Coping with exam stress
You will know your son or daughter best of all, and will have insights into the way they operate under pressure that others do not have.
Use this section of our website to find out more about:
Supporting your son/daughter during exam time
Below are some useful tips to support your son/daughter during exam time, from other parents:
- Make sure that your son or daughter has somewhere quiet where they can work without distraction. This may be at home, in a local library or there may be facilities at school
- Make sure every one else in the house knows that this time leading up to exams is important for your son or daughter
- Be aware that this is a time when they may not always react as they normally would – try to make allowances
- Whilst recognising these examinations are important, try not to let your own anxiety transmit to your son or daughter – life will go on regardless of results
- Avoid adding pressure by offering incentives to succeed
- Try to keep your own hopes and expectations to yourself – stating these can add pressure to a situation that many students find stressful enough as it is.
- Let them know that you are there for them and willing to listen when they need to talk.
- Watch out for too many late nights studying. Most people find that they study best in the morning when they are fresh.
- Suggest complete breaks from study
- Make sure that regular food is available and encourage your son or daughter to take time out to eat.
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Supporting your son/daughter during results time
Before the results are known
- Try to take the emphasis away from the results and talk about other things
- Suggest things to do to take their mind ( and yours) off results
- Be aware that getting lower results than hoped for is not the end of the world. Although disappointing, there are usually other options / routes available.
- You may be as nervous as your son or daughter as the results are about to be published – try not to show it
When results become known
If the results are what were required:
- Be happy and share this with your son or daughter
- If they have achieved the results needed for their 1 st choice university, they will be accepted automatically for that place
- Courses applied for through systems outside UCAS or in other countries can still be considered alongside the place gained through UCAS
- Confirm take up of accommodation as soon as possible ( if accommodation has not yet been sought / found, your son or daughter should action this immediately)
If the results are not as required
- Try to keep calm yourself and, without dismissing the importance of what is happening, remind your son or daughter that there are still many options available which might even work out for the better in the long term
- Re assure your son or daughter that they may still gain entry to either their 1 st or “insurance” offer HE establishment.
- Be ready to support them through the “clearing” process if it becomes necessary
- Reassure them that there are still many extremely good alternative ways forward
If only slightly short of the required grade:
- Encourage your son or daughter to check with their 1st choice HE establishment to find out whether they may be accepted anyway
- If not accepted – and they have the grades for their “insurance” offer, then they will automatically be accepted there
- If grades are a little short for the “insurance” offer, your son or daughter should check with their “insurance” HE establishment to see if they may be accepted anyway
If grades are significantly short and not accepted by 1 st choice or “insurance” HE establishments, be supportive and encourage your son or daughter in the following ways:
- They should ring the admissions department of HE establishments (that appeal to them and which offer a similar or acceptable course for which their grades are sufficient) to express interest in the course find out if the establishment may be interested in receiving a clearing application from them.
- If your son or daughter has opted into the VT Indigo service whilst at school, they can contact their VT Indigo adviser directly for help and support and to review their options. They will already have been given the email address and access telephone number of their VT Indigo adviser when they met in school. This adviser will be able to discuss all the relevant choices and, impartially, explain what each would involve and the implications of each.
- Encourage your son or daughter to make use of the “Results Service” at their local Connexions Centre. Staff there can help them to weigh up their options and support them in their decision about their next step.
- School careers staff are also often at school during this period.
- They should access the web and the national press to see the lists of course vacancies still available and ring those which genuinely appeal
- If welcomed to do so, help your son or daughter to explore these alternative establishments through published prospectuses and the net.
- When your son or daughter has a firm expression of interest from an HE establishment in which they are definitely interested, they should send their completed Clearing Entry Form (CEF) to the establishment concerned.
- If confirmed with a place at this establishment, your son or daughter should immediately make enquiries about available accommodation there
If no HE place which is acceptable is attainable this year, be aware that there are several options available:
- An alternative subject in HE in the same year
- Taking a constructive year out and applying again the following year by pitching their application towards establishments offering courses for which your son or daughter does have the grades. This year may also involve study to upgrade a particularly required subject or a subject in which they faired less well.
- Re-sitting all their examinations again – or taking alternative qualifications
Applying for jobs with a career potential which may allow study alongside – even towards eventual degree level.
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