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Hong KongThe final fortnight: consolidate, taper, sleep
A final mock at the start, targeted repair from it, the formula sheet daily, and a taper across the last three days. No new material after day four, and nothing substantial the day before.
The last fortnight is about consolidation and arriving rested, not about learning anything new.
Days 14 to 11
A final full-length mock, six hours in one day, then a full review. That is two days used well.
The review produces the repair list. Anything on it that is a one-line reminder goes onto the formula sheet; anything that is a genuine gap gets a study block in the following days.
Days 10 to 5
Targeted repair. The weakest domain from the mock, then the second weakest, then the misreading and pacing issues if they showed up.
Practice questions rather than reading. At this stage reading produces recognition and you need retrieval.
Anything started with four days left will not be consolidated by exam day, and the time is better spent making shaky material solid. The instinct to open an untouched topic in the final week is worth resisting.
Days 4 to 2
The formula sheet, actively - cover the answers and reproduce them. The numbers, the ordering rules, the threshold ages, the short lists.
One or two short question sets a day to keep the rhythm, not full sessions. And confirm the logistics: identification, calculator and spare, route, parking, what you will eat in the break.
The day before
One light pass over the formula sheet, in the morning. Then stop.
Nothing learned on the day before a six-hour exam survives to the second session, and being rested affects the second session more than any topic you could revise. Go outside, eat properly, sleep.
What to stop doing
- Comparing yourself with other candidates. Their preparation is not evidence about yours.
- Reading forum threads about how hard the exam is.
- Taking mocks in the last three days - a bad score does nothing but damage.
- Reworking the study plan. It is finished.
- Adding anything to the formula sheet.
If you feel unready
Most candidates do, including most of the ones who pass. Feeling unready is not the same as being unready, and the mock scores are the evidence rather than the feeling.
If two full mocks are above target and no domain is far below the rest, you are ready and the feeling is nerves. Deferring on nerves alone usually just relocates them four months.
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Common questions
What should the last two weeks look like?
A final full mock and review at the start, targeted repair from it, the formula sheet daily, and a taper across the last three days with nothing substantial the day before.
When should you stop learning new material?
Four days out. Anything started later will not be consolidated by exam day, and the time is better spent making shaky material solid.
Should you take a mock in the final days?
No. A bad score in the last three days does nothing but damage, and there is no time to act on the result.
What should you do the day before?
One light pass over the formula sheet in the morning, then stop. Being rested affects the second session more than any topic you could revise.
What if you feel unready?
Most candidates do, including most who pass. The mock scores are the evidence rather than the feeling - two above target with no domain far below means it is nerves.