Exam Study Hours Allocator
It's a week before exams. You have *40 study hours* spread across subjects with different exam weights and your own *uneven confidence* in each one — how do you split the time? This tool uses a *priority formula*: **priority = weight × (100 − confidence) ÷ 100**, then distributes hours proportionally to priority. The intuition: high-weight subjects should get more time, but subjects you already feel solid on shouldn't hoard hours. Pair it with the GPA calculator for full HKDSE / IB / A-Level / IGCSE revision-week planning.
Enter a non-negative total, non-negative weights, confidence in 0–100, and give at least one subject a positive weight.
- Math 19.2 h 48.0%
- English 7.2 h 18.0%
- Chinese 9.6 h 24.0%
- Science 4.0 h 10.0%
Priority = weight × (100 − confidence) ÷ 100; hours are split in proportion to priority. Empty / zero-weight subjects are ignored.
Formula
Per-subject priority: priority_i = weight_i × (100 − confidence_i) / 100 Priority sum: P = Σ priority_i Subject i hours = total × priority_i / P If P = 0 (every confidence is 100), the tool falls back to weight-only; if all weights are also 0, hours are split equally.
- · **How to rate Confidence**: don't inflate it (false security) and don't deflate to 0 (over-pessimistic). Use: (a) *0–20* — haven't touched the syllabus; (b) *20–40* — skimmed once or twice, mostly wrong on past papers; (c) *40–60* — concepts clear, past papers around 50–65 %; (d) *60–80* — past papers 70–80 %, some hard questions still weak; (e) *80–100* — consistently 85 %+ on past papers, could *teach this*.
- · **How to set Weight**: use *the actual exam weighting*. e.g. HKDSE Paper 1 60 % / Paper 2 40 %. For *cross-subject* planning, use the subject's *contribution to your GPA* — e.g. IB Higher Level (×2) vs Standard Level (×1), or DSE Core vs Elective allocations.
- · **More important ≠ more time**: this tool *penalises high confidence*. A *high-weight subject you already feel solid on* gets fewer hours than a *low-weight subject where you're lost*. e.g. weight 50, confidence 80 → priority 10; weight 20, confidence 20 → priority 16 — the second ranks higher.
- · **Edge case: all confidence 100**: the tool falls back to *weight-only* rather than zeroing everyone out. If you're genuinely 100 % confident, *reduce the total hours* and do something useful (rest, fresh mock paper, organise notes) instead of force-filling time.
- · **Reasonable totals to enter**: (a) *DSE / IB exam week*: 4–6 subjects × 5–10 hrs each = *30–60 hrs budget*; (b) *single mid-term*: 6–12 hrs; (c) *long study leave*: 20–30 hrs / week × 4 weeks = *80–120 hrs*. **Tip**: don't plan 8 hrs/day — learning research consistently shows *3–5 hrs of deep-focus study + breaks* is the productive ceiling.
- · **Pair with the GPA Calculator**: first use the GPA tool to find which subject's grade pulls the most weight on your target; then come back here and *lower the confidence* on those subjects — the allocator will *tilt time toward the highest-ROI* areas.
- · **Sources**: (1) Karpicke & Roediger — spaced retrieval practice studies; (2) Dunlosky et al. 2013, Psychological Science in the Public Interest — Effective Learning Techniques; (3) Cognitive Load Theory literature on revision planning; (4) HKDSE Examination Authority — Subject Assessment Frameworks 2024.
Frequently asked
Does this always dump all the time into my weakest subject?
**No — the *weight* puts a ceiling on it**. **Detail**: (a) even at confidence 0 for one subject, *priority = weight × 1.0 = weight*, so a 5-weight subject can never exceed share ≈ 5 / total priority; (b) if *every* subject is at zero confidence, the result collapses back to *pure weight-based* allocation (priority = weight × 1 = weight); (c) example — Math weight 50, conf 20 (priority 40) vs English weight 10, conf 0 (priority 10) → Math gets 80 %, English gets 20 %. **Tip**: to *concentrate even more* on your weakest subject, raise the *other* subjects' confidence by 10–20 — that widens the priority gap. **Conversely**, to *spread time more evenly*, raise the weakest subject's confidence by one notch (e.g. 20 → 30): the share drops by ~12.5 %.
How should confidence map to my expected grade?
**Rough mapping** (works across HKDSE / IB / IGCSE): (a) *0–20* → grade 1–2 / U–E / fail — basically not prepared; (b) *20–40* → grade 2–3 / E–D — concepts fuzzy, past papers 30–50 %; (c) *40–60* → grade 3–4 / C — most concepts OK, calculation slips common; (d) *60–80* → grade 4–5 / B — past papers 65–80 %, hard questions still cost marks; (e) *80–100* → grade 5–5*–7 / A–A* — past papers > 85 %, you could teach the topic. **Tip**: *use your most recent past-paper score* as the number — don't guess. e.g. 65/100 → confidence 65. **Note**: confidence reflects *current* level, not *potential*; if a subject has big upside, deliberately rate it low so the allocator pumps in more time.
Can the tool handle more than 4 subjects?
**The UI has 4 slots but the formula itself has no limit**. **Workarounds**: (a) *group minor subjects*: combine *Chinese + English + Liberal Studies* into one "core languages" row, use a *weighted-average confidence*; (b) *sum weights*: roll three 5-weight subjects into one 15-weight row; (c) *split the budget*: run the tool once for your top 4 subjects, then re-run with *0.5 × total* for the next batch. **Tip**: in practice 4 rows already covers most DSE / IB students — HKDSE has 4 core + 2/3 electives; use this tool for the four highest-impact ones and budget a flat *2–4 hours each* for the rest.
Related tools
GPA Calculator
Enter each course grade and credit, get GPA on the 4.3 scale (HKU / CityU / HKUST / PolyU) or US 4.0 scale.
Hong Kong HKDSE Best 5 Score Calculator
Pick core and elective grades to see Best 5, 4C+1X and 4C+2X — the three weighting formulas used by JUPAS programmes.
Final Exam Grade Calculator
Given your current course grade and the weight of the final exam, find the exam score you need to hit a target overall grade.
Reading Time / WPM Calculator
Estimate how long a piece of text takes to read from word count and words-per-minute, with presets for silent reading, reading aloud, proofreading and audiobook narration.
Test Grade Calculator
Enter correct answers and total questions to get the percentage and letter grade — supports US A–F, US plus/minus, and UK honours (1st / 2:1 / 2:2 / 3rd).
Letter Grade Calculator
Enter a percentage (or score out of total) and map it to a letter grade and GPA across four standard scales — US 4.0 with +/−, US 10-point, UK Honours, and IB 1–7.
Class Rank Percentile Calculator
Translate a class or cohort rank into percentile rank using all three common conventions (CDF, mid-rank, inclusive) plus quartile / decile / top-X% labels — for college applications, scholarships and standardized-test comparisons.
Attendance Calculator
Enter classes attended, classes missed and total classes in the term to see your current attendance %, the maximum classes you can still skip, or how many you must attend to reach your target (default 75 %).
Word Count / Text Statistics Calculator
Paste text to instantly count words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, average word length and estimated reading time.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Calculator
Paste an English passage and instantly get the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores — the standard readability metrics used by US schools, MS Word and government plain-language guidelines.
IELTS Overall Band Score Calculator
Enter your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking scores to get the IELTS overall band using the official rounding rule (.25 rounds up to .5, .75 rounds up to the next whole band).
Words to Pages Calculator
Estimate how many pages a piece of writing will fill from word count, font size and line spacing.
IB Diploma Points Calculator
Enter your six IB subject grades (HL/SL) plus the EE/TOK bonus matrix to compute your total IB Diploma score out of 45.
UCAS Tariff Points Calculator
Enter A-Level, AS, EPQ, IB or BTEC grades to compute your total UCAS Tariff points and see how they line up against AAA / AAB / ABB conditional offers.
SAT to ACT Score Converter
Enter an SAT total or ACT composite score and instantly see the equivalent score range using the official 2018 College Board / ACT concordance table.
CEFR Language Level Converter
Enter an IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge English Scale or TOEIC score and instantly map it to a CEFR level (A1 – C2).
Cumulative GPA (CGPA) Calculator
Combine your current cumulative GPA and total credits with this term’s GPA and credits to see the updated cumulative GPA and how much it moved.
TOEFL ↔ IELTS Score Converter
Convert between TOEFL iBT total scores (0-120) and IELTS Academic Band scores (4.5-9.0) using the official 2018 ETS concordance.
Number to Words Converter (Cheque Writing)
Convert numbers into English words and Chinese cheque-style capital form (壹貳參…) for writing cheques, contracts or homework.
Pomodoro Session Planner
Enter the total focus time you want and get the required 25-minute Pomodoro count, short/long break tally and overall wall-clock duration.
Spaced Repetition (SM-2) Schedule Calculator
Enter a study date and ease factor and use the SuperMemo SM-2 algorithm to project the next review dates — handy for flashcards or vocabulary.
Typing Speed (WPM) Calculator
Enter characters typed, elapsed time and errors to get gross WPM, net WPM and accuracy — the standard typing-test metrics used worldwide.
H-Index Calculator (Hirsch Index)
Paste your paper citation counts to instantly compute the h-index, g-index, i10-index and other bibliometrics used to quantify a researcher's scholarly impact.
Time per Question Exam Pacing Calculator
Enter the total exam time, number of questions and optional review reserve to get the average time per question and 25/50/75 % pacing checkpoints — ideal for SAT, GRE, HKDSE and similar timed exams.
10,000-Hour Rule Calculator (Time to Mastery)
Enter current accumulated practice hours and weekly hours available to project when you will hit the 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000-hour mastery milestones popularised by Ericsson and Gladwell.
Weighted Grade Calculator
Enter multiple assignments (homework, quizzes, mid-term, project, final) with their scores and weights to compute the weighted-average overall grade, plus the points already locked in and the weight still to come.
Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve Calculator
Enter the memory strength S and elapsed time t to compute the retention rate per Ebbinghaus R = e^(−t/S), with a suggested next-review time (when retention drops to 80–90 %).
Bell Curve Grade Calculator
Enter raw class scores to compute each student's z-score, percentile and curved A–F letter grade using the classic ±0.5σ / ±1.5σ cut-offs, along with the resulting grade distribution.
Speech Time Calculator (Talk / Presentation Length)
Enter your word count and speaking pace to estimate how long a speech, presentation, sermon or classroom talk will take, including pause time.
Study Hours per Credit Calculator
Enter your enrolled credit hours and a study-per-credit ratio (the 2–3 hr/credit/week guideline used by most universities); the tool returns total weekly study time and projects total semester hours over a 14-week term — a standard time-management aid for college students.
Cumulative GPA Calculator
Enter your prior cumulative GPA and credits already earned, then this term's GPA and credits attempted; the tool weights the two and reports your new cumulative GPA — the standard "what will my GPA be after this term?" planner.
Grade Level by Age Calculator (K-12 / UK Year / IB)
Enter a child's birth date and a reference date; the tool returns the equivalent US K-12 grade (K, 1–12), UK / Hong Kong school year (Y1–Y13), IB Programme stage (PYP / MYP / DP) and the academic-year cut-off used. Useful for international families, school transfers and study-abroad planning.
Target GPA Next Term Calculator (Required GPA for Cumulative Goal)
Enter your current cumulative GPA and credits earned, the credits planned for next term, and the cumulative GPA you want by end of next term. The tool returns the minimum GPA you must score next term — using (target × total credits − current GPA × earned credits) ÷ next-term credits − and flags whether the target is mathematically reachable.
GPA Scale Converter (4.0 / 4.3 / 5.0 / 10-pt / 20-pt / Percentage)
Enter a grade and its source scale (US 4.0, Canadian 4.3, Indian 10-point, French 20-point, European percentage, etc.); the tool maps proportionally to every other scale and shows the equivalent letter grade — handy for international study applications and cross-institution grade comparisons.
IELTS ↔ TOEFL iBT ↔ Duolingo English Test Score Converter
Enter a score from any one of the three big English tests (IELTS 0–9, TOEFL iBT 0–120, Duolingo DET 10–160); the tool converts to the other two using the official / industry-recognised concordance tables — useful for study-abroad applications, CEFR level mapping and cross-test comparison.
Coleman-Liau Readability Index Calculator
Paste English text; the tool computes the Coleman-Liau Index (based on letter count and sentence count) to estimate US grade reading level — unlike Flesch-Kincaid, it needs no syllable counting and is easier to automate.
Reading Pages-Per-Day Schedule Calculator
Enter total pages, current page and a deadline; the tool returns pages-per-day required and projected finish date. Can also invert: how many days to finish at X pages per day.
Essay / Article Writing Time Estimator
Enter the target word count and your effective writing rate (words/minute), optionally with a revision-and-proofread multiplier; the tool estimates total writing time and the words-per-day pace needed to finish before a chosen deadline.
TOEIC Score ↔ CEFR Level Converter
Enter your TOEIC Listening + Reading score (0–990) or Speaking + Writing score (0–400); the tool maps it to a CEFR level (A1–C1) using the ETS official concordance — useful for immigration, study abroad and multinational job applications.
Gunning Fog Readability Index Calculator
Paste a passage of English text; the tool applies the Gunning Fog formula 0.4 × ((words / sentences) + 100 × (complex / words)) to give a readability index — roughly the US grade level needed: 8 = popular writing, 12 = high school, 17 = postgraduate.
Student-to-Teacher Ratio Calculator
Enter the number of students and the number of teachers; the tool returns the student-to-teacher ratio (e.g. 18:1) and where it sits relative to the OECD Education at a Glance benchmarks (primary ≈ 14:1, lower-secondary ≈ 13:1) — the standard metric for parents shortlisting schools, administrators planning staffing and policy researchers comparing systems.
Exam Time Per Question Calculator
Enter total exam time, number of questions and (optionally) buffer minutes reserved for review; the tool returns the per-question budget (min:sec), the net working time, and the 25 % / 50 % / 75 % pacing checkpoints — useful for SAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, MCAT, USMLE, BAR and most timed standardised exams.
Reading Speed (Words Per Minute) Calculator
Enter the number of words you read and the time it took (minutes + seconds); the tool returns words per minute (WPM) and a reading band (slow / average / college / fast / speed-reader) — useful for students, SAT/GMAT prep, and any self-assessment of reading pace.
Credits to Graduation Calculator
Enter your degree credit requirement, credits already earned and average credits per term; the tool returns the remaining credits, terms required and projected graduation date — and shows your overall completion percentage. Useful for college students and adult learners.
Language Fluency Hours Calculator (FSI Category Method)
Pick the target language category (FSI 1–5; Spanish/French are Cat 1, Japanese/Arabic are Cat 5) and daily study hours; the tool uses the US Foreign Service Institute reference (600 → 2200 hours range) to return the total study hours needed for Speaking-3 / Reading-3 fluency and the calendar time it will take at your pace.
College Course Credit Tuition Cost Calculator
Enter credits per term, cost per credit, number of terms and per-term fixed fees (health insurance, student services, etc.); the tool returns total tuition, per-term cost and total degree cost — useful for comparing schools or planning a major / minor load.
Backpack Weight Limit Calculator (10–15% body-weight rule)
Following the American Academy of Pediatrics guideline that a school backpack should not exceed 10–15 % of the childs body weight, this tool returns the safe, caution and overload thresholds so parents can sanity-check the morning bag.
Vocabulary Per Day Target Calculator
Pick a target vocabulary size (e.g. 1,000 Japanese words), how many you already know and your target date. The tool returns new words per day, plus the Anki / spaced-repetition steady-state review load and estimated minutes-per-day — with one-click presets for JLPT, TOEIC and GRE.
Words Per Day to Hit Writing Deadline Calculator
Enter the target word count, words written so far, deadline date and writing days per week; the tool returns the daily word target you need to hit — useful for NaNoWriMo, theses, dissertations and long-form drafts.
Presentation Slide Count by Duration Calculator
Enter talk length and pace (1–2 min per slide); using Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule and TED / academic-conference norms, the tool returns the recommended slide count plus average time per slide.
Audiobook Listening Time Calculator
Enter book pages (or word count), narrator WPM and your playback speed (1.0× / 1.5× / 2.0×); the tool returns total listening time in hours and minutes.
Exam Cram Hours Allocation Calculator
Enter total study hours and each topic / chapter's exam weight; the tool returns hours-per-topic in proportion to weight — useful for finals, SAT, GRE, CFA and other multi-topic exams.
College Credit Converter (US Credit Hours ↔ ECTS ↔ UK CATS)
Enter credit count and origin system (US semester / US quarter / ECTS / UK CATS); converts among all four using Bologna + ACE transfer conventions, plus shows full-time year fraction and estimated total student workload hours.
Instrument Practice Hours-to-Goal Calculator (100 / 1 000 / 10 000 hours)
Enter daily practice minutes and a target cumulative hour goal (e.g. 100, 1 000 or the famous 10 000 hours) to see how many days, months and years it will take.
Drop Lowest Grade(s) Average Calculator
Enter a list of scores and how many lowest grades the policy drops — the tool compares the plain average against the drop-lowest average so you can see how much a class's drop-lowest policy moves your grade.
Online Course Weekly Hours Planner
Enter the total course hours, weeks of duration and weekly time you can commit — get the required hours per week, a feasibility check and a video / reading / assignment split.
Essay Word Budget Allocator (by Section Weight)
Enter your essay total word count and the weight percentages for each section (intro, body paragraphs, conclusion, etc.) to get suggested word targets per section with a tolerance band.
Multiple-Choice Random Guess Expected Score Calculator
Enter number of questions, options per question and scoring rule (penalty / no penalty for wrong answers) to get the expected score, standard deviation and a "should you guess" recommendation — handy for SAT / ACT / GRE / AP / IB exam strategy.
Lexile Measure ↔ Grade Level Converter
Enter a Lexile measure (e.g. 850L) to see the recommended grade range and CCSS "stretch" target band — or enter a grade to see its expected Lexile interval.