A level mocks....

[MonkeyTennis34]

For his A levels, DS2 has been predicted AAB (Maths, Film Studies and Physics in that order).

His Uni offers are AAA and one AAB to study Civil Engineering.

We don't see that much revision going on!
He says the Mocks aren't the real thing and he'll pull out all the stops for the actual exams🤨

Any tips on motivating him or shall we just leave him to it?

Make it easy for him to work - good desk or space to study. Teach him about study aids like pomodoro technique. Help him access revision guides and relevant info. Let him see others in the house working or studying (he won't be motivated to work if everyone else is watching a movie).

And then let him get on with the work.

Depends on what you think would motivate him for the real thing. My sporty competitive son gets motivated if he does not do well in exams - so I tend to let him fail them and he then pulls out the stops for the real thing. Yet anxious daughter who gets overwhelmed...a steady pace is better so would not let her fail something or she might feel next steps are too overwhelming and jump ship.

Civil Eng was on offer at BBB at Nottingham last year. I don't think he'll find Civil Eng and easy degree of those are his grades and he's a bit work shy

Totally agree with talking through with him what his plans are, making sure he has the space and things he needs then letting him get in with it.

Thanks all. Some great suggestions here.

Good to know about the Nottingham offer last year!

My DS did A level Physics and Maths a couple of years ago. What seemed to help him was ploughing through all of the past papers he could find - and he knew of quite a lot of people whose grades slipped in the real thing (especially Maths), but he was so lucky to get the grades (he just squeaked into the required grades), but we think it was only because of all of the past papers that he did, over a fairly long lead-in. I think in some ways it is difficult to ‘cram’ maths and physics, as just knowing the content isn’t enough - the exam papers are filled with the most obscure, complicated questions that get you to manipulate information in really bizarre ways, so the thing that is needed is loads and loads of practice of that type of question, so you don’t get completely thrown in the real thing. (the grade boundary for an A in physics was just over 50 per cent I think, the year my son did it; so it sounds like the whole cohort found it very difficult)..

Not sure how you persuade your DS to start putting the effort in, though. With my eldest it was something that he was driven to do, with my other DC, that is not so much the case! If you find any good strategies for this, do report back!

Has he taken any mocks yet OP, if so is he on track to meet his predicted grades?
My DS seems to step it up a gear if he doesn't get the scores/grades he was expecting. He's also decided on Civil Engineering and I get the impression from the open days that these courses have a lot of content and long hours so he might be in for a bit of a shock 😁
My DS has been offered BBC (contextual) from Newcastle for a MEng & it's his first choice. He's predicted AAB but I'm hoping that the fact he's also applying for degree apprenticeships will keep him motivated up to exam time.

What kind of engineer would take film studies as a 3rd option?

Anyway my DS's year 13 mocks weren't the best he got ABC. They didn't examine single maths for his mocks. Got A*AAA in the real thing after knuckling down

Sorry I should have been clearer. It was BBB in clearing.

Be open and helpful and encouraging but really, he's got to do this for himself. He can't be nagged into motivation.

@TinyMouseTheatre
No worries, DS said that was probably clearing.

Very true.

As Fwwz points out though about Film Studies, he might want to check that it woukd be considered.

@Fwwz What kind of engineer would take film studies as a 3rd option? one who is already taking Maths and Physics - the 2 core subjects you need for an engineering degree - and wants to take a 3rd subject they enjoy.

The OP already mentioned that he has 2 offers (at least)

That's a bit rude, he's taking the two core subjects so why shouldn't his 3rd be something he enjoys? More science subjects or Further Maths isn't required for civil engineering, the only a level subject I've seen as inadmissible on uni entry criteria is General Studies.
Let the lad have a few enjoyable hours a week at school!

DS is doing A level mocks at the moment. He reckons he’s putting in about 6/7 out of 10 in effort for his revision, but expects to step it up for the real thing.
I guess we’ll get an idea of how that works out in his mock grades and how they compare to his offer grades.

@MonkeyTennis34 does the AAB offer specify which A levels the A grades need to be in?

I agree with others, nothing wrong with film studies as an A level at all, perfectly acceptable; but the fact that his PG B is in physics may be an issue – if the engineering offers specify maths and physics as A grades. They may not of course.

Explain to him mocks matter because it's about having the under confidence you can do it when you go in for the real thing - it helps with the nervous Wobblies.

And maybe bribe him with cash. I sort of hate this tactic in principle BUT it really worked for my best friend at school.

@cyclingmum67
He has all 5 offers.

That's brilliant. Congratulations to him - and you too

As a teacher I was constantly asked by students if the results of tests actually ‘counted’ towards anything. The implication was that they wouldn’t bother revising if it didn’t. I would always answer that the test was important because if they were hit by a bus on the morning of their actual exam then their class tests would be used as evidence for the school to base advised grades on.

I left teaching in 2018 but anyone who was in education during 2020/2021 should know that mock grades can end up being the basis for actual grades.

As DS found out when he didn't revise fir his GCSES...

Sounds similar here. DS didn't do the greatest in his mocks but I actually think that was good reminder that he needs to put in the work.
To be fair, physics and maths are both so tough. I'm hoping that DS college deliberately marked harshly for mocks. Engineering offers are so so high.
Can I ask where the AAB was for ?

And as DD found out to her benefit for her GCSEs!

Mocks are useful for seeing why you didn't get more marks and whether there is a pattern ie lack of knowledge when answering a question. Is it knowledge or exam technique? Looking back at his year 12 end of year exams, if he sat those papers again would he get higher marks? They should have gone over the papers in class and he should have written in extra information as to what the mark scheme was looking for.

Mocks absolutely do matter and it is all well and good talking about applying himself for the actual exams but this isn't just about what he scores, this is about what everyone else scores too, the grade curve applies. He is up against other students in possibly better schools than his, with possibly better teachers and children whose parents are paying for one on one tutoring.