School Guide Founder Victoria Bond has more than a decade of experience interviewing revision experts, head teachers and examiners. Here she shares her tips for parents who want to help their teens ace GCSEs

Every year as the GCSE exam season approaches, parents across the land tell me that they hear the same five little words: I don't know how to revise.

Information is everywhere but GCSE students facing their first real set of external exams often don’t know where to begin. 

Students now take on average 9 GCSEs and have to prepare for two or three papers per subject. It’s A LOT. Add to this an increasingly loaded landscape of TikTok teachers and apps promising top grades or your money back, and it’s no wonder our teens can feel overwhelmed. 

This is where we as parents can help. As resistant as our teenagers may be at the beginning, mums and dads can be the best behind-the-scenes GCSE cheerleaders. 

I've been through GCSEs twice now with my own sons and I’d be lying if I said it was easy. But if we help them to help themselves, they have strategies and habits that will stand them in good stead for A levels, university and beyond. 

10 tried and test tips for GCSE revision that really work 
 

1. Help them nail their GSCE revision timetable

Teen procrastination and overwhelm is real, and working with them to break down days available, hours per day and dividing-up and prioritising time per subject can be an excellent way to get them out of the revision blocks. As parents, we can also help them plan when to stop. It might not sound like a common problem but teens can tend to start by doing long stretches – and then giving up. Research shows shorter bursts and regular breaks can be as important as the work itself. The Pomodoro technique, for example, demonstrates that 25 minute revision blocks can be the most effective way for the brain to retain information. Dedicated revision platforms offer built-in planners and our favourite is by exam experts Pearson Revise who make it super easy to allocate time to subjects and also slot in regular breaks and time for non-revision activities.
 

2. Work with them to get organised

Remember 8 to 10 different GCSE Examinations is a huge amount of  content, books and information… even for an adult to negotiate. Help them assemble their textbooks, notes and exercise books by subject at the very start of their revision. Knowing where each subject material is helps the teen brain to reduce unnecessary stress and study more effectively. Oh, and by getting involved, you can limit this step to avoid tidying equalling revising. 
 

3. Be a breakfast (and water) monitor

A 2019 UK study found that school pupils who eat breakfast regularly score nearly two GCSE grades above their peers who often miss the meal. So making sure your child has nutritious food each morning will literally give them a head start. Foods that supply a steady source of energy - these are known as low glycemic foods and include oats, berries, eggs, Greek yogurt, and whole-grain bread - are ideal fuel for a hard-working brain both on exam day and in the lead-up. Encourage them to keep a water bottle on their study desk too: H2o is essential for your brain cells to communicate. Even mild dehydration will impact the speed at which your brain is able to process information. The NHS recommendation is between six to eight glasses a day.



 

4. GCSE Revision: less highlighting and more quiz time

Teens sometimes fall into the default of spending hours studying using ineffective strategies. Re-reading chapters in textbooks or going over old notes with highlighters can feel productive as they recognise the material. But these are not research-based strategies and simply don’t help with recall in an exam hall. Encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone by interacting with material via quizzes and knowledge checks will much more quickly help them hone in on weak spots. Ditching the highlighters can feel hard; but remind them that proper active revision is meant to be hard at the start. Loading quizzes onto smart phones gives them an instant knowledge audit in their pocket.
 

5. Help them find their study happy place

A study from Harvard University showed that students who studied in a consistent, dedicated space performed better academically than those who did not. Studies also revealed that students had a 20% better learning rate in maths and 26% improved rate in reading when they had more access to daylight. So seeking out a quiet corner with good natural daylight is a foundation for effective study. So even if it means rejigging the layout of your house, or perhaps moving around their bedroom, make sure they have a space that works.

6. Pass the past papers

Helping them access past papers and mark schemes is essential. In fact, some students swear by doing past papers and nothing else. Encourage them to do timed papers and mark their work – honestly – and over the coming weeks and months they will see real progress. They should also become familiar with examiner’s reports that show them where they can pick up, and importantly lose, marks on common topics and questions. Again Pearson.com are the gurus when it comes to past papers and have a treasure trove of past exams on their website for students to churn through.

7. Unlock the (secret) examiners’ reports 

This is the one killer aspect of GCSE revision that I wish I’d known about sooner. Expert revision guides like the Pearson Revise eBooks include a section on the summary pages called Examiner’s report. This highlights common weaknesses for each topic based on feedback from hundreds of examiners. They flag areas where GCSE students commonly lose marks. Try Pearson Revise free for 7 days.
 

8. Jazz up the flash cards

Flashcards are a tried and tested way to memorise material. But lots of students use them the wrong way. Flashcards work best with a couple of keywords or a question on one side and then on the other the answer or explanation. Embrace colour (use doodles, images, even photos) and remember capital letters have been found to aid memory (as they take that bit longer to write). Students should start off by creating their flashcards from memory and then check and add additional material and detail using your textbooks and revision guide. Alternatively, you can buy pre-prepared flashcards and these can be effective on-the-go revision aids. 

9. Embrace ‘Blurting’ 

Sounds bizarre but ‘blurting’ is an excellent interactive study method that involves brainstorming (blurting) as much as you know on each topic on one piece of paper and then filling in gaps with the aid of your notes. It’s such a useful technique because it activates your working memory and helps to hone in on areas of a topic that you are struggling with or perhaps are missing completely.  This method also works exceedingly well in small groups as the overlap in knowledge helps others fill gaps and it can add a bit of interactive fun and socialisation to the drudge of solo revision sessions.

10. Finally, help teens keep calm through GCSEs

Exams and stress often feel like two sides of the same coin. And, unfortunately, it seems like pressure is only getting more intense for teens: last year Childline reported a 10% increase in exam-related counseling sessions, and it expects that number to continue to rise. Parents have a huge part to play in buffering kids against the pressures of GCSEs. Remind them that you are on their side; discuss their worries and encourage them to prioritise self-care activities such as hobbies, sport and relaxing with friends and family. Avoid threatening or putative approaches if you can: saying you’ll take their phone away if they don’t revise more or that a holiday will be cancelled for example. Be their cheerleader not their taskmaster. Constructive feedback, reassurance and plenty of saying well done will pay off come results day. 

The ultimate GCSE revision toolkit 
 

• Pearson Revise Online – One-stop-shop revision planner, knowledge checks, and all-important examiner reports for all GCSE subjects. Only £2.50 per month or £19.95 for access to all subjects for the whole year. Try Pearson GCSE Revise free for 7 days.

• Save My Exams – interactive exam paper questions organised by topic and difficulty.

• CGP Flashcards – analogue cards for quick recall and testing.

• Seneca – fastest growing homework and revision platform in the UK.

• BBC Bitesize – excellent videos and quizzes for secondary subject boosting.