Velpro
The 8-week IGCSE Chemistry revision plan
Last updated: October 2026
Eight weeks is enough time to revise the whole IGCSE Chemistry course properly if you start from your weakest topics, practise calculations every week, and finish with timed past papers. This plan works for Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (0620) and Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry (4CH1).
Before you start: find your gaps
Don't revise from page 1. Spend 20–30 minutes on a mixed quiz or one past paper and mark it honestly. List every topic where you dropped marks — that list decides where your time goes. (Velpro's free 2-minute diagnostic does this automatically and builds the plan for you.)
The plan
| Week | Focus | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Particles, states of matter, atomic structure, separation and purification techniques | Everything else is built on the particle model and atomic structure. |
| 2 | Bonding and structure: ionic, covalent, giant covalent, metallic; linking structure to properties | Explains melting points, conductivity and solubility questions. |
| 3 | Moles and calculations: relative formula mass, moles, reacting masses, concentration, gas volumes, percentage yield, empirical formulae | Calculations carry many marks and need weekly practice from now on. |
| 4 | Electrolysis and energetics: half-equations, bond energies, energy profile diagrams | Commonly confused topics; learn them side by side. |
| 5 | Rates, reversible reactions and equilibrium; acids, bases, salts and titrations | Heavy on required practicals and "explain" questions. |
| 6 | Periodic table groups, metals, the reactivity series and extraction | Lots of recall: good for spaced review. |
| 7 | Organic chemistry and the environment: alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids, polymers, cracking, pollution | Often left too late; many marks for short answers. |
| 8 | Chemical tests for ions and gases, then full timed past papers and fixing mistakes | Exam conditions and the final gap check. |
Every week: 3–4 short sessions of 30–45 minutes, one set of mole calculations, and a 10-minute quiz on the previous weeks' topics. That spaced review is what makes things stick.
The mistakes that cost the most marks
- Energy and bonds: breaking bonds takes in energy; forming bonds releases it.
- Particles and heat: particles move faster and further apart; they don't expand.
- Ionic conductivity: ionic compounds conduct only when molten or in solution.
- Catalysts and equilibrium: a catalyst doesn't shift the position of equilibrium.
- Electrolysis products: learn which ion is discharged at each electrode, and write balanced half-equations.
- Missing units and state symbols in calculations and equations.
- Command words: "state" means a short fact; "describe" means say what happens; "explain" means say why; "suggest" means apply what you know to an unfamiliar situation.
How to use past papers
- Weeks 1–7: do past-paper questions by topic straight after revising that topic.
- Week 8: do full papers under timed conditions.
- Mark with the official mark scheme and copy each lost mark into a mistakes log.
- Re-test yourself on the mistakes log three days later.
Let Velpro build this plan for you
Velpro turns your own chemistry textbook and exam date into a plan like this one, reorders it around your diagnostic results, gives you a daily mission, and tracks the misconceptions above until you've fixed them. See how Velpro teaches IGCSE Chemistry.
Build my chemistry plan free →Free to start · 5 days of Pro free when you sign up