Start from a baseline.
Before planning, find out where you stand. A short timed set of Scientific Thinking questions shows your pace on the least familiar part of the test. A first full paper shows which sections sit near their thresholds and which subjects need the most work.
Months ahead: the syllabus.
Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics test the school knowledge set out in the syllabus. Work through it topic by topic and close the gaps before speed matters. Read English scientific writing regularly: the Academic Literacy texts run to about 700 words at level C1.
Weeks ahead: reasoning and pace.
Move towards timed work. Practise Scientific Thinking sets and full Academic Literacy passages against the clock, then whole sections at their real lengths: 45, 35 and 40 minutes. Review every question you miss and return to it a few days later.
The final weeks: full papers.
Sit complete papers in one sitting under test-day conditions: three section clocks, the reserve, no calculator, blank paper and a pen. After each paper, check every section against its threshold and decide where the remaining weeks should go.
The last days.
- Take the official demo, and check your room and devices against the technical guide.
- Keep the final days for review rather than new material.
- Plan for both rounds: in 2026 they were two weeks apart, and your better score counts.