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Exam Preparation Schedule Calculator

Work out exam preparation schedule instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Exam Preparation Schedule Calculator

Dividing available hours by topic-passes reveals whether a revision plan is feasible. Thirty days at four hours with a 15% buffer gives 102 study hours; 24 topics over two passes is 48 sessions, so 2.13 hours each and 1.6 sessions a day. If that figure falls below about an hour, either the passes or the topic list must be cut.

Formulas

Study hours available

hours = days x hours per day x 0.85 buffer factor

Hours per topic pass

hours = available hours / (topics x passes)

Worked example

With the default values below, Exam Preparation Schedule Calculator returns Hours Per Topic Per Pass of 2.13. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Topics to coverminimum 1
24
Days until the examminimum 1
30
Study hours per dayminimum 0.5 h
4 h
Revision passes plannedminimum 1
2

Results

Hours Per Topic Per Pass
2.13 h
Total Study Hours Available
102.0
Topic Sessions Per Day
1.60
Buffer Held Back
18.0 h

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Study hours available
  3. 3Hours per topic pass
  4. 4Hours Per Topic Per Pass= 2.13 h
  5. 5Total Study Hours Available= 102.0
  6. 6Topic Sessions Per Day= 1.60
  7. 7Buffer Held Back= 18.0 h

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why plan more than one pass?

Because spaced review is what produces retention. A single pass through the material is forgotten faster than two shorter passes spaced apart.

Why hold back a buffer?

Because illness, overruns and unexpected commitments are certain. A plan using every available hour fails at the first disruption.

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