GCSE mock exams can feel like a nightmare sometimes, can’t they? They ALL appear at the same time too, and can seem overwhelming.
We’ve all been there. Felt that fear – that panic – of sitting down to mock exams and knowing you:
- Are not prepared
- Haven’t revised enough
- Have had a winter cold and feel rubbish
Or if you have tried your best, and your mock exam results are lower grades than expected, that can truly knock your spirits.
Don’t let it. Let’s instead focus on how you can turn what you think of as ‘failing’ into winning.
After all, failure is part of life. You have the chance to try again…
Re-frame Mock Exams
While it’s natural to feel disappointed that you didn’t do as well this time round, it’s essential that you don’t let it knock your confidence.
Instead, re-frame mock exams so that you can turn any failure into a strength.
Shall we first unpick what mock exams actually do?
- Mock exams are designed to be brutal as they are often the first experience you’ve had of sitting loads of different papers at the same time. They’re simply a dummy run.
- Because they are simply a test, you have opportunities aplenty to learn from them so that you know what to do in the real thing..
- Mocks helpfully flag up areas that you are weakest at while confirming your strengths. Knowing the enemy truly is half the battle.
As students (whether at school or of life) we’re all a work-in-progress – we can all learn something new every day if we choose to focus on positives.
Your ‘Win-Win’ Game Plan
A better game plan is to LEARN from mistakes. Practical action you can take right now includes:
- Sift through your exam papers to identify two to three key areas that you fell down on. Make these the focus of your revision going forward.
- Often marks lost can be due to simple errors on the day. So wheedle out what they are to keep perspective.
- What techniques do you need to work on? Exams are not always about knowledge – often they are about how to use or present that information. Identify a key technique in each key subject and work on it.
- It can help to go over key questions that you either struggled on or didn’t achieve high marks for – and then tackle them again knowing what you know now.
- Visit exam board websites where you’ll find oodles of exam mark schemes and even exemplar responses. Google is your friend!
You see? Don’t waste energy obsessing that you got less marks for this or that question, or that you did better last year.
Dismiss that troll devil inside your head that’s tripping you up – and GRAB back control of your journey ahead right now.
Extra Help Can Make The Difference.
Working with a friend on a mock exam can help too…
Or else, arrange a personal tutor to help you with your core knowledge as well as help you tweak exam techniques fast. That could be the best decision you ever made.
Our fantastic team of tutors have been supporting students through mock exams for years. And know all the ins and outs of how to help you truly shine in your final exams.
Contact our Manchester and Cheshire private tutor team right here.
Tags: Confidence, Exam preparation, Exam techniques, failing exams, revision