How to Get All A*s in Your IGCSEs

If you are aiming for straight A*s in your IGCSEs, you’ll need to be committed to your studies and follow a well-planned revision timetable. 

Success comes from starting early, revising with the right techniques, and staying consistent over several months. 

With the right mindset, a clear plan, and smart use of resources, top grades are absolutely achievable.

Key Takeaways

• Start early, know your goals, and plan wisely: Begin focused revision 4–6 months before your exams, check your progress against your personalised objectives, and build a realistic timetable that prioritises high-yield and challenging topics.

• Use active study techniques: Active recall methods such as flashcards, teaching others, blurting, and quizzes, combined with spaced repetition and past paper practice, are far more effective than passive rereading notes or highlighting.

• Track progress and adapt: Use past papers, revision logs, and progress scores to monitor your improvement. Be honest with yourself and adjust your timetable to address weak points or recurring mistakes.

• Prioritise your wellbeing: Build breaks, sleep, and exercise into your revision plan to avoid burnout. A clear, rested mind will perform far better in the exam hall than one that’s exhausted and overwhelmed.

Why Aiming for All A*s Is Worth It

Achieving straight A*s at IGCSE level has long-term benefits. Excellent results give you an advantage when applying to sixth forms, the IB Diploma, or A Level programmes. 

They’ll also strengthen your applications for scholarships and competitive courses later on, including for University places and degree apprenticeships.

Beyond academic recognition, aiming for A*s helps you develop skills such as organisation, discipline, and perseverance, all of which are useful at higher levels of study and in life outside the classroom.

Mindset and Motivation

Success in your IGCSEs begins with the right mindset. Many students believe they are “bad” at certain subjects, but adopting a growth mindset (opens in a new tab) means recognising every skill can be improved with practice. 

The importance of this growth mindset for academic improvement was highlighted by Dweck and colleagues in their research on academic tendency (opens in a new tab); they found students with growth mindsets responded more positively to challenges or setbacks and experienced more constructive thoughts, feelings and behaviours than those with fixed mindsets. 

Although a growth mindset can contribute to success, it is often easier said than done. Staying motivated across several months of exam preparation isn’t easy, so it’s advisable to break your revision into smaller milestones and celebrate when you reach them. 

For further tips on how to stay focused when revising, check out this article: How to Stay Focused While Studying: 10 Proven Strategies. 

To avoid burnout, it’s also crucial to build regular breaks and downtime into your plan, and make sleep and exercise a priority. Remember, efficient studying is always more effective than sheer hours spent.

Smart Planning and Time Management

Top students rarely leave their revision to chance. Create a timetable that allows you to cover every subject systematically. Sessions of 30 to 50 minutes are more productive than trying to revise for hours without rest. 

You can also trial the Pomodoro Technique to help keep you focused throughout your study sessions.

Identify which topics carry the most marks in each exam and give them priority. At the same time, make sure your week includes a balance between revision, schoolwork, and personal time. A timetable that is too rigid or overloaded usually collapses after a few days, so build something you can realistically sustain. 

Effective Study Techniques for A* Results

Not all study methods are equal in their effectiveness and outcomes. Passive revision, such as reading your notes or highlighting information, do little to improve memory and recall. A more effective approach to revision is using active recall techniques, which force your brain to search for the correct information. Active recall techniques include:

• Flashcards 

• Quizzes

• Redrawing mind maps or writing bullet points from memory

• Blurting

• Teaching the topic to someone else

Spaced repetition is also powerful. Revisit material after one day, then again a few days later, and once more after a week. Each return strengthens your long-term memory.

Finally, make past papers a central part of your preparation. Start by working through them slowly with your notes, then progress to timed conditions as exams get closer. Always review your answers critically and compare them with the mark scheme or examiner reports so you understand what examiners are looking for.

Learn more effective revision techniques with this article on: How to Prepare for IGCSEs: Revision Techniques That Work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

In addition to relying too much on passive revision methods, there are a few other traps that often cost students valuable marks in their final exams. These include:

1. Not starting their revision early enough: Leaving revision to the last minute will make you too reliant on ‘cramming’ and won’t allow you enough time to develop the accurate and detailed topic knowledge needed for exams. 

2. Focusing too much on low-yield or easy topics: Although it can be tempting to focus on the shorter, easier topics, this isn’t wise as they are not certain to come up in your exams and may not carry the highest weighting for marks even if they do. Make sure in your revision timetable you are spending sufficient time on high-yield topics, including those you may not enjoy or find challenging.

3. Leaving serious exam practice too late: Not completing practice papers or mock exams ahead of your exams will leave you little time to identify and fix your mistakes. Make sure to start testing yourself with exam-style questions early on so you can refine your exam technique and fix common errors early.

How to Track Your Progress

Consistent tracking keeps your revision effective. Use past papers to measure progress, and be honest when marking your own work. Keep a revision log where you list topics, score your confidence levels, and set weekly targets.

Accountability can also make a difference. Sharing your goals with a parent, teacher, or study partner helps you stay focused and gives you extra motivation when energy levels dip.

How to Use Save My Exams Resources to Get an A*

Save My Exams offers tools designed to make revision more efficient. 

Use our concise revision notes to review key ideas quickly, then move on to exam-style questions to practise applying your knowledge. Model solutions show what top answers look like, which helps you structure your own responses. Target Tests allow you to revisit material at regular intervals, which works perfectly with a spaced repetition system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it realistic to get all A*s in IGCSEs?

It is certainly possible to get all A* in IGCSEs and many students achieve this every year. Whether this is a realistic goal for you will depend on your current performance and commitment to your studies. Getting all A*s requires consistent effort, a clear plan, and the right strategies, so if this is your aim, make sure you’re prepared to work steadily and consistently right up until your exams.

How many hours a day should I study for IGCSEs?

The quality of your study is more important than the number of hours. As a guideline, two to four hours of focused revision on weekdays and slightly more on weekends is a strong routine, but it will depend on your personal goals and progress.

When should I start revising for IGCSEs?

Start structured revision around four to six months before your exams. If you begin earlier, you give yourself more flexibility to deal with challenges in certain subjects.

Final Thoughts

Getting all A*s in your IGCSEs doesn’t require you to be an Einstein-level genius or spend all-day everyday in your room studying. It comes from consistency, careful planning, and the discipline to use the most effective study techniques. Begin as early as possible, focus on active learning, and track your progress regularly. With the right approach, top grades are well within your reach.