mock exams

If you're in year 10 and above (or whatever your equivalent is where you are), you will begin to be told about mock exams. These are basically assessments that your teachers can use to predict what you will achieve in your actual external exam. When you get to years 12 and above, these become taken more seriously. Rather than being seen as simple assessments, some teachers may view them as actual end-of-year exams. In many ways, they are just as important as the real thing, because it's a chance for you to see where you went wrong and improve it before the time comes to take your actual exam. However, many people don't feel they are important and therefore they don't take them seriously.


REVISE FOR YOUR MOCKS!!
I can't stress this enough. Not only can they give your teachers an accurate account of the progress you're making, but you can also use these assessments as a form of revision. Essentially, you get to practise your exam technique and answering exam questions whilst your teachers can use the data from your exams to see where they can help you and can give you advice on how to improve. All in all, it's a win-win situation.


DO NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
If you get a good grade in your mock exams, that's great! Well done! Just don't assume you can sit back, relax, and do no revision before your actual exam because ‘I did okay on the mocks so I'll be fine in the real thing’. That is not the case. The exam questions will change, the exam boards may be asking more of you in the exams, and the grade boundaries WILL change. What may have been a C on your mock may become a D as the next year’s grade boundaries change. You will need to work just as hard on your mocks as you do on your real external exam. However…


DON’T GET DISHEARTENED
Many people do not get the grades they wanted or needed in their mock exams. This doesn't necessarily mean you're going to fail your actual exams, it just means you need to figure out where it's going wrong and improve it. Often, mock exams take place more than 5 or 6 months before the actual exams, so you have plenty of time to talk to your teachers and figure out what you need to change. This often isn't very much though, maybe just brushing up on your knowledge of that particular topic or learning the technique to use to answer a question worth a large number of marks.


TRY NOT TO STRESS
Yes, these mocks are important. However, this doesn't mean you should prioritise revision before your basic human needs (eating, drinking, sleeping, interacting with family and friends). You will regret not spending time with your loved ones more than you'd regret not revising enough on your mocks. Exams are important, but not more important than everything else.


GOOD LUCK!
On behalf of everyone at TWE, I wish you the best of luck in your exams, both mocks and the real things.


~ Lauren xxx