Year 7 exams, how much revision?

[sunnydayinmay]

Just curious really. DS1 has year 7 exams in a few weeks, and tells me that they have been advised to do 8 hours per day on the three weekends leading up to them.

[PerspicaciaTick]

DD has Y7 exams too - they've already done some of the language exams. She is doing some revision - but neither she or the school are discussing it with me, so I'll leave them to it. She appears relaxed and confident but time will tell - and if she fluffs them then I will be able to say "Remember Y7" next time she has exams.
Eight hours a day seems an awful lot to me.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

I have two children in Y7.

DD is at a school that takes end of year exams quite seriously. They had to create a revision timetable for homework and are expected to try out different revision techniques. She is planning to do about 2-3 hours a day during half term ready for exams starting the following Monday, so about 10-15 hours in total.

DS3 is at a school where the end of Y7 exams are not as big a deal, but he wants to do well enough in Maths to stay in his current set, and says he also wants to do some German and Science revision. I expect he'll do about 1-2 hours a day during half term, so about 5-10 hours in total.

I also have a 16 year old who is in the middle of GCSEs, and I wouldn't even expect him to do 8 hours of revision in one day.

[Cleo1303]

DD is doing 2 x 30m and 1 x 40m each night. There is not too much homework in the two weeks running up to the exams. She is revising for 12 subjects.

[Cleo1303]

DD is doing 2 x 30m and 1 x 40m each night. There is not too much homework in the two weeks running up to the exams. She is revising for 12 subjects.

I think 8 hours a day is too much. I don't think you are absorbing that much if you are tired and getting bored.

[starfish4]

Despite nagging, DD never did any revision in Years 7, 8 and 9 - luckily she still got the results expected! Totally turned around now and revised as much as she could for Year 10 exams and is already preparing posters and flash cards for GCSEs next year!

[Napnah]

year 8 exams here. No revision planned until half term when I expect she'll do 2 x 2hr slots a day along with her year 11 sister who is doing GCSEs.

dd1 never did a stroke of revision until year 10 and is predicted good grades at GCSE so ...

[Napnah]

A good rule is to stick to your school timetable during half term. Go outside during PE lessons and revise the subjects as they appear. Watch TV during drama :-D

[lljkk]

8 hours per day on the three weekends.

I'd run sixty miles a mile from any school that suggested that for 11 yr olds.
I could just about see it as reasonable for ambitious yr11s.

yr7 DS is in the middle of assessment season, he's been doing 20 minutes revision the night before each 45 minute exam. Plenty. We had a 5 pg letter about revision back in April which I ranted about at length; the letter made me ban DS from any revision until the weekend before his exam season started.

[Panicmode1]

DS is at a SS grammar and they have told them to make up a revision timetable and to do at least an hour a day...8 hours seems a bit excessive to me But I guess it depends on one's child, how well they absorb and retain information and how motivated they are. DS is VERY keen to do really well so is doing a fair amount already - the exams don't start until a week or so after half term.

[ErgonomicallyUnsound]

DS is at a SS and has not been advised to do any revision, yet.

Some lessons they are doing a bit, and I suppose they may be told to do some before half term, but no sign of any yet.

[GinandJag]

8 hours per day is ridiculous.

[scopello]

DS has received a really comprehensive revision guide. 12 exams straight after half term and we're away on holiday that week. Oh joy.....I guess I need to suggest to him that he needs to get on with it next week. I can't remember doing any serious revision before I did my GCSE's.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Just received DD's timetable for her Y7 exams, and they've set it out like DS1's GCSE exam timetable! She even has a candidate number! I did say that end of year exams were taken seriously at her school. She still won't be doing more than 2 or 3 hours of revision a day in half term though.

[cece]

DS1 has an assessment week next week or at least that is what I have read on my calendar. There seems to be no evidence at home of any preparation on his behalf. He did mutter something about not bothering with revision....

He is away all weekend hiking with the Scouts so we shall see. TBH he could do with a shock. He usually breezes through tests and finds he needs no preparation - so if he gets bad scores it may be a good thing in the long run.

[amidawish]

8 hours a day is lunacy. is he sure?
no one can revise effectively for 8 hours a day. if he is right i would personally be talking to the school.

i take the approach it is a marathon not a sprint. the goal is GCSEs/A levels. You want to instill an interest in learning, engagement, skills to learn and revise.

i'm also with cece, i'm not going to nag dd. she can do well or she can do badly. doing badly or not as well as she thinks she deserves to in yr7 exams out of lack of revision may be the kick up the arse she needs.

[DontCallMeBaby]

I've heard nothing about revision from DD - just that they're on a two-week homework holiday at the moment.

8 hours a day is patently insane. There's a reason school days aren't 8 hours long - no one learns well over a day that length.

[sunnydayinmay]

Thanks everyone. DS was quite certain, but I think the school must be aware that it's not going to happen!

He's still getting homework, but a lot is starting to be revision based. He's not worried now, which is the main thing.

[Nuttybutnice]

8 hours a day seems a huge amount. But I would think it is more important to make sure it is effective time rather than just a long time. Using games and quizzes will help memory recall in a fun way - they are only year 7 after all :-)

[BertrandRussell]

"A good rule is to stick to your school timetable during half term. Go outside during PE lessons and revise the subjects as they appear. Watch TV during drama :-D"

Yep. That's a good idea. Might I suggest you go to work during your holidays too? Just to keep your hand in..........

[BertrandRussell]

If they need to do that much revision for end of year 7 exams, I would be questioning the quality of the teaching, quite frankly.

And my child would be out of the schoil so fast their feet wouldn't touch the ground.

[sunnydayinmay]

Haaa! Just had a school gates chat with a friend with a dd at the same school, and she is worried that the school are not taking the year 7 exams seriously enough, as they haven't provided parents with a revision timetable, unlike other local schools.

TheSecond these are all schools in your local area. Friend prefers the attitude of your dd's, and also SCD.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

sunnydayinmay That's interesting. DD has her reunion with her local primary school class tomorrow after school. We could do a bit of an unofficial survey, as her friends from Y6 now attend several of these schools. The one most of her friends went to is at the top of a hill, opposite a church.

[sunnydayinmay]

That's where ds is.

[blimeyalldecentnamesaregone]

Wow, a lot seem to be taking it very seriously. We were sent a timetable with dates for exams but no guidance on revision. I doubt DS will do much to be honest and I doubt school expect much.

With no disrespect, yr7 exams really mean very little. Why are people getting their knickers in a twist about them?