Exam Study Planner Spreadsheet

About this template

This exam study planner is for students who have several subjects, dozens of topics and a few months before the papers. You list every topic once, rate how sure you feel, and the file shows which ones you have quietly stopped revising.

A topic you marked solid in March and have not opened since is the one that costs marks. Confidence and the date you last looked are kept as two separate columns, so that topic cannot hide.

Please read: This is a tracker tool only, not financial, tax, legal, medical or any other professional advice or advisory service. It records and calculates what you enter; you are solely responsible for checking all figures, rates, dates and results and for every decision you make. By purchasing, downloading or using it, you accept these terms (your statutory consumer rights are not affected).

How the revision tab works

• Confidence in four states: not started, shaky, getting there and solid, each with its own color so a subject reads at a glance
• Last looked at: the date you last revised a topic, and the number of days since
• Gone cold: any topic not seen in 14 days is counted and turns amber
• Sessions per topic: so three sessions on the topic you enjoy and none on the one you avoid becomes visible
• Days to the exam, per paper: each row counts down to its own exam date, because different papers sit on different days

Seven connected tabs

• Start Here and Setup: a short walkthrough and your subjects
• Revision: room for 250 topics with subject, paper and exam date
• Today: what you are revising this week
• Tasks: everything the revision list does not cover
• Habits: a daily tick grid, because revision works as a habit before it works as a plan
• Dashboard: reads all of it and fills itself, with nothing typed on the page

See it filled in first

The worked example holds 22 topics across Economics, Maths and History, each tied to a paper and an exam date. Six are solid, nine are shaky or not started, ten have not been opened in a fortnight and 52 sessions are logged against them. Open it to see how the study tracker behaves, then start your own from the blank copy.

It suits GCSE revision, A level revision and university exams alike. As a revision planner, the days-since column also gives you a simple form of spaced repetition: the longest gaps rise to the top of your attention.

Works with

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice
• Google Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you make your own copy of, not a PDF with a link in it.
• No dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription

What you download

• The Excel workbook filled with a worked example
• A blank Excel workbook ready for your own entries
• The instruction guide, which has one-click links to the Google Sheets versions (filled and blank)
• The terms of use as a PDF

Your files are ready to download as soon as payment clears, and the Start Here tab walks you through setup in a few minutes. The template is for personal and business use on your own devices, so please do not share or resell the files. Questions before or after you buy? Use our contact page and we will help.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work in Excel or Google Sheets?

Both. You download Excel workbooks for Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac, and the instruction guide has one-click links to make your own copy in Google Sheets with a free Google account.

Is it only for GCSE and A level students?

No. You set your own subjects, papers and exam dates, so it works for any exam with topics to cover, including university exams.

How does it show which topics I am neglecting?

Every topic has a last-looked-at date and a days-since count. Anything not seen in 14 days is counted and turns amber, even if you rated it solid.

Can I have exams on different dates?

Yes. The exam date is set per topic and paper, and the countdown works per row rather than one number for everything.

How many topics does it hold?

The Revision tab has room for 250 topics, each with a subject, a paper and an exam date.