The first thing I would do is make a proper plan.

One of the biggest mistakes students make is believing that simply attending school, completing homework and studying before exams will automatically lead to an A or A*. It can work for some students, but if you want to maximise your chances of getting top grades, you need to understand exactly what you are studying, what the examiner expects, and how you are going to prepare for it.

Here is exactly how I would do it.

Step 1: Know Your Exam Board

For every subject you choose, first find out which examination board your school is following.

For example:

• Cambridge International — CAIE

• Pearson Edexcel

• OxfordAQA

This is extremely important because the syllabus, paper structure, question style, and marking can differ between examination boards.

Never simply say, “I am doing IGCSE Mathematics.”

Know exactly which board and syllabus you are studying.

Step 2: Print the Official Syllabus

Next, I would download the latest official syllabus/specification for every subject and get it printed.

For example, if I were studying Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics, I would search:

“Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics syllabus”

Then I would open the official Cambridge website, download the latest syllabus for my examination session and print it.

Your syllabus should become your master checklist for the entire subject.

Why?

Because ultimately, the examiner is testing you according to the syllabus — not according to what your school teacher happened to complete.

Step 3: Take Proper Notes During School Classes

Suppose your teacher starts teaching Trigonometry.

During the lesson, I would write proper notes in a dedicated notebook.

I would write:

• Important concepts

• Formulas

• Methods

• Diagrams

• Examples solved by the teacher

• Important comments or shortcuts the teacher explains

Never think:

“I don't need to write this. I'll just read it from the textbook later.”

No.

When your teacher is solving an example on the board, write it down properly.

Your class notes are your first interaction with the topic, and actively writing while understanding the lesson helps you process the information much better than simply watching.

Step 4: Revise the Topic the Same Day

Once I got home, I would not leave that topic untouched until the next test.

I would quickly revise the notes I made in class while the lesson was still fresh in my mind.

Then I would open my printed syllabus.

I would find the Trigonometry section and ask myself:

“Which syllabus points did my teacher cover today?”

Whatever has been properly taught and understood, I would tick off.

This simple habit allows you to see your progress throughout the year and immediately notice if an important syllabus point has been skipped.

Step 5: Start Topical Past Papers Immediately

This is probably the most important part of the entire method.

For every subject, I would keep topic-wise past-paper questions ready.

If your school does not provide topical past papers, you should arrange them yourself.

At Tutify, we can also provide students with soft copies of topical past-paper resources that they can download and print.

The important point is this:

Do not wait for your teacher to announce a past-paper session.

If your teacher taught Trigonometry today, start solving Trigonometry past-paper questions.

You learned the concept today.

Now test whether you can actually answer the type of questions the examiner will ask.

Step 6: Check Every Answer With the Mark Scheme

After solving a question, I would check my answer using the official marking scheme.

If my answer was wrong, I would not simply put a cross beside it and move to the next question.

I would ask:

Where exactly did I go wrong?

Was it:

• A formula mistake?

• A calculation mistake?

• A misunderstanding of the concept?

• A problem interpreting the question?

• A missing working step?

• A marking-point I did not know the examiner wanted?

Then I would redo the question.

If necessary, I would study the marking scheme, understand the correct method and attempt it again until I could solve it independently.

That process is where a huge amount of improvement happens.

Step 7: Never Leave a Doubt Unresolved

Sometimes you will come across a past-paper question that you simply cannot understand.

Do not ignore it.

Do not tell yourself:

“Maybe this won't come in the exam.”

Take that question to your teacher the next day and ask them to explain it.

Your goal should be to close every knowledge gap as soon as you discover it.

This is also where one-to-one teaching can be extremely useful.

At Tutify, our students attend live one-to-one classes where there is only one student and one teacher in the lesson.

Our teachers can solve past-paper questions live, assign targeted homework and immediately work through any question the student is struggling with.

There is no hesitation about asking questions because the entire class is focused on that one student.

Step 8: Watch the Syllabus Yourself

Never assume that because your school year has ended, every part of the syllabus has automatically been completed.

Keep checking your printed syllabus.

If you notice that your teacher has skipped a small topic or syllabus point, take responsibility for covering it.

Use your textbook, teacher, online resources or tuition support to complete it.

Remember:

The examiner follows the official syllabus — not your school's lesson plan.

By the time you enter your final revision period, there should ideally be no untouched syllabus points left.

The Entire A* System in One Line

If I had to simplify my entire IGCSE study strategy into one sequence, it would be:

Class Notes → Same-Day Revision → Syllabus Check → Topical Past Papers → Mark Scheme → Redo Mistakes

Repeat this consistently throughout your IGCSE journey.

Do not wait until mocks.

Do not wait until your teacher says, “Now we are starting past papers.”

And definitely do not wait until two months before the examination.

If you build this habit from the beginning, by the time everyone else starts their serious exam preparation, you will already have spent months practising exactly the kind of questions you will eventually face in the real examination.

That is how I would approach IGCSE again if my goal were an A*.