Working with a study partner can accelerate revision, but only if the session is structured. Two students chatting about Physics for an hour is not revision. Two students testing each other on exam questions is.
Choosing a partner
Pick someone who:
- Is studying the same IGCSE Physics 0625 syllabus.
- Has a similar target grade or work ethic.
- Will turn up consistently and stay focused.
Avoid partners who want to socialise rather than study. It is better to revise alone than with someone who disrupts your focus.
Session structure (60 minutes)
First 10 minutes: quiz each other on definitions and equations. One person reads the term or equation name, the other gives the answer from memory.
Next 30 minutes: work through past paper questions independently but on the same topic. After each question, compare answers and discuss differences. Check against the mark scheme together.
Next 15 minutes: teach each other one concept you have revised recently. Explaining a concept to someone else is a reliable test of whether you understand it.
Final 5 minutes: each person writes down one thing they learned today and one topic they need to revise next.
What works
- Testing each other: active recall is far more effective than re-reading notes together.
- Explaining concepts: if you can explain why current increases when resistance decreases, you understand Ohm’s law. If you cannot, you have a gap.
- Marking each other’s work: swap past paper answers and mark them. You learn from seeing how someone else approaches a question.
What does not work
- Reading the textbook aloud to each other.
- Copying each other’s notes.
- Spending the session talking about how hard Physics is.
- Working on different topics at the same time (no opportunity to discuss or test).
Online study partners
If your partner is in a different location, use a video call with screen sharing. Share a past paper on screen, work through it independently, then discuss. The key principles are the same: test, explain, mark.
Frequency
One or two partner sessions per week is enough. The rest of your revision should be solo work. Partner sessions are for testing and teaching, not for doing all your revision.
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.