Exams can be stressful for students no matter what their age may be. However, feeling anxious about exams is a totally normal feeling and at times it can help us to perform better! Excessive stress and worrying can have detrimental effects on students’ wellbeing though. In fact,  82% of teachers believe that tests and exams have the biggest impact on pupils’ mental health.

As a teacher you have a duty of care to all of your students and there are things that you can do to help your students through this time. Having worked in the education sector for many years, we’ve picked up on a tip or two from our teachers. Below are just some of the tips we have picked up over the years. 

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Where is it coming from? 

Understanding where the anxiety is coming from can be helpful for you and the student concerned as this allows you to figure out the best way to effectively manage it. Some examples of causes of test anxiety may be fear of failure, poor testing history and unpreparedness. 

How do you find out? Just simply ask the question. Some students may not know why they feel the way they do, but with some gentle prodding you are sure to find the answer! Once you know the reason behind the anxiety you can then offer solutions to help reduce it. For example, if a student is feeling unprepared you could provide them with a revision timetable or offer them resources to help them feel more prepared. 

Prioritising preparation 

Exam preparation is key to exam success.The earlier you advise your students to begin revising the better as it gives them a greater amount of time to digest the information. 

To ensure that students make time for revision, you may want to work with them to create a revision timetable or at the very least show them an example of what one could look like. This will help students to better plan their time. This may be particularly useful for those students who are finding it hard to sit down and concentrate as they have a million other things on their mind as it will provide them with a specific time period to focus. 

You’ll often find that during the lead up to exams schools will offer revision sessions before and after school. If that’s true for your school, be sure to ensure that the students know that these are happening and encourage them to attend. 

More than one way

Every student is different and different techniques work for different students. Everyone has a different learning style. Some students will learn through listening, some through watching and some through doing. If your students are sure what style is best suited for them, there are lots of quizzes online which can help - this one here is from the Education Planner.

There are lots of different ways that students can revise. Revision techniques recommended by BBC Bitesize include:

• Make it active - use post-it notes, mind maps and flashcards

• Test yourself - complete past papers and get family and friends involved 

• Watch, listen and learn - videos and podcasts can be just as helpful if not more helpful than notes 

Revision (much like life) is only as boring as you make it and the more interactive it is, the more likely your students are to enjoy it.

Wellbeing

Of course, there are students who despite following all the advice outlined will still feel stressed and anxious about their upcoming exams. There are lots of techniques out there to help people manage and cope with anxiety that could easily be used within an exam setting such as deep breathing, counting down and touchpoints. 

Furthermore, reminding your students to simply exercise, to get a good night’s sleep or to eat healthily can all be impactful on their wellbeing and therefore help them to feel less anxious in general. 

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Hopefully, you’ve found these tips helpful and something that you could use when helping your students to prepare for their next set of SATs, GCSEs or A-Levels. If you are looking for further support, take a look at our blogs where you can find tips on just about everything education related!