How many hours a day of study for GCSE mocks?

[Newhouse76]

DD’s mocks begin straight after October half term. She will be off for 2 weeks during half term so this period will effectively function as study leave.

For those with DC who have been through this already, how many hours a day did they study? Did they complete a ‘normal’ school day at home from 9-3? I remember studying till 10pm at night back in the day however that just seems excessive!

Any hints and tips would be much appreciated please

Hi, I saw you mention this on the GCSEs 2020 thread.

It depends on the teenager, but I would expect mine to aim for 3-4 hours most days (not including breaks).

Of the 16 days, I'd recommend they take 2-3 days off completely (no studying).

I don't think there's a magic formula that works for everyone. You also have to bear in mind that GCSEs are a marathon, not a sprint - start too heavy early and risk burning out. Things to consider: (I've done this twice)

• Are they having one set of mocks or two? If this is the first set of two, definitely don't overdo it. It's about identifying strengths and weaknesses to improve focused study going forward.
• Have they covered the entire syllabus yet? If sections haven't been taught yet, they shouldn't be a top priority because the school has to teach them first!
• Consider the individual needs of your DC. Are they academically strong or not?
• Much of the homework set in Yr11 will be revision focused - this should be included in study time for mocks if done over the half term break.

If the break is 2 weeks, at this stage in Yr 11 they really shouldn't be studying for more than half of it. My DDs started serious revision (including after school sessions) after Christmas and got great results.

Thank you both, this is helpful

Zero - good opportunity to test natural ability. At least that’s how I handled it in the 90s!