November 2026 GCSE Maths resit: how to use your last two weeks
If you're resitting GCSE Maths this November, the first paper is on Wednesday 4 November. That's close, but two weeks is enough time to make a real difference, as long as you spend it on the right things.
I've taught a lot of students through resits. The ones who move up a grade in the last fortnight aren't the ones who revise the most. They're the ones who stop trying to learn everything and start picking up the marks they're already close to.
The dates
For Edexcel and AQA, the November 2026 papers are on the same days, all in the morning, each 1 hour 30 minutes:
| Paper | Date | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Wednesday 4 November | No (Edexcel and AQA) |
| Paper 2 | Friday 6 November | Yes |
| Paper 3 | Monday 9 November | Yes |
Results come out on Thursday 14 January 2027. If you're with OCR, the dates are the same but the paper numbers are different, so check your exam letter. The timetable is still marked provisional, so confirm your times with your exam centre.
Week one: find the marks you're losing
Do one full past paper under exam conditions. Time it, no notes, calculator only when it's allowed. Then mark it properly with the mark scheme.
Don't just count the score. Go through every question you dropped marks on and sort it into one of three piles:
- I knew it but slipped. A sign wrong, a misread question, no working shown. These are the cheapest marks on the paper.
- I nearly had it. You started well and got stuck halfway. These are your best revision targets.
- I had no idea. Leave most of these for now.
That second pile is where your grade is. For most Foundation students aiming for a 4, it's topics like percentages, ratio, fractions, area and perimeter, and solving equations. They come up on every paper, and a method you can repeat is worth a lot of marks.
Spend the rest of week one on those topics. Watch one short video, do five questions, check the answers, move on.
Week two: papers, papers, papers
In the last week, do one paper a day if you can, alternating calculator and non-calculator. Mark each one the same day.
You'll notice the same question types again and again. That's not a coincidence. The exam is built from a fairly small set of question styles, and the more of them you've seen, the calmer you'll feel when you turn the page on the day.
Here's the full walkthrough I do the night before Paper 1. It's worth watching with a paper in front of you:
The marks are in the working
This is the single biggest thing I see in resits. Students who could get to the answer lose marks because they only write the answer.
Write every step down, even the ones that feel obvious. If your final answer is wrong, the examiner can still give you method marks for the working. If there's no working, there's nothing to give marks for.
What to leave alone
You don't need to learn every topic in two weeks. If something is completely new to you and only ever worth one or two marks, it's not where your time should go. Grade 4 is about getting the common questions right, consistently.
Also, look after yourself. Sleep matters more than a late-night cram session. A tired brain makes the silly mistakes from pile one.
On the day
- Read every question twice. Underline what it's asking for.
- Do the questions you can do first, then come back.
- If you get stuck, write down anything you know. A formula, a first step. It can still earn a mark.
- Check your units and that you've answered the actual question.
For parents
If your child is resitting, the most useful thing you can do this fortnight is help them keep a routine: a paper a day, marked the same evening, and an early night before each exam. You don't need to know the maths to ask "which questions did you get wrong, and why?"
Want some help before 4 November?
I run free live GCSE Maths lessons, and anyone can join. We go through real exam questions together, step by step.
Join the next free live lesson
If you'd like more structure, my online GCSE Maths classes run three times a week, with every class recorded so you can rewatch before the exam. Claim your free 7-day trial for Group Tutoring.
And if you'd like to practise with real papers, my past paper tracker keeps track of which ones you've done and how you scored.
Good luck. You've got this, and you've got more time than it feels like.
Matt, MyGCSEMaths