More and more exam candidates apply for access arrangements, for example an individual room or breaks during an exam to help with stress. Schools and universities find themselves overwhelmed by such entitlements which clearly have to be evidenced before such resource-heavy arrangements are made. Finding yet another spare room and invigilator is an examination officer’s nightmare, has a negative knock-on effect for the rest of the school and is costly. 

A very sensible school Principal told me yesterday that she speaks with her Year 11and Year 13 exam candidates about exam stress by asking them whether they are finding it hard to sleep, feeling anxious, have lost appetite, are experiencing sadness and so on. When the majority admit to such experiences, she explains that this sounds absolutely normal and congratulates them on being ready. How refreshing! 

Normalising the unpleasant feelings of exams is exactly how parents can best support their child. Schools talk a lot about building resilience and yet by accommodating increasingly common requests for special arrangements in exams, they are enabling their child to lack that very resilience they will need at university and adult life. Imagine in a work situation being asked to give a presentation but seeking extra time, rest breaks and an empty room because the audience makes the presenter feel uncomfortable! 

Exam nerves are normal. They are undoubtedly unpleasant, and we all want to support our children as best we can. Some of the best ways to do this can be by making small practical adjustments at home for the next month. 

  • Stock the fridge with “picky bits” and healthy drinks. 

  • Have bite-sized chunks of fruit and carrots sticks etc. at the ready. 

  • Invest in those probably unnecessary vitamins and supplements, if only for the placebo effect. 

  • Ensure all uniform or favourite clothes are laundered and fresh. 

  • Replenish any favourite “vital” toiletries. 

  • Check stationery requirements (see-through pencil case, pens, pencils, erasers, calculator etc.) without fussing and replenish supplies quietly as a matter of routine. Yes, it is their responsibility, but you can support quietly in the background. 

  • Have the car fuelled and ready to drive to the exam to avoid a last-minute panic. 

  • Avoid as many diary appointments as you can so that you are there for your child but unobtrusively. 

  • Try to assure a calm home and aim not to exacerbate any tensions even though your child may be goading you. 

  • Set an example by going to bed at a reasonable time and getting up maybe just a little earlier than usual to help ensure the morning runs smoothly. 

  • Keep to the script: exams are absolutely normal, routine, part of a school career. Feeling nervous is the body communicating its readiness. 

In my career of over 40 years, I recall just two examinees who were very seriously negatively affected by stress. If I could have enveloped them in cotton wool I would have done so without hesitation. They are in their mid-30s now. They were so horribly stultified by pre-exam nerves that I recall them by name and know what they are doing now – both very successful professionals, one in the UK, one in Moscow. They got through it without an individual room, without special arrangements but simply by undergoing what was a very nasty experience for them and surviving. They were the exception. The majority of candidates do not actively enjoy the exam experience, but it is part of the education journey. Let’s normalise it. 

By Fiona Pocock - Academic Director Education Advisers