one of the most competitive courses in the UK (if not the world) right now thanks to AI: Computer Science. Some guys got 4 A*s and still got rejected from all of them. It’s not the end of the world. It never is.
The real goal of A-Levels is to learn your subject inside-out and take passion from it. I’m still aiming for 3 A*s inshallah, both as proof to myself and for possible redemption.
What gets you where you need to be is commitment.
Time and effort reap reward — not brand names.
So go get those grades. I believe in myself, and I believe in you.
In the end, it’s what you do that makes the difference, not the brand of uni you go to.
Gratitude for every word read and every thought shared.
Best wishes,
Ismail
P.S. Stay strong. If anyone needs anything, I’ve got you. Let’s smash this season together.
Keep strong! Plan, time and effort.