Last-minute exam cram plan

A realistic triage plan for the days or hours before an exam, focused on the highest-scoring topics.

Prompt template
I have an exam in {{time_left}} on {{subject}}. I can study about {{hours}} hours in total. Format of the exam: {{format}}.

Topics and how confident I am (paste list below with ratings if you can): 
{{topics}}

Create a cram plan:
1. **Triage**: rank topics into "must master", "should know" and "skip if short on time", using likely exam weight and my confidence. State your assumptions about weighting.
2. **Schedule**: a time-boxed plan in blocks (include breaks and sleep), using active recall and past-paper style questions rather than rereading.
3. **For each must-master topic**: the 5 things I need to know cold, a quick self-test question, and a common trap.
4. **Memory aids**: mnemonics, patterns or one-page summary structure for the facts I need to memorize.
5. **Exam-day tactics**: how to use the first five minutes, pacing, and what to do when blanking.

Be honest about what can and cannot be learned in this time. If a topic is something you are not sure applies to my exam, mark it. Never invent exam content. If you are unsure about a fact, say so plainly. Never invent citations, quotes, statistics or URLs.
Example output
**Reality check:** 10 hours can raise a shaky grade substantially if you focus on mechanisms, but you will not master everything. **Triage** - Must master: SN1/SN2, elimination (high weight, shaky), alkene reactions (not started, usually heavily tested) - Should know: nomenclature refresh (confident; 30 minutes) - Skip: rare named reactions **Schedule (assumes mechanisms carry the most marks)** Day 1: 2 h SN1/SN2 with practice problems; 1.5 h elimination; 1 h compare SN vs E; sleep by 11 pm. Day 2: 2 h alkene reactions; 1 h mixed problems; 1 h one-page summary; light review in the evening. **SN1/SN2 cold facts:** rate laws; substrate preference; stereochemistry (inversion vs racemization); solvent effects; leaving groups. *Test:* which pathway does a tertiary bromide in ethanol favor? *Trap:* ignoring solvent. **Exam-day:** skim all questions first, do the sure marks, leave long mechanisms for last.

Why it works

Triage by weight and weakness is what separates cramming from panic. Tell the model about past exams or the syllabus weights for a sharper ranking.

Licensed CC0 (public domain) Version 1 · history