Disorganised notes are worse than no notes. If you cannot find the right page when you need it, the notes are not serving their purpose. Here is a system that works.
Structure by syllabus
The Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 syllabus has 6 topic areas and 46 subtopics. Use these as your filing structure. Each subtopic gets its own section or page.
Label each page with:
- Topic number and name (e.g., 1.3 Mass, Weight and Density)
- Subtopic name
- A red/amber/green confidence marker that you update as you revise
What to include on each page
For each subtopic, your notes should contain:
- Key definitions: written exactly as the syllabus states them.
- Key equations: with units and what each symbol means.
- One worked example: a solved past paper question showing the method.
- Common errors: what students typically get wrong on this subtopic.
- Diagram (if relevant): labelled and drawn clearly.
Keep each subtopic to one side of A4 or less. If your notes are longer, you are copying the textbook, not summarising it.
Digital vs paper
Both work. The key is consistency.
Paper notes work well if you use a ring binder with dividers for each topic area. Insert pages in syllabus order. Use colour coding: blue for definitions, black for explanations, red for common errors.
Digital notes work well if you use folders named by topic and subtopic. Apps like Notion, Google Docs or OneNote allow searchable notes. The risk is distraction from other tabs. If you use digital notes, close all other applications during study.
When to write notes
Write notes after you have studied a topic, not during. If you take notes while reading, you tend to copy text verbatim. Instead:
- Read the textbook or watch an explanation.
- Close the book.
- Write what you remember.
- Open the book and fill in gaps.
This active recall process is what makes notes stick.
Updating notes
After every past paper practice session, add any new errors or insights to the relevant subtopic page. Your notes should grow smarter over time, not just longer.
The one-page summary
In the final 2 weeks before the exam, reduce each topic area to a single A4 page. This forces you to identify the absolute essentials. Use these summary pages for final review.
Need a Plan Based on Actual Work?
A private taught trial can help distinguish whether the repeated difficulty is mainly Physics knowledge, Mathematics, practical reasoning or exam technique before regular lessons are discussed.