Exam nerves – how a private tutor can help you take control
Every student feels nervous before an important exam or test – the secret is not to let anxiety affect performance…
London-based tutor Ann Ashton, who has coached children of all ages for exams for the past 30 years, reports that one aspect of exams is always consistent.
‘More marks are usually lost through the student’s nervousness than through their lack of knowledge. They basically panic,’ she says, ‘and in this panic, they don’t read the questions thoroughly. In particular, they don’t register the different amount of marks allocated for each question. They might spend too much time worrying about not knowing the answer to a question, say, worth five marks when they should be concentrating on the question worth 25 marks.’
Exam worries – lack of knowledge or deeper anxiety?
The above is a typical scenario that can be improved with lots of exam technique practice. But today’s students, who, from a young age, have to cope with high expectations and pressure, are prone to more generalised exam anxiety. Niggling worries about an impending test can interfere with sleep patterns, lead to loss of appetite and difficulty in concentrating, and result in a spiraling decline in self-confidence and performance. The exam period is a frustrating time for everyone in a household. Parents may worry about a child’s apparent lack of interest and motivation. Pupils may not want to listen to well-meaning suggestions from their family and may appear to reject their support. The intervention of a private tutor – with a more objective approach and less emotionally involved – introduces much-needed elements of confidence and calm.
How you can help as a parent during exams
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Acknowledge feelings and perceptions as real
- Ensure early nights so that your young person gets enough sleep
- Understand that due to stress, organization and memory can go ‘offline’
- Have a ‘You’ve got this’ attitude’
- Check on appetite and food/water intake
- Encourage meditation and breath work
- Talk about summer plans
- Provide plentiful stationery supplies
- Help with revision/flashcards or drawing out understanding/knowledge
- Show how self -talk can reframe a panicking mindset
How a private tutor can help during exams
As all families who benefit from private tuition know, academic learning sessions with a tutor are built around the needs and learning pace of the individual student. The tutor will take the same personalised approach when it comes to exams. She will talk to the pupil about whether she is nervous about specific questions/timing or whether she is experiencing more fundamental anxiety.
During sessions with a private tutor, students can ask the questions which are worrying them. These issues might be about the exam itself, or they may be about their physical or emotional responses when in the exam room. The one-to-one element of private tuition is valuable here. In a busy classroom, a teacher may not have the opportunity to answer the questions of each individual but a private tutor won’t mind being asked the same question – and giving reassurance – more than once. Above all, private tutoring sessions offer a non-critical, ‘safe’ space where students can express their concerns freely.
Feeling organised with a revision plan is key
Revision plans will be formulated well in advance of the actual exam. They may include reviews of past papers, timed tests or ‘mock’ exams. With the help of past papers, a private tutor will go through each question/ essay subject, explaining the importance of good technique such as timing, writing an essay plan and delivering enough answers to gain maximum marks for a particular question. A tutor will emphasise the importance of ‘staying power’ and encourage the pupil to remain at the exam even when they have finished early. Tutor Ann Ashton cites the last quarter of an exam as the time when extra marks can be gained by going over each question again. ‘This is a really hard thing to do for someone who is simply relieved to have finished the paper,’ she says. ‘But extra marks are always picked up.’
For students experiencing physical and emotional difficulties as a result of their anxiety, a private tutor will suggest coping strategies for use before and during the exam. Deep breathing, taking a moment to calm down, a focus on one question at a time and replacing negative with positive ‘can do’ thoughts are all effective. Coping with exam pressure – a guide for students – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Away from the exam room and with the assistance of the student’s wider family, a private tutor will also provide emotional support and advice on general well-being during the whole exam period.
Using the support of a private tutor during exams is an investment in a pupil’s future academic performance and confidence. All the coping skills learnt through sessions with a private tutor can be taken forward into the student’s progress and development, where university and/or professional exams will present similar pressurised situations. Thanks to the one-to-one engagement with her tutor, a pupil will have the subject knowledge, excellent exam technique and coping skills to fall back on.
Exams are a permanent feature both in our education system and in many professions. It’s impossible to avoid the differing levels of anxiety and panic as exams approach, but with the help of a private tutor, it is entirely possible to recognise and control them. For more information about how a private tutor can assist your family during this exam period, visit Best Private Tutors in Brighton, Hove & Sussex (elitetutorssussex.com).
Words: Lindsey Tydeman
