The night before
Resist the urge to cram. A relaxed evening and a good night of sleep do far more for performance than a late revision session. Pack everything that is needed the night before so the morning is unhurried.
- Check the time, place and what to bring with the school or consortium
- Lay out clothes and any allowed equipment
- Set an alarm with plenty of time to spare
- Keep the evening calm and get an early night
The morning of the exam
Wake with enough time that nobody is rushing. A balanced breakfast and plenty of water help concentration, while very sugary foods can cause an energy crash partway through a paper. Keep the mood light and ordinary rather than making a big occasion of it.
Arriving and walking in
Plan the journey with time for delays, so you arrive early and unflustered. A calm goodbye matters. A quick reminder to read each question carefully, to move on if one is hard and to come back to it later, is more useful than any last fact.
What happens in the room
Exact arrangements vary by region, but children are usually settled, given instructions and timed section by section. Reassure your child in advance that odd things sometimes happen in exam rooms, such as someone needing to leave, and that the only thing to focus on is their own paper.
After the exam
Whatever your child says about how it went, keep your response warm and low key. Children are often poor judges of their own performance, and a calm, proud reaction protects their confidence for any further papers still to come.
See where your child stands
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