A learning problem is easiest to fix when it is still one topic. The way to catch it early is a short weekly check: one fresh question on last week’s topic, done alone, with no notes open. The result tells you more than how the lesson felt.
This page shows how to run that check, how to read the result and what to do when it keeps coming back. The prerequisite gap explorer can help you trace a wrong answer back to the idea underneath it.
Why do gaps turn into backlogs?
IGCSE chapters build on each other, so a weak step rarely stays inside its own chapter.
In Mathematics, shaky fractions make algebraic fractions harder. In Chemistry, unclear moles make every calculation afterwards harder. In English, vague paragraph structure weakens every essay.
Backlogs grow quietly because following an example in class feels the same as understanding it. The difference only shows up when you try a new question alone.
What does a weekly check look like?
Every Friday, spend ten minutes:
- Pick one topic from this week’s teaching.
- Find one question you have not seen, from your textbook or a different exercise.
- Close your notes and attempt it.
- Mark yourself honestly: Got it (correct, method clear), Partly (right idea, slip or hesitation) or Stuck (could not start).
- Write one line: where did you stop?
That is the whole routine. It takes ten minutes and produces a record you can actually act on.
Worked example: four weeks in Chemistry
Dina, a Year 10 student, keeps this log.
| Week | Topic | Result | Where I stopped |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atomic structure | Got it | none |
| 2 | Relative formula mass | Got it | none |
| 3 | Moles from mass | Partly | I used 24 when the substance was not magnesium |
| 4 | Moles in reacting masses | Stuck | I could not start the ratio step |
Read the log from the bottom up. Week 4 was “Stuck”, but the cause is in Week 3: the question used the wrong mass value, which means the link between formula mass and the moles formula is not secure. A teacher or a careful self-study session should go back to Week 3, not press on with Week 4.
The plausible mistake. Dina’s first reaction is to do more Week 4 questions. That repeats the stuck step without changing its cause. The better move is to redo one Week 3 question using this rule: moles = mass ÷ molar mass, and molar mass comes from the formula of the substance in the question. Then retry a Week 4 question.
What can I do myself?
- Name the topic before you name the feeling. “Moles” is repairable. “I’m bad at Chemistry” is not.
- Go one step back. Ask which earlier idea this step needs, and test that idea first.
- Repair small. Re-read the explanation, study one worked example, then attempt a fresh question without it.
- Retest in a few days. A gap is closed when a new question goes well later, not when you feel better today.
Self-check
Dina scores these in her log. Decide the result for each.
- She solves a question correctly but looked at her notes three times.
Show answer
Partly. The method is not yet secure without the notes. - She gets the final number wrong because she copied 18 as 81, but every step is right.
Show answer
Partly, with the cause logged as an arithmetic slip. It is a different repair from a method gap. - She cannot decide which formula to start with.
Show answer
Stuck. Log the exact decision point, which is what she would show a teacher.
When may one-to-one tuition be worth considering?
Self-repair works well for one or two isolated gaps. Consider an assigned teacher when the same gap survives two or three honest attempts, when several topics are slipping together, or when you cannot tell which earlier idea is missing. A teacher watching you attempt a question can see the hesitation that a written answer hides.
Our how it works page explains the steps, and the trial is a paid one-hour class starting from RM80, with the rate confirmed before the lesson. You can also look at the subject tuition pages for your subject, or read the student guides for what to bring.