Ask Becki Bradshaw, Head of Revision and Test Practice, your questions about revision and exams

[MaddyMumsnet]

Created for Oxford Revision
Do you need tips to help your child revise effectively, manage exam stress, or create a study plan that works? Becki Bradshaw, Head of Revision and Test Practice at Oxford University Press, is here to answer your questions.
With years of experience and a team of experts behind her, Becki has developed resources and support that uses proven strategies to help students build confidence and succeed in their exams.

• Everyone who shares a questions on the thread below by 5/3/25 will be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice
• Becki will be back on the week of the 10/3/25 to answer some of your questions

About Becki Bradshaw: “As Head of Revision and Test Practice at Oxford University Press, Becki pulled together the best subject and cognitive science experts working in secondary education today to create the Oxford Revise team. Collectively, they have one mission: to give students access to the best strategies and guidance so that they can approach their exams with confidence, and succeed!"

Here’s what Oxford Revision has to say:
“By this point you’ve supported your child through many, many years of schooling and now, somehow, it’s time for exams! The Oxford Revise team knows what this is like first-hand, in fact many of us feel like we sat the exams ourselves. But one thing we’re certain of is - you’ve got this!””

So, whether you’re wondering how to structure revision sessions, looking for advice on balancing study and downtime, or simply want to know how to keep your child motivated during exam season, post your question on this thread for Becki to answer.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Terms and Conditions

My teen is studying for five highers, exams start in 8 weeks. What’s the best option for a study plan? A subject per day (what they’re doing) or smaller chunks of two or more subjects each day?

A second question if I may… when they’re at school all day, how many hours of study in the evening is optimum?

What are the best ways to help a child stay focused when revising?

And is it a case of trial and error to find the best revision methods for a particular child or are there ways to short cut that a bit?

Also unlike when I was at school, there seems to be a much shorter period of revision leave and much more "in school" revision. Does this change how we should approach revision?

I think timing and technique is as important as revision - you can spend half you time on one question which is worth 25% of the mark - any tips for helping with this ?

Would you concentrate on doubling up on the weaker subjects, or treat revision time on all subjects equally ? If that latter how would you help with the weaker subjects (Maths is one - the technique is there - it's just the speed of the questions.

How do I help my child gain confidence in answering questions? I know deep down he can figure out the answers but he lacks the confidence to 1. Read them slowly and figure out what they are asking and 2. To provide evidence of what they are asking.

Any advice for dealing with a perfectionist who wants top grades but may suffer burnout on the way there. I'm encouraging a balanced approach but it's falling on deaf ears. Thank you!

Another one here for timing - I think exam tecnique is as important as what you know - if you answer 4 out of 4 questions well - isn't it better than answering 2 out of 4 with higher quality answers - there is also the factor of 'weighting' answers - how would you help a child with answering questions which require lengthy answers. ?

Hello :)

What's the best way to design a revision timetable to suit your child's individual needs?

DS is doing 3 x A Levels and feels overwhelmed by content. We are trying bitesized (45 min chunks) but the thing he struggles with the most is running out of time in exams/big scoring essay questions. He has revision cards/text books/revision specific text books/past papers/folders/online resources - but it's almost too much and he just can't seem to find the 'thing' or the timed-plan that works for him.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

What advice do you have for a dyslexic and probably otherwise neurodiverse child who struggles to retain new information, especially in written form? When she was young it was all about singing, jumping, memory tricks…but these sort of things seem harder to do or encourage as she gets older.

Is handwriting very important when completing an exam paper ? and workings for maths questions - how important is that ? I know my child rushes things and will miss and rush just to finish the paper.

How would you help your younger children understand that their sibling really needs the time and space for revision - I have tried everything, persuasion, bribery and time out - they just creep up to the bedroom and want to play.

Is it worth doing past papers ? How can I try to make sure they have enough revision and down time? Is it worth taking a day out when I feel they are getting too stressed - and if so what would you recommend for the best down time activity for recharge and reenergise ?

Do you think having white noise in the room helps concentration - I've heard and read reports that it does ?

How would you find the correct method of revision for a child - some can remember things quickly, others (like me) have to read things over and over until it makes sense and sinks in. Particularly with English Literature and novels and quotes.

Is there a risk of burning out or getting stale by doing too much? My 18 year old DD seems to work all the time

What would you advise for someone who can’t physically write or type very much (and has a scribe for actual exams)?

So many revision techniques seem to be about writing info down to help condense and retain it - creating flashcards, writing essay plans, completing worksheets or online quizzes, writing down info from the board in lessons, etc. Thanks

My child always struggles with rushing in exams - worrying they won’t get through all the questions in time. They then end up missing sections or kids understanding questions. My question is How to get them to relax, take time and work through every question methodically?

Nat 5's here. Child usually gets A grade, but failed maths prelim in December. Contacted school to ask how to support but response was unhelpful. Got an A in her Apps of Maths prelim so she's capable, but has got it into her head that she can't understand her lessons with new teacher. Has a second prelim this month. How can I help her get out of the negative mindset?

Using past papers exposes students to the language / jargon that is often used in test questions, and gets them used to the question structure. They are also very useful as exam questions are sometimes recycled for later papers. But how do you convince a teenager of the value of this, and get past their resistance to even look at them?

Thank you for all of your questions. I really appreciate seeing the range of concerns and issues expressed here and you've given the Oxford Revise team much to think about how we can support you in the future. Where some of the questions are along similar themes I've tried to be less repetitive by tagging in usernames to answers that might help.

Hi @Dizzywizz. Schools do provide a lot of exam and revision support, with many putting on specific revision sessions to help. There are a lot of variables to consider including the age/stage of the child and how much is being done at school, but the important thing to know is that shorter, concentrated chunks of revision are going to be more effective than fewer, very long sessions. Your child should start with a good idea of where they need to focus. Whilst it's tempting and confidence-boosting to revise the topics they already know, try to encourage them to concentrate on areas they find harder. This may have come out in mocks, or be areas of focus suggested by their teachers.

Hopefully you'll also find more useful advice within other answers!

Hello @ButterOllocks. The important thing is having a quiet, space available where they have access to everything they need and where there is minimal distractions to allow them to really focus. If they break up their revision session into small chunks, like I've suggested in another answer, and include a session where they're working with a friend or parent doing retrieval questions, this will give them a bit of balance and hopefully they shouldn't feel too isolated.

The amount of time children should spend preparing for exams depends on their age/stage, and if they've been revising as they go through their course! @MumC2141 . Research tells us that revision is most effective when broken up into sessions of between 45-90 minutes with regular breaks/naps (yes, I did say naps!) If they have a full day available to revise for exams, like over their Easter holidays or at a weekend then they could follow a structure like this:

9-10.30: go over notes - this could be rereading and creating mindmaps or flashcards.
10.30-11am: Break. Eat/drink something
11-12.30: test knowledge of notes – could be by summarising them, flashcards, quick retrieval practice
12.30-1.30: Lunch
1.30-2pm: Rest/nap (if they can!) Sleep has been shown to be an amazing way to lock-in knowledge – similar to how much babies need to sleep. This gives the brain time to process what has been learned. But too much sleep can make people feel groggy for the rest of the day so, set an alarm!
2pm-3.30: Past paper, essay writing practice
3.30-7.30: Do something completely different to revision – spend time with family, friends, hobbies. Eat!
7.30-9pm: Timed exam practice like a past paper, essay writing practice.

Using this schedule, 6 hours of revision has been completed throughout the day with regular breaks, so helping to maintain a revision/life balance.

And if you want more information about the naps - watch this video from Adelaide McLaughlin, author of Oxford Revise A Level Psychology:

Hi @prawncocktailcrispss !

The best type of revision is active, getting that brain working out by doing different types of active revision like testing with flashcards, or creating mindmaps. Switching between topics and subjects is great too - cognitive science research shows that spacing learning out over a few revision periods so that you come back to what you were revising yesterday helps you to secure this learning in your long term memory. As does interleaving, when you mix up different topics and subjects in your revision. This means that your brain has to work harder to retrieve information, which in the long term is better for helping you to remember the knowledge! Endlessly highlighting isn't revision; it's got to be active to be locked into your long-term memory.
Starting a revision session with some quick-fire retrieval of topics they were studying previously is a great idea. And then end the session with activities that put into practice the knowledge and skills that they’ve been revising, such as past papers and exam-style questions.

Even with a limited amount of time available they can squeeze in some valuable revision. Whether it's a short burst of retrieval practice or completing a practice paper - every bit helps!

Ah yes, @ketchuporbrownsauce, children already have to adjust to so much at the start of secondary school - timetables, routes to school, meeting new people - and adding exams and revision into the mix can feel like a lot! However, getting kids into a positive revision habit as early as possible will have a lot of benefits when they do get to their GCSE and A Level exams. Short, chunks of revision of 10-20 minutes may not seem like a lot, but it will have an impact! There's more advice here: https://www.oxfordrevise.com/home/good-study-habits-at-ks3-primrose-kitten/