Let’s be real — not every child starts revision early. Between packed school schedules, tuition classes, CCAs, and everything else, exam preparation in Singapore often gets pushed to the last minute. Whether your child is in Primary 3 or gearing up for the PSLE, last-minute cramming is something many parents are familiar with.
While we don’t recommend cramming as a long-term strategy, cramming can still be effective if done right. With focused study sessions, targeted practice, and simple tools like sticky notes, your child can still revise meaningfully under time pressure. Here are some practical study tips to help your child maximise their last-minute exam revision.
- Focus on topics with the most marks
This is not the time to cover everything. Help your child identify topics that appear most often or carry more marks. Look at past year papers, teacher’s hints, and recent worksheets including concepts they keep getting wrong
Parent tip: Flip through assessment books or past-year papers together. Spot question patterns that appear repeatedly and focus on them first.
- Avoid Panic Mode
It can be tempting to express frustration when revision starts late — especially after reminding your child countless times to start earlier. But in this situation, what your child truly needs is calm, focus, and reassurance.
When you stay calm and encouraging, it helps your child do the same and that can lead to better focus, better thinking, and better outcomes, no matter how much time is left.
- Do Questions, Not Just Revise Notes
While rewriting notes or highlighting might feel useful, it doesn’t actually help your child get ready for the exams.
Make sure your child spends time doing practice questions, even if it’s just a few. Practice helps improve speed, accuracy, and confidence, especially under time pressure. 1 hour of practicing questions is far more effective than one hour of passive reading.
- Revise Out Loud
Encourage your child to revise by speaking out loud instead of reading silently. Silent reading can be slower and less effective for memory. By saying the definitions, steps, or answers out loud, your child will process the information faster and retain it better.
- Structure: The Secret to Effective Cramming
When time is limited, a structured approach to cramming can make all the difference. Break study sessions into focused intervals and set clear goals for each block. Prioritise key topics and allocate time limits for each subject to ensure efficient revision. This approach allows your child to tackle different areas methodically, helping them retain the most important information under time pressure.
- One Topic, One Goal
Instead of switching between subjects, encourage your child to set one clear goal for each session, such as mastering model drawing for problem sums or practising open-ended science questions on digestive system. This focused approach provides direction, sharpens concentration, and helps your child stay calm and organised during their study time.
- Sleep is a Study Tool
Avoid sacrificing sleep for last-minute study sessions! The brain needs sleep to lock in everything that your child has just studied.
Even during last-minute prep, aim for at least 8 hours of sleep. One more practice chapter won’t help if they’re too tired to think straight the next day. A well-rested brain remembers better, reacts faster, and stays calmer during the exam.
Bonus Tip: Use sticky notes to help your child without them even realizing it! Write important questions or concepts on sticky notes and stick them in places they’ll see frequently, like the bathroom mirror, fridge, or water bottle. This subtle form of review helps reinforce key points throughout the day, giving your child extra opportunities to absorb information, even when they’re not actively studying.
Cramming isn’t the best way to prepare, but it can still offer valuable lessons. With the right mindset, last-minute revision can teach your child focus, flexibility, and resilience. More importantly, your support during this time is more helpful than any extra practice papers. Be the steady presence that helps them stay calm and on track. Even if the results aren’t as expected, your child will learn better time management, stay calmer under pressure, and become more resilient. They’ll also realise how stressful last-minute cramming can be, which will motivate them to stick to a more consistent revision routine next time.
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