If you’re in Year 10 or Year 11 and a French or Spanish mock is getting closer, it can be hard to know what to do first when your notes seem to cover everything. You do not need to revise every topic every day. A short task with a clear way to check it is a better starting point than an evening spent rereading pages and hoping it sticks.
Before you begin, ask your teacher or check your course materials: are you studying GCSE or IGCSE, which exam board and tier are you on, what date is the mock, and which skills will your school assess? Your school may choose only some skills for a mock. This plan is general practice, not a replacement for the instructions or task formats your teacher gives you.
Set aside about 25 minutes each day. Spend the first five minutes trying to remember one thing you got wrong or found difficult last time. Use about 15 minutes for the main task, then five minutes to check it and write down one next step. If you spot a mistake, keep it: reviewing it later is part of the plan.
Your 14-day plan
Choose topics from your current course. You can switch French and Spanish examples to match what your class is studying. Every session starts by revisiting a previous mistake, so the plan includes regular review as well as new practice.
| Day | Focus | Specific task | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vocabulary | Review an old mistake for 5 minutes. Make 10–12 two-way prompts from one topic, then recall the words without looking. | Test both directions and mark uncertain words to retry. |
| 2 | Grammar | Review yesterday’s difficult words. Choose one pattern, such as present-tense endings or adjective agreement, and write six sentences. | Check against class notes. Correct only the forms that need work. |
| 3 | Reading | Review one grammar error. Read a short course text for its main idea, then answer three questions using evidence. | Underline evidence. Check for missed negatives, time markers or opinions. |
| 4 | Listening | Review a reading mistake. Listen to a short French or Spanish recording once for the situation, then for names, times or changed plans. | Check the recording’s questions or answers and replay a difficult part. A transcript alone is not a listening test. |
| 5 | Writing | Review one missed word or audio detail. Answer a short course-style question; leave time to check verbs and whether each point answers it. | Use teacher criteria or an approved model. Note one strength and one change. |
| 6 | Speaking | Review a writing correction. Answer three familiar questions aloud, then adapt one answer with a different detail. | Listen back or ask someone to note whether they understood the idea. Accent perfection is not the check. |
| 7 | Mixed review | Review your mistake list. Retrieve vocabulary, check a grammar point, find evidence in a text and say one answer aloud. | Check each task straight away. Choose one skill to revisit in week two. |
| 8 | Vocabulary | Retry the hardest week-one item. Practise 10–12 words from a second topic in short phrases, not just as a list. | Recall from English prompts, then use three uncertain words in fresh sentences. |
| 9 | Grammar in context | Review three Day 8 words. Choose another class grammar point and use it in six sentences about daily life. | Check the forms in your notes and say the corrected sentences aloud. |
| 10 | Reading | Review a grammar error. Try a new short text and answer before checking; explain why one tempting answer is wrong. | Point to evidence. Check that you have not mixed up what happened and what will happen. |
| 11 | Listening | Review a reading mistake. Use another real recording and listen for a negative, number or change of plan. | Check the answers and replay that section. Use a transcript afterwards to investigate a missed phrase. |
| 12 | Writing | Review the audio detail you missed. Plan two or three points, then write a short answer to a different course-style question. | Use the same class criteria. Check relevance and whether time phrases match your verb forms. |
| 13 | Speaking | Review a writing correction. Practise new questions aloud; use past or future language only when it fits and you can form it. | Check that you answered the question and continued after a hesitation. Compare one feature with a model. |
| 14 | Light, mixed recall | Review your mistake list, then retrieve the words, grammar point and answer you most want to remember. Keep the session light. | Check your notes and pack what you need. Do not start a large new topic or stay up late. |
Make the plan work for your course
For vocabulary, use your class topic lists and practise both ways. For grammar, choose a small point you have already been taught rather than trying to learn every tense at once. In reading and listening, look for evidence rather than guessing from one familiar word. In writing and speaking, answer the actual question and use language you can control.
For example, French Le week-end dernier, j’ai joué au basket avec mon cousin. means “Last weekend, I played basketball with my cousin.” Spanish El próximo sábado voy a visitar a mi abuela. means “Next Saturday, I’m going to visit my grandmother.” Notice how the time phrase helps you choose a suitable form. Use examples as patterns to adapt, not paragraphs to copy.
Use the French or Spanish revision hub to find existing skill pages. The listening hubs include strategy and transcript-analysis activities; they do not pretend to supply audio recordings. For genuine spoken audio, try a level-appropriate video on TV5MONDE Apprendre for French or choose a beginner/intermediate recording from SpanishListening.org. Start with a short clip and replay it. These are extra listening resources, not exam-board practice papers.
The existing free French and Spanish speaking packs are useful for speaking prompts and models; they are speaking resources, not an all-skills course. Check your teacher’s instructions for the assessment itself and use the board guide that matches your qualification. GCSE and IGCSE courses, and different boards, do not all use the same tasks.
If you only have 10 minutes
Keep the habit but shrink the task: spend two minutes recalling one old mistake, six minutes on one focused activity, and two minutes checking it. For example, retrieve six words, use three in a sentence, and check the spellings. Or answer one question aloud, listen back once and choose one thing to improve. A short session is useful when it includes a genuine attempt and a check.
The day before your mock
If the mock is tomorrow, do not try to squeeze two weeks of missed revision into one night. Use Day 14 for light recall, look over your mistake list and check what your teacher has asked you to bring. Get your usual rest. If you are unsure which skills are included or what materials are allowed, ask your teacher rather than relying on a general online checklist.
My mock revision checklist
Print this short checklist from your browser, or tick it on screen as you go.
- I know my qualification, exam board, tier, mock date and assessed skills.
- I have practised vocabulary and checked the words I forgot.
- I have used grammar in my own sentences and corrected specific errors.
- I have practised reading and found evidence for my answers.
- I have listened to real French or Spanish audio and checked what I heard.
- I have written and spoken answers that respond to the question.
- I have returned to earlier mistakes instead of only rereading notes.
- I know what I need for the mock and will leave time to rest.