Helping Your Child Prepare for School Exams

This is a collaborative post

No matter how old we are, exams can be a stressful experience, even as adults. There’s a lot of pressure to perform well and free time becomes revision time. GCSE students may worry about whether or not they’ll be able to study A Levels, and A Levels students may worry about whether or not they’ll be able to get into university or secure their dream job. Parents should provide their children with as much support as possible during exam period, using the following tips from a sixth
form in Hertfordshire.

Prepare a Revision Schedule

Help your child prepare for their exams by putting together a revision timetable with them. They should start their revision several months before their exams are due to start so they have plenty of time to absorb all of the information they need to perform well.

Ask your child (or ask their teachers directly) if there are any subjects or particular modules they are finding especially challenging, because these areas will need additional attention. There’s no point in your child spending the same amount of time revising for their Maths exam as for their Biology, if they are already brilliant at Maths and struggling with Biology. You should add in additional time in the revision schedule for Biology if this is the case.

Hire a Private Tutor

It might be worth hiring a private tutor in the run up to your child’s exams so that they can get one-to-one support on their school subjects. In a normal classroom, the teacher will have 20 or even 30 students to look after, so your child might not be getting enough assistance, especially if they are fairly average in their grades. A private tutor will be able to explain things in a way that your child truly understands and spend a shorter or longer amount of time on different concepts, depending
on their comprehension.

Look for Revision Clubs

Have a word with your child’s school and find out if they are holding any revision classes during lunch breaks or after school. These are great in the run up to exams because it will give your child the opportunity to ask questions and get some extra support, which they won’t be able to do if they are revising alone.

Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Choices

During exam period, your child’s physical and mental health is of the utmost importance. Stress can affect the immune system and if your child gets sick during exam period, they won’t be able to perform to the best of their abilities.

Make sure your child is eating a healthy, balanced diet, is getting enough sleep and exercise and is drinking plenty of water. Dehydration, lack of sleep and a diet filled with sugary, fatty foods will reduce your child’s ability to concentrate and may also lead to an illness.