The Night Before

1 Mental Prep & Routine

Preparation, Not Panic

The night before your GCSE Maths exam isn't the time for intensive revision. It's about being ready — mentally and practically.

Jump to Packing List ↓ Feeling Anxious? Breathe 🌬️

✅ DO (Light Revision)

Flick through your formula sheet
Review your "cheat sheet" of things you always forget
Look at a few worked examples
Remind yourself of key definitions

❌ DON'T (Panic Mode)

Try to learn completely new topics
Do a full, timed past paper
Panic about topics you don't know
Stay up past your normal bedtime

The Evening Routine

6:00pm Light dinner (avoid heavy/spicy food)
7:00pm Pack exam kit & lay out clothes
7:30pm Brief revision (Max 30 mins)
8:00pm Relax: TV, reading, or music (no maths!)
9:00pm Wind down: shower, no screens
10:00pm Lights out (or your normal bedtime)

🧠 Mental Reset

🌬️

Box Breathing

In for 4s • Hold for 4s • Out for 4s • Hold for 4s

Remind Yourself:

You don't need 100% to get a good grade.
Partial marks exist — write down what you know.
One bad question doesn't ruin the whole paper.

2 Five Things to Remember Tomorrow

👀

Read Twice

Read every question twice before you start writing. The second read catches the details you missed.

✍️

Show Everything

Write down every step. Method marks can save you even if the answer is wrong.

📏

Check Units

Look at what units the question wants. Convert before you calculate, not after.

⏭️

Move On

Stuck for more than 3 minutes? Move on. Come back with fresh eyes later.

⏱️

Use All Time

Never leave early. Check answers, try skipped questions, verify calculations.

3 Formulas You Need to Know

These are not on the formula sheet. Memorise them tonight.

Speed, Distance, Time

$$\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}$$

Remember: S = D ÷ T

Density, Mass, Volume

$$\text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}}$$

Remember: D = M ÷ V

Percentage Change

$$\frac{\text{Change}}{\text{Original}} \times 100$$

Always divide by the original value

Percentage of Amount

$$\frac{\text{Percentage}}{100} \times \text{Amount}$$

Or find 10% first, then build up

Circumference

$$C = \pi d = 2\pi r$$

d = diameter, r = radius

Area of Circle

$$A = \pi r^2$$

Square the radius first, then multiply by π

Quadratic Formula

$$x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$$

When $ax^2 + bx + c = 0$

Compound Interest

$$\text{Amount} = P\left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^n$$

P = principal, r = rate, n = years

4 Top 10 Traps to Avoid

Don't fall for these tomorrow. Click any for details.

#1 Thinking $(a + b)^2 = a^2 + b^2$ "The Binomial Blunder" → #2 Adding the percentage instead of multiplying "The Add-On Error" → #3 Dividing by one ratio part instead of the total "The Part-Total Mixup" → #4 Forgetting to change the sign when moving terms "The Sign Slip" → #5 Dividing by the new value instead of the original "The Denominator Disaster" → #6 Errors when expanding negative brackets "The Negative Neglect" → #7 Finding percentage of final amount for reverse problems "The Backwards Blunder" → #8 Moving the decimal point the wrong way "The Backwards Shift" → #9 Finding $c^2$ instead of $c$ "The Forgotten Root" → #10 Adding when finding a shorter side "The Plus-Minus Mixup" →

View all 50 common mistakes →

You're Ready

You've done the work. You know the maths. Tomorrow is just showing what you know.

Tonight: Get some sleep. Your brain consolidates learning while you rest.
Tomorrow: Eat breakfast. Arrive early. Stay calm. You've got this.