Opening Maths Unlocked
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Opening Maths Unlocked
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GCSE MATHS REVISION
Not sure how to organise your GCSE Maths revision? A good revision plan helps you decide what to work on, when to practise and how to revisit topics you have already studied.
Choose a one-week, four-week or twelve-week timetable below. Each plan combines targeted topic practice, mixed questions and opportunities to check your progress.
You can follow the suggested activities or adapt them using your weaker topics and the Foundation or Higher curriculum.
Updated 2 October 2026
A focused plan for students who have an examination approaching and need to make the most of the remaining time. Suggested session length: 20–40 minutes, with breaks as needed.
View 1-week planA balanced programme that combines targeted revision, mixed practice and regular review. Suggested session length: 30–45 minutes.
View 4-week planA longer programme for students who want to rebuild weaker skills, work through the curriculum and gradually introduce more examination practice. Suggested session length: 30–45 minutes.
View 12-week planBefore beginning your timetable, identify the topics you already understand and the ones that need more work. This makes your revision more useful than simply working through topics in a random order.
Use the Maths Unlocked Diagnostic Test to sample important skills and identify broad areas that may need more practice. It samples only part of the curriculum and does not predict a GCSE grade.
Take the diagnosticUse the Foundation or Higher Topics checklist to identify the specific skills you need to revise. Links to both checklists are below.
Foundation topicsStart with topics that you partly understand but cannot yet answer reliably. Then work on unfamiliar skills while continuing to revisit topics you already know. The published Grade 4, 5, 7 and 9 guides offer further priorities.
Higher topicsIf your exam is approaching, focus on improving the skills you already have some understanding of. Avoid trying to learn the entire GCSE curriculum in seven days.
This timetable combines targeted revision, practice and review. Adapt the chosen topics to your own weaknesses.
Suggested resource: Diagnostic Test, followed by the relevant app lesson.
Suggested resource: Maths Unlocked Number lessons.
Suggested resources: Maths Unlocked Algebra and Ratio/Proportion lessons.
Suggested resource: relevant Maths Unlocked Geometry lesson.
Suggested resources: Maths Unlocked Statistics, Probability and available mixed practice.
Use an appropriate GCSE exam-style question selection or past-paper section.
Keep the session manageable if your exam is the following day.
If you have more than one examination paper remaining, adjust this timetable around the dates of your individual papers and continue revisiting weaker areas between them.
Four weeks gives you time to strengthen weaker topics while gradually introducing more mixed and exam-style practice.
Aim for four or five manageable sessions each week, with rest days and flexibility around other commitments.
Begin with core skills.
Weekly objective: Identify your main gaps and begin improving the core skills that support the rest of GCSE Maths.
Add more curriculum areas while revisiting fundamentals.
Weekly objective: Build confidence across more curriculum areas while continuing to revisit the foundations.
Choose methods more independently.
Weekly objective: Move beyond recognising methods and practise choosing the mathematics independently.
Consolidate and check accuracy.
Weekly objective: Consolidate what you know, improve accuracy and practise applying mathematics under examination conditions.
Substitute topics based on your tier, teacher feedback and individual weaknesses.
Twelve weeks gives you more time to address gaps systematically, revisit topics and build towards examination practice.
Aim for approximately four manageable sessions each week. Use the weekly focus below to organise your revision, but adjust the specific topics to match your curriculum and individual needs.
Establish a starting point.
Strengthen calculations.
Build algebraic fluency.
Apply proportional reasoning.
Select content suited to your tier.
Read data and reason about chance.
Connect representations.
Foundation students should select Foundation content; Higher students can include Higher-only content where appropriate.
Choose methods independently.
Practise under timed conditions.
Use your error record.
Keep the final stretch manageable.
The twelve-week plan is a framework rather than a requirement to cover every topic in a particular week. Adapt it to your starting point, examination tier and the feedback you receive during revision.
Here is one practical 30-minute example.
Attempt a few questions from previously studied topics without looking at notes.
Review one weak skill using a lesson or worked example.
Answer questions on that skill without copying the method.
Mark your answers, identify mistakes and decide what needs revisiting.
These timings are only a guide. Longer sessions can include additional practice or a break. Shorter sessions can focus on one or two activities.
Choose revision topics from the Foundation curriculum. Prioritise secure arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratio, algebra and the other skills identified through your assessments and revision checklist. As these become more reliable, build into more demanding Foundation content and mixed problem solving.
Foundation RevisionRevise the complete Higher curriculum, including crossover and Higher-only content. Keep core skills reliable while developing confidence with more demanding algebra, geometry, proportion and mathematical reasoning. Include unfamiliar and multi-step problems as individual skills become more secure.
Higher RevisionRevision plans should help you organise your time, not become another source of pressure.
If you miss a session, do not try to complete several sessions at once. Move the unfinished activity to your next available revision slot, or prioritise the most important part.
Regular, manageable revision is more useful than following an unrealistic timetable for a few days and then abandoning it.
Assess progress through actual mathematical work, not simply by counting hours of revision.
Can you answer questions without using notes or copying an example?
Can you recognise the correct method when the topic is not identified?
Are you making fewer of the same errors when you revisit a skill?
Are more of the skills on your Foundation or Higher checklist becoming secure?
Maths Unlocked breaks GCSE Maths into individual lessons and practice questions. Use the revision timetable to decide what to study, then open the relevant lessons and practise the skills that need attention.
Organise your Foundation revision.
View Foundation RevisionOrganise your Higher revision.
View Higher RevisionCheck the full Foundation curriculum.
View Foundation TopicsCheck the full Higher curriculum.
View Higher TopicsUse these published guides if a grade-targeted set of revision priorities is useful for your current course.
Review Grade 4 priorities.
View Grade 4Review Grade 5 priorities.
View Grade 5Review Grade 7 priorities.
View Grade 7Review Grade 9 priorities.
View Grade 9