Effective exam preparation: How to get ready for the mocks and the real thing!
Mock exams are just around the corner for some, and already upon others. How is your teen holding up? Are they stressed out and overwhelmed with how much work they have to do, not knowing where to begin? Perhaps they are taking things a little too easy for your liking, and could be working a lot harder to get themselves ready.
Whatever your teen’s approach is there is no doubt that exam season is stressful. Here are some useful ways to help your teen take meaningful action and stay motivated and ready to ace those exams.
Setting achievable goals
Goals are all very well, but how do we get our kids to set meaningful, attainable goals and stick to them? It is true to say that many goals do not come to fruition, so why is that? There are two main reasons.
They are unattainable and unrealistic
There has not been a plan with specific action points to achieve them
Don’t worry! There are ways you can help your son/daughter set goals that will work for them. Here’s how;
Ask them to write them down. Examine what they have written. They may well put something down like ‘Get an A in Geography?’ If so then this is too specific. They need to break that down. For example, ‘Get an A in Geography’ could be broken down into their goal grade in coursework, their goal marks out of 40 for the exam, and so on. Drilling down into what an A is made up of will help them set action points too. Once they have established the goal then get them to write it down and display it somewhere where they will see it every day. Above their desk would be a perfect spot!
What is important to note here is to consider whether their goal is realistic. Now you know I am all for positivity and growth mindset-of course that is so important. But if they have been scoring D grades up until this point is that A realistic with only weeks to go until the big day? It is really important to have this chat gently with your teenager so that they don’t feel you’ve no faith in their ability. Look at what their teachers have targeted them, how well they’ve done in past tests, classwork and so on. Help them to set a realistic target based on all that evidence and how much work they are prepared to put into their revision.
Develop an action plan. What do they have to do to achieve their goal? Help them set action points, step by step revision tasks that they will complete over the coming days or weeks leading up to the exams.
Once they have set action points, schedule in progress checks. This could happen on a Sunday morning, for example. The purpose of this is to review what action they have taken so far. Are they improving? If so great! If not, then perhaps their revision strategies need rejigging. Do they need to try some new methods? The progress check is so important because often kids think of the end point rather than the journey.
Revision Timetables
A realistic and carefully thought out revision timetable is a game-changer for keeping kids on track with their exam preparation. Sometimes they are unsure of how to do this, so I am going to share with you the method I use with my clients.
How to write an effective revision timetable
Look at everything they have that week. I urge you not to let them cancel or give up extra-curricular activities. It is totally possible for them to do well and keep going to their dance/swimming/pottery/etc classes. In fact, it is essential that they keep their minds and bodies active and focused on something other than the exams at regular points in the week. This will give them energy and a well needed break from studying.
Make a list of all their subjects. They will need to return to each subject little and often throughout the week, so they don’t want to forget any! Schedule in the subjects, making sure they are spreading them out evenly across the week.
Aim to revise for 30/45 minutes at a time followed by a small break. So each slot should be no longer than 45 mins. Here is an example:
Monday
4:00-5:00 – rugby training
5:30-6:00 – Maths
6:10-6:40 – RE
6:40-7:15 – dinner
7:15-8:00 – English Lit
Write a ‘Ta Da’ list for each day. Schedule in 10 minutes at the end of the day to reflect on what they have achieved. It’s so easy to think that we haven’t done enough, but when we take the time to really think about it we usually have achieved more than we think. This will help your teen to stay motivated and feel positive about their revision and progress.
Effective Revision strategies
Start with the timetable. Consider an athlete preparing for an event or an actor preparing for role. Would they start the day before? Of course not. This is exactly the same for exams. The sooner your teen starts the better. It may be very close to the mocks now we are in late November, but there is still time. And remember these methods to help them prepare for the real thing!
Make sure the revision timetable spreads out all their subjects and topics, so that they are revisiting them often. Research has shown than cramming does not work. Instead you need to keep on top of every subject every day (A Level), or every few days (GCSE). Include a variety of strategies like the ones I have listed below!
Reading notes will not help teens retain information. Their reading needs to be active. If they are going to read through their notes then they need to highlight with a key so they know why they are highlighting something. For example, they could use a colour for key dates, key arguments for, arguments against, and so on.
Revision O’Clock. I love this method. Get a large piece of paper and draw a clock face in the middle. For every topic spend five minutes writing down notes on all the key points within that topic. Check this out as an example.
Use past papers to test themselves. Make sure they are practising for the exam method, so if the English exam requires them to write an essay on Romeo and Juliet, then their test should be just that. Many of the marks available will be rewarding essay writing skills as well as subject knowledge.
Allow them to fail. Reassure them that it really is OK! This will show you the gaps in their knowledge. Go back over your flashcards and test again.
Mind map key concepts. Display on their wall!
Use worked examples and check them against the assessment criteria. Get them to look at examples for the grade they want, but also ones below and above. Check they understand how and why they have been graded differently. Then get them to write a checklist of all the things they need to do to score that mark.
Encourage them to teach someone-you! This is where parents you can be extremely useful! Get your teenager to teach you about the topic they have been studying that morning. Then relay back what they have taught you, and allow them to correct you. This will be a real confidence boost for them, as well as consolidating their learning.
If you think your son or daughter is struggling to cope with the pressure of exams, then I can help! I am taking on more 1:1 clients after Christmas. 1:1 coaching and mentoring involves meeting your teen online once a week for 45 minutes to work through goal setting, revision strategies, developing a growth mindset, overcoming fear and self-doubt, and coping with exam stress. By checking in with me once a week they will be able to cope with the demands of studying for important examinations, and will be held accountable for keeping up to date with their study schedules. As a parent this time in your child’s life can be extremely pressured for you also. They may well become frustrated with you and your suggestions, and it is not uncommon for there to be a tense atmosphere in the house! Having me take on much of that for you will give you the reassurance that it is all in hand. All you need to do is make sure they are well fed and watered, and that they get enough sleep. Investing in ‘Exam Mindset and Mentoring’ will have a positive impact on the whole family.
If you would like to book a no obligation call to talk further about this package book a call.