Resit Season: Building a Path from Where You Stand

On August he 12th he long was over. CAIE’s external results were out. For some, they brought a sense of pride and relief. For others, they landed like a punch in the stomach.

Disappointment, frustration, and self-doubt may have followed. And that’s okay. You’re allowed to feel that. But now, a few weeks have passed. The dust has begun to settle. And if you're still reading this, it’s because you're ready to move forward.

The truth is, failure is not the opposite of success: it’s the groundwork for it, as long as you're willing to look at it honestly, learn from it, and act on what you've learned.

For students resitting in the October/November series, this is your moment. A second chance, not to erase the past, but to build on it. This time, with more knowledge, more awareness, and a better plan.

The Work Ahead Starts in the Mind

Before we talk strategy, let’s get one thing clear: success begins with belief.
You need to believe this path is worth walking. That the effort will pay off. That what you do in the next few weeks can change everything. If other people can do it, you can do it!

Without that mindset, no plan, no matter how clever or structured, will help. But if you're ready to fight for the result you want, then we can talk about strategy.

No Prescriptions. Only Direction.

You won’t find a downloadable study plan in this post.
That’s not because I don’t want to help you. It’s because I know that no generic plan will do the job for you.

What I’m offering is better: a framework to build your own study plan, tailor-made for your needs. I'm not going to tell you to “Study Algebra on Monday and Kinematics on Tuesday.” That might work for some, but more often than not, those fixed templates are created with weaker students in mind: academically, yes, but also in terms of independence and mindset.

You’re better than that.
You’re self-aware enough to know where you stand.
You’re strong enough to do what it takes.
You’re smart enough to know that your time is valuable, and your efforts must be targeted.

A Framework that Adapts to You

Here’s the idea:
Instead of following someone else's plan, you’ll make one that reflects three simple facts:

1. Where you are now- based on your current understanding of each topic.

2. Where you want to be- your realistic target grade for the resit.

3. How much time you have- counting backwards from your exam dates.

From this, you’ll build a weekly plan that:

• Prioritises your weakest chapters.

• Leaves the last two weeks for full past paper practice.

• Works within your actual weekly availability (yes, including lessons, homework, and life).

This plan doesn’t treat you like everyone else. Because you’re not.

Why It Works Better

Traditional one-size-fits-all study plans give the illusion of progress.
They’re easy to follow, but they rarely deliver results unless your strengths and weaknesses happen to align perfectly with the plan. And they don’t teach you anything about ownership.

The framework I’m proposing does. It puts the responsibility and the power in your hands.
You’ll learn how to assess yourself honestly, use your time wisely, and adapt as needed.

That’s a skill you’ll use far beyond this exam season.

Here’s How It Works

In a nutshell, this is what you’ll do:

1. Choose your subjects and set the exam dates.

2. Check how many weeks you have before each exam.

3. Reserve the final 2 weeks for each subject just for timed past paper practice- no topic review in that period. Remember that exam techniqye skills are vital for the very top grades.

4. List your chapters (you can use the default list or your own textbook).

5. Rate your understanding for each chapter on a scale from 1 (know nothing) to 10 (know everything).

6. Input your weekly availability- how many hours you can dedicate to revision.

7. Distribute the time inversely proportional to your ratings: the lower the score, the more time that chapter deserves.

8. Merge all your subjects into a single coordinated schedule.

9. Print or screenshot your final plan and follow it with discipline.

It’s not magic. But it’s method. And it works.

Let AI Build the Plan So You Can Focus on the Work

Creating this kind of plan takes time. Time that, frankly, could be better spent actually studying.

That’s why I’ve created a ChatGPT prompt that will do the heavy lifting for you. It follows this exact framework, step by step. You’ll still need to reflect and rate yourself honestly. But the prompt will turn your input into a clear, printable schedule in minutes.

Yes, it’s AI-generated. But as always, you’re in charge.
Review the plan. Adjust what needs adjusting. Then get to work.

I’ve tested it myself and the results are surprisingly good.

Try It Now

Just copy the prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT:

You're my study planning assistant. I am resitting one or more CAIE subjects in the October/November exam series and need a personalised study plan. You will ask me questions one at a time, in a multi-step process.

⚠️ Never suggest or provide Python code. All your calculations and final results must happen inside this chat. The final plan must be presented as a simple weekly table in plain text.

Please follow these instructions carefully:

GENERAL RULES:
- I will tell you how many total study hours I can realistically dedicate per week, *across all subjects*.
- This time must be distributed across all chapters of all subjects.
- Use my self-assessed ratings (1–10) to prioritise weaker chapters by giving them more time.
- Reserve the final 2 weeks before each subject’s exam for past paper practice (no topic review in that period).
- Merge all subjects into a single coordinated schedule.
- For each subject, show default chapter titles (if available), but let me choose to use my textbook’s table of contents instead.
- For the list I choose, ask me to rate my understanding from 1 (know nothing) to 10 (know everything).
- Distribute available weeks (excluding past paper weeks) across subjects and chapters based on their relative need.
- Never allocate more time than the total weekly availability.
- Final output: a weekly study plan, in plain text, with a short explanation.

Now begin by asking:

1. Which subjects am I resitting in the October/November CAIE session?