Enter the days until your essay, paper or project is due, and the word count if you have one. The calculator splits your time across five stages, research, outline, first draft, revision and proofreading, and tells you which days each stage runs. It works for an essay, coursework, a paper or an assessment.
Enter the days you have
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Your answer
Your plan shows up here once you enter the days until the due date.
What to enter
- Days until the assignment is due
- A whole number, counting today. If it is due in three weeks, enter 21.
- Word count
- The length you are aiming for. With it, the plan shows how many words to write on each drafting day.
- Spare days before the due date
- Days you want free at the end. They come off your working days and sit after the proofread.
Worked examples
A 3,000-word essay due in 20 days
A student has 20 days to write a 3,000-word essay, with no spare days. These are made-up numbers.
- Take the spare days off the time you have: 20 – 0 = 20 working days.
- Share the working days across the five stages in the planning split of 25%, 10%, 35%, 20% and 10%, giving each stage at least one day.
- Divide the word count by the drafting days: 3,000 ÷ 7 = 429 words a day.
The first draft gets the biggest share, and drafting means about 429 words a day. The table shows when each stage runs.
With two spare days
A student has 10 days and wants 2 spare days at the end.
- Take the spare days off the time you have: 10 – 2 = 8 working days.
- Share the working days across the five stages in the planning split of 25%, 10%, 35%, 20% and 10%, giving each stage at least one day.
That leaves 8 working days across the five stages, then the spare days.
A very short deadline
A student has only 3 days.
- Take the spare days off the time you have: 3 – 0 = 3 working days.
- Share the working days across the five stages in the planning split of 25%, 10%, 35%, 20% and 10%, giving each stage at least one day.
With 3 working days, some stages cannot get a day of their own. Drafting and revising come first, so keep those, and combine the rest.
How the time is split
The plan uses a fixed planning split: 25% for research and reading, 10% to plan and outline, 35% for the first draft, 20% to revise and 10% to proofread and submit. This is a sensible default, not a rule from any university, and your assignment may need a different balance. Each stage gets at least one day when there is time. With fewer than five working days, drafting and revising come first and the rest are folded in.
Call it what your school calls it
It is an essay or coursework in the UK, a paper or project in the US, and an assessment or assignment in Australia. The plan works backwards from the due date either way.
How it is calculated
- Take the spare days off the days until the due date to get working days.
- Share the working days across the five stages at 25%, 10%, 35%, 20% and 10%, giving each stage at least one day.
- Round to whole days, and add or take off days so the total matches your working days.
- If you gave a word count, divide it by the drafting days to get words a day.
Working days = days until due – spare days
Stage days = working days × stage share, at least one day each
Assumptions to keep in mind
- You work on the assignment every day. If you cannot, add the days you will miss to the spare days.
- The split of 25%, 10%, 35%, 20% and 10% is a planning default. Change the plan if your assignment is research-heavy or practical.
- Stages run one after another. In practice you will overlap reading and drafting.
- Day 1 is today.
- The word count only sets a daily drafting target. It does not change the split.
Mistakes that give the wrong answer
Starting the draft late
The draft is the biggest stage. Starting it in the last third leaves no time to revise.
Skipping the spare days
Something usually goes wrong. Two spare days cost little and save a lot.
Counting days you cannot work
If you have exams or shifts in the period, do not count those days. Enter the days you can really use.
Proofreading in the last hour
Proofreading needs a fresh look. Give it its own day and a gap after revising.
Questions students ask
How do I plan an assignment?
Work backwards from the due date. Split the days between research, outlining, drafting, revising and proofreading, and keep a few spare days at the end. This page does the split for you.
How long should I spend on each stage?
This page uses 25% for research, 10% for the outline, 35% for the draft, 20% for revision and 10% for proofreading. That is a planning default, so adjust it for your assignment.
How many words should I write a day?
Enter your word count and the page divides it by the drafting days. It is a target for the draft, and the final length may change when you revise.
What if I have only a few days?
With fewer than five working days, the plan keeps drafting and revising and folds the other stages in. Start the draft early and cut the research to what you need.
Is this for an essay, coursework or a dissertation?
It suits any single written piece with a due date. For a dissertation, run it for each chapter, since the stages repeat.
Should I leave spare days?
Yes. Spare days sit after the proofread and cover problems you cannot see yet, like a source that arrives late.
