How Many Hours Should I Revise Per Day?

You're staring at your revision timetable (opens in a new tab) thinking, “How many hours should I revise per day?” This question keeps many students up at night. Should it be 2 hours? 5 hours? 8 hours? And what if you're doing it all wrong?

There's no magic number that works for everyone. But there are evidence-based guidelines that can help you find your perfect revision routine. In this article, we'll break down exactly how many hours you should revise based on where you are in the school year, which exams you're taking, and your personal learning style.

Key Takeaways

• There's no single "correct" number - revision hours depend on the time of year, your exam level, and how you learn best.

• Quality beats quantity every time - 2 hours of active revision outperforms 5 hours of passive reading.

• Most students need 1–3 hours daily during term time, rising to 4–6 hours during exam season.

• Different exams need different approaches - GCSE, A Level, and IB students face different demands.

Why There's No One-Size-Fits-All Answer

Before we dive into specific numbers, you need to understand why your best friend's revision schedule might be completely wrong for you. For a start, there are many factors that influence how many hours you should be revising per day. These include:

• Year group 

• The courses you’re taking

• Workload for your subjects

• How close you are to your exams

• Your working pace 

• Your other commitments outside of studying

How Many Hours Should You Revise Per Day? A Clear Breakdown

Here's a flexible framework based on where you are in the academic year.

Early year (September to Christmas) 

Start with 1–2 hours per day outside of homework. This is about building strong foundations and staying on top of new content. Focus on consolidating what you've learned in class each week rather than marathon sessions.

Before mocks (January to February) 

Increase to 2–3 hours per day on weekdays, 3–4 hours on weekends. Mock exams are your first real test run, and you want to identify gaps now, not later. Cornell University (opens in a new tab) suggests quizzes are a great way to find these learning gaps. You could also use Save My Exams flashcards to quickly assess your prior knowledge.

Between mocks and exams (March to April) 

Aim for 2–4 hours per day, depending on your schedule. Use mock results to target weak areas. This is prime time for active recall and practice papers, not just reading notes.

Exam season (May to June) 

During term time with lessons, continue with your 2–4 hours per day. This includes both school-based revision and independent study. Consolidate learning by using the revision techniques that work best for you.

Study leave 

When you're off school completely, 4–6 hours per day is the sweet spot for most students. More than this and you risk burnout. Break this into distinct morning, afternoon, and evening sessions.

Recommended Revision Session Lengths

How long you revise matters as much as how much you revise.

Your brain has limited focused attention. Harvard Medical School (opens in a new tab) suggests that concentration peaks anywhere between 10 and 50 minutes before declining sharply. This varies because it’s a very personal trait. And, it depends on the task you’re trying to focus on. 

The Pomodoro Technique uses 25-minute sessions followed by 5-minute breaks. This works brilliantly for subjects requiring intense focus, like Maths or Physics problems. Do four sessions, then take a longer 15–30 minute break. 

45/15 cycles work well for essay-based subjects or reading-heavy revision. Study for 45 minutes, break for 15. This gives you enough time to get deep into a topic without exhausting your mental energy.

50/10 splits hit the middle ground. They're flexible enough for most subjects and most learning styles. Use your 10-minute breaks to:

• Move around

• Grab some water

• Eat a snack

Active revision during sessions is non-negotiable. Simply reading notes for 25 minutes isn't effective revision, regardless of how many times you do it. Each session should involve practice questions, teaching concepts back to yourself, and active recall techniques, like the blurting method.

Never revise for more than 90 minutes without a proper break. Marathon sessions without breaks lead to fatigue, reduced retention, and increased mistakes.

Revision Schedules by Exam Type

Different qualifications need different approaches:

Quality vs Quantity: Why More Hours Isn't Always Better

Here's what most students get wrong: they measure revision success by hours logged, not by what they've actually learned.

Passive revision has terrible returns

Reading and rereading notes might feel productive, but research from (opens in a new tab)Carnegie Mellon University (opens in a new tab) shows active learning methods are more effective as students consolidate knowledge when being more interactive with their lessons. This can also be applied to revision. You can spend six hours reading and retain less than someone who spent two hours doing practice questions.

Diminishing returns kick in fast

Hour eight of revision is dramatically less effective than hour two. Your tired brain makes more mistakes, retains less information, and struggles to think clearly. Stanford University (opens in a new tab) suggests that improving working memory helps students make connections between old and new material.

To dig a little deeper, take a look at our article on boosting concentration and memory.

Burnout derails everything

Students who push themselves to exhaustion often perform worse than those who revised less but more consistently. Stress hormones interfere with memory formation, according to research published in Nature Neuroscience (opens in a new tab).

How to Structure an Effective Revision Day

Here's a flexible template you can adapt to your schedule.

Morning session (2–2.5 hours) This is when your brain is freshest. Tackle your hardest subject first or do practice papers that require problem-solving. Use 45–50 minute blocks with 10–15 minute breaks between.

Afternoon session (1.5–2 hours) Save less demanding tasks for when your energy naturally dips. Make flashcards, review past paper mistakes, or do active recall on topics you've already studied. Keep sessions shorter: 30–40 minutes with breaks.

Evening session (1–1.5 hours) Light revision only. Review what you learned earlier in the day, organise notes, or watch educational videos. Avoid starting new, complex topics late at night. Your brain needs wind-down time before sleep.

Build in flexibility. Life happens. Missing one session doesn't ruin your entire revision plan. The goal is consistency over perfection.

Include proper breaks. Eat proper meals. Go outside, exercise, and stay hydrated.

How Many Hours Should You Revise on Weekends vs Weekdays?

Your school schedule determines what's realistic.

Weekdays during term time mean you're already spending 6–7 hours learning in lessons. Adding 2–3 hours of revision on top brings your total study time to 8–10 hours. That's plenty.

Weekends offer more flexibility. You can increase to 3–4 hours per day without school commitments. But you still need rest days. Revision seven days a week with no breaks is a recipe for burnout.

Signs You're Revising Too Much

Watch out for these warning signals:

Signs You're Not Revising Enough

Be honest with yourself about these indicators:

How Save My Exams Helps You Use Your Time Efficiently

Every hour of revision should count, which is why Save My Exams resources are designed for maximum efficiency.

Concise revision notes cut straight to what examiners actually want. No fluff, no padding - just the essential knowledge you need for GCSEs, A Levels, and IB exams. 

Exam questions let you test yourself and identify gaps immediately.

Mock exams give you realistic exam experience without wasting time searching for materials. Every question is carefully matched to your specific exam board and specification.

Model answers show you exactly what examiners want to see. Learning what a top-grade response looks like saves hours of guesswork and uncertainty.

Progress tracking helps you work smarter, not longer. You can see exactly which topics need more attention and which ones you've already mastered.

Over 2 million students and teachers use Save My Exams to master what matters. When every hour counts, efficient resources make all the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is revising 8 hours a day too much?

Yes, for most students. Eight hours might sound impressive, but it often leads to: 

• Exhaustion

• Reduced retention

• Burnout

How many hours should I revise during study leave?

Between 4–6 hours per day is the sweet spot for most students during study leave. This gives you enough time to cover all subjects thoroughly without exhausting yourself.

Should I revise every day?

During exam season, yes. But flexibility should be built in. Consistent daily revision (even just 1–2 hours) is more effective than cramming marathon sessions at weekends.

How long should I revise after school?

Between 1–3 hours, depending on how close you are to exams. You've already spent 6–7 hours at school, so your brain needs time to recharge.

If you're consistently falling asleep during evening revision or finding it impossible to concentrate, you're trying to do too much. Quality beats quantity every time.

Final Thoughts

Revision isn't about suffering through endless hours at your desk. It's about finding a sustainable routine that actually helps you learn.

Start with the guidelines in this article, then adjust based on how you feel. If you're exhausted, cut back. If you're breezing through topics and have energy left, you can do more. Your revision schedule should work for you, not against you.

And, importantly, be kind to yourself. Finding your perfect revision routine takes time and experimentation. What works for your friend might not work for you, and that's completely fine. Start with realistic hours and use effective techniques. Consistent, quality revision always wins over last-minute panic every time.

References

Cornell University - Assessing Prior Knowledge & Addressing Learning Gaps (opens in a new tab)
Harvard Medical School - Focus on concentration (opens in a new tab)
Carnegie Mellon University - New Research Shows Learning Is More Effective When Active (opens in a new tab)
Stanford University - Strategies for Improving Working Memory (opens in a new tab)
Nature - Stress can disrupt memory and lead to needless anxiety — here’s how (opens in a new tab)