The Ultimate O Level & IGCSE Chemistry Revision Routine: What Top 1% Students Do Differently
The Ultimate Chemistry Revision Routine: What Top 1% Students Do Differently
1. They Follow a Structured Weekly Cycle (Never Random Revision)
Why 99% Students Fail
- They revise whatever looks “easy”.
- They skip hard chapters.
- They jump randomly between topics.
- They don’t revise consistently.
- They avoid practical-heavy chapters.
How Top 1% Students Operate
- Every week follows a fixed system:
- Day 1 → Stoichiometry
- Day 2 → Electrolysis
- Day 3 → Acids, Bases, Salts
- Day 4 → Chemical Reactions & Rates
- Day 5 → Organic Chemistry
- Day 6 → Practical Skills
- Day 7 → Full revision cycle
- Each day has:
- Definition review
- Example problems
- Past-paper practice
Sub-Rules They Follow
- No topic is skipped for more than 6 days.
- Difficult topics are revised twice a week.
- They revise with intention, not hope.
2. They Use the “Three-Layer Revision Method”
Layer 1: Understanding
- Reading the key notes.
- Watching quick summaries if needed.
- Making mini-maps for:
- Definitions
- Formulas
- Trends
- Reactions
Layer 2: Practice
- Solve 10–15 MCQs per topic.
- Solve 3 structured questions.
- Solve at least 1 practical-style question.
Layer 3: Active Recall
- Close notes.
- Self-test:
- Write definitions from memory
- Solve 5 questions without looking back
- Explain each topic aloud
This cycle builds mastery.
3. They Memorise Chemistry Definitions Scientifically
What Normal Students Do
- Read definitions once.
- Assume they remember.
- Forget in the exam.
What Top 1% Students Do
- Make 1-line bullet definitions.
- Use spaced repetition:
- Day 1
- Day 3
- Day 7
- Day 14
- Test themselves weekly.
The Definition Master List Includes
- Atom
- Isotope
- Ion
- Mole
- Empirical formula
- Molecular formula
- Electrolysis
- Oxidation
- Reduction
- Endothermic
- Exothermic
- Catalyst
- Rate of reaction
- Activation energy
- Addition polymer
- Condensation polymer
How They Memorise Correctly
- They identify:
- Key scientific word
- Mandatory logic
- Wrong replacements to avoid
- They write each definition by hand 4–5 times.
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE Chemistry Free Material
4. They Have a Calculation-Only Practice Routine
The 10 Calculations They Practise Daily
- Mass → moles
- Moles → mass
- Moles → volumes
- Concentration (mol/dm³)
- Concentration (g/dm³)
- Empirical formula
- Molecular formula
- Reacting mass
- Limiting reactants
- Percentage yield & purity
Why This Works
- Calculations are pure marks.
- Practising 10 per day gives over 300 per month.
- Mastery occurs automatically.
Their Calculation Method
- Convert units first.
- Write formula cleanly.
- Substitute values with units.
- Solve step by step.
- Round only final answer.
- Include units.
Bonus Trick
- They keep a formula sheet stuck near their study table.
5. They Learn Reaction Patterns, Not Individual Reactions
Common Students Memorise
- Hundreds of random equations.
Top 1% Memorise Patterns
- Acid + metal → salt + hydrogen
- Acid + base → salt + water
- Acid + carbonate → salt + water + carbon dioxide
- Alkane + halogen → substitution
- Alkene + halogen → addition
- Alcohol → carboxylic acid (oxidation)
- Alcohol + acid → ester + water
- Metal displacement logic
Why Patterns Make Revision Faster
- Less memory load.
- Easier recall.
- Helps in prediction questions.
- Helps in Paper 2 explanations.
6. They Know EXACT Observation Vocabulary
What Average Students Write
- Bluish
- Cloudy water
- Brownish green
- Slight gas
- Clear solution
What Top Students Write
- Blue precipitate
- Green precipitate
- Brown precipitate
- White precipitate
- Colourless solution
- Effervescence
- Gas evolved
- Temperature increased
Reason
- Examiners accept only standard scientific terminology.
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE Chemistry Free Material
7. They Use the 3-Step Explanation Technique
Correct Explanation Formula
- Cause
- Mechanism
- Effect
Example
- Why does rate increase with temperature?
- Particles gain more kinetic energy
- They collide more frequently
- More collisions have energy to overcome activation energy
- Rate increases
Why This Wins Marks
- The mark scheme checks for mechanism links.
- Bullet-based format highlights keywords.
- Removes meaningless fluff.
8. They Practise Practical Questions DAILY
Their Daily Practical Set Covers
- Ion tests
- Gas tests
- Chromatography
- Filtration/crystallisation
- Distillation
- Temperature change experiments
- Graph reading
- Gradient calculation
- Error identification
- Improvements
Why They Practise Like This
- 30% of the paper indirectly tests practical skills.
- Observations and inferences repeat in exams.
- It prevents silly mistakes under pressure.
Sub-Tactic
- They have a “Practical Book” with:
- Observations list
- Ion test tables
- Gas tests sheet
- Flame test sheet
- Common errors sheet
9. They Use Past Papers Systematically
Normal Students Use Past Papers Incorrectly
- Solve only easy questions.
- Do not check mark schemes.
- Do not repeat wrong questions.
Top 1% Follow a System
- Step 1:
- Solve MCQs from 5–7 past papers.
- Step 2:
- Solve Paper 2 Section A questions only.
- Step 3:
- Solve Paper 2 Section B long questions.
- Step 4:
- Solve practical-style questions separately.
- Step 5:
- Analyse mark scheme language.
- Step 6:
- Repeat every wrong question after 48 hours.
Their Weekly Past Paper Cycle
- 2 Paper 1 (MCQ sets)
- 1 Paper 2 full attempt
- 1 practical-style session
- 1 mixed-topic test
Key Trick
- They LEARN the examiner language, not only the answers.
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE Chemistry Free Material
10. They Build an “Organic Chemistry Map”
Organic Chemistry is Memory-Based
Top 1% students do not study this randomly.
Their Organic Map Includes
- Names (meth, eth, prop, but)
- Homologous series
- Functional groups
- General formulas
- Structural formulas
- Isomers
- Reaction patterns
- Cracking
- Polymerisation
- Alcohol reactions
- Carboxylic acid reactions
Sub-Maps They Make
- One sheet for naming
- One sheet for reactions
- One sheet for distinguishing tests
- One sheet for polymers
This compresses a large topic into easy memory chunks.
11. They Know the Topic Difficulty Levels and Weightage
High Weightage Topics
- Stoichiometry
- Electrolysis
- Acids, bases, salts
- Rate of reaction
- Organic chemistry
- Practical chemistry
Medium Weightage Topics
- Periodic table
- Metals
- Atmosphere & environment
Low Weightage (But Easy Marks)
- States of matter
- Separation techniques
- Simple chemical equations
Top 1% Strategy
- Spend 60% time on heavy-weight topics.
- Spend 30% time mastering medium topics.
- Spend 10% time finishing the low ones.
12. They Revise Using “Mistake Folders”
Their Folder Has:
- All mistakes from MCQs
- All mistakes from Paper 2
- All calculation errors
- All observation/inference mistakes
- All definition mistakes
How They Use It
- On Sunday → full revision of mistake folder.
- Before exam → last 24 hours = ONLY mistake folder.
Purpose
- They eliminate weak spots instead of revising what they already know.
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change O Level And IGCSE Chemistry Free Material
13. They Use Flashcards the Correct Way
Types of Flashcards They Make
- Definitions
- Ion tests
- Gas tests
- Flame tests
- Reaction patterns
- Solubility rules
- Calculation formulas
How They Use Flashcards
- Morning:
- 10 definitions
- Afternoon:
- 10 observations
- Night:
- 10 reaction patterns
- End of week:
- Random shuffle test
Effect
- Knowledge becomes instant recall.
14. They Never Study Chemistry Like Theory — They Do It Like Problem Solvers
Top 1% Approach
- Read → Write → Test → Apply
- They do not memorise blindly.
- They test themselves using:
- Whiteboards
- Timed drills
- Closed-notes recall
- Quick-fire definitions
- Mixed-topic tests
What This Creates
- Fast recall
- Strong exam stamina
- Zero panic during the paper
- Better interpretation of unfamiliar questions
15. They Follow the Consistency Rule
The Hidden Secret
Top 1% students are NOT naturally smarter.
They are consistent.
Their Daily Checklist
- 20 minutes calculations
- 20 minutes practical questions
- 20 minutes MCQs
- 20 minutes definitions & reactions
- 10 minutes revision of mistakes
Weekly Breakdown
- 80% practice
- 20% reading
This routine produces guaranteed A grades.
