Cramming can get you through a test, but it rarely leaves anything behind afterward — and it's stressful in a way that makes recalling information under pressure even harder. A short, staged plan across the two weeks before an exam usually beats a single long session the night before, for less total time and much less panic.
Two weeks out: map the territory
Before diving into review, spend one session just listing every topic the exam could cover, based on the syllabus, past assignments, or practice materials. Sort them roughly into "solid," "shaky," and "barely touched." This map is what the rest of the plan is built around — without it, it's easy to spend all your time on what's comfortable and avoid what actually needs work.
Ten days out: work backward from weak spots
Spend the bulk of your remaining sessions on the "shaky" and "barely touched" topics, not the ones you already know well. It's tempting to review familiar material because it feels productive, but that time is better spent closing real gaps.
One week out: switch to practice questions
Shift from reading and re-reading notes to answering practice questions or past papers under conditions close to the real exam — timed, without notes. This does two things: it tells you honestly what you do and don't know, and it gets you used to retrieving information under the same pressure you'll face on the day.
The last two days: consolidate, don't cram
Resist the urge to learn new material this late. Instead, review a condensed set of notes or summaries, get a full night's sleep both nights, and do something normal the evening before — a long, unfamiliar cram session this close to the exam usually costs more in anxiety and lost sleep than it adds in knowledge.
The plan doesn't need to be elaborate. What matters is starting early enough that "review everything" can become "review what I actually don't know," with time left over for practice under real conditions.