Do you have a failed maths or physics subject to make up in September?
In Italian schools a failed subject (a debito) has to be made up with an exam in late August or September. No panic, and no revising the whole syllabus. In a few weeks we build a plan targeted on the topics of the catch-up exam: the real ones, not a generic review.
No panic: only the topics of the exam.
The students I work with
- A failed maths or physics subject assigned in June, with a written and/or oral exam in late August or early September.
- Students with only a few weeks who need to work out quickly what to concentrate on.
- Students who have already tried studying alone from the book and still feel lost.
- Students who have to make up more than one subject together: maths and physics often go to catch-up in the same year.
The 3-week plan
- Week 1: diagnosis. You send me the notice of the failed subject and the exam syllabus from your school. A first diagnostic lesson to understand exactly what you know and what you do not.
- Weeks 1-2: filling the gaps. We work on the specific topics the exam requires, with targeted exercises, not the whole year's syllabus.
- Weeks 2-3: practice exam. We simulate the catch-up exam in real conditions: the same type of exercises, the same time available. For maths you can start right away with the free practice test of the catch-up exam, one for each year: maths catch-up Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4.
- Last days: targeted review. A final review of the mistakes that came out of the practice exam, so you arrive at the exam with no doubts left.
What is asked most often.
Not the whole year's syllabus: catch-up exams almost always concentrate on a narrow set of topics. Here are the most common ones, subject by subject.
- Maths
- Equations and inequalities (of varying degree depending on the year)
- Analytic or Euclidean geometry, depending on the syllabus
- Functions and function study (last three years)
- Applied, test-style exercises, not theory learned by heart
- Physics
- Kinematics and dynamics (first two years)
- Energy, work and conservation laws (last three years)
- Thermodynamics or electromagnetism, depending on the syllabus covered
- Applied problems with a force diagram and dimensional check
Frequently asked questions.
How many lessons do I need to catch up a failed subject in a few weeks?
For a failed subject in a single discipline, 6-8 lessons concentrated over 3-4 weeks are usually enough, if you also practise on your own between lessons. If both subjects are failed, or you are starting from far behind, it is better to start earlier and do 10-12 lessons in total.
What happens if I do not make up the failed subject in September?
It depends on the school, but in most cases a failed subject that is not made up leads to not being admitted to the next year, or to a stricter class council on the rest of your record. That is why it is worth taking it seriously, even if you have only a few weeks.
I have just over two weeks: does it make sense to start now?
Yes, it is often the moment when most people contact me. With two or three weeks you can still build a targeted plan: you give up revising everything and concentrate only on the topics you know for certain will be in the exam.
Is the catch-up exam the same for maths and physics?
No, it depends on the school and the teacher: some only set a written paper, others a written paper plus an oral. As soon as you send me the notice of the failed subject with the exam syllabus, we build the lessons around the specific format you can expect.
Can I catch up on both maths and physics together?
Yes, it often happens that they are failed in the same year. We alternate the two subjects in the lessons depending on which exam comes first and where you have the most gaps, so that neither is left behind.
Want to see the full syllabus? I have dedicated pages on maths tutoring and physics tutoring. Take a look at the packages of hours too, to see the costs.
The weeks go by fast: shall we start?
A 30-minute introductory call is free: you send me the exam syllabus, we work out together how much time you have and build the most realistic plan to get you there prepared.