Exams are a part of school life that can be stressful for kids, but they don’t have to be. There are ways to help children understand that regular tests can be beneficial and are just part of the learning process, rather than a judgement on their abilities. Assessments help teachers evaluate students over the course of their educational journey, so educators can tune the learning experience to best suit each child’s needs. This means assessment feedback can be crucial for kids to achieve their learning goals, so it’s important to find ways to help them deal with any anxiety about testing so they can perform at their best.

We spoke with three teachers from across the country about exam preparation and how to help kids prepare – physically, mentally and emotionally – for them. And the message is clear from teachers at all levels; preparation and practice throughout the school year gives kids the confidence to approach testing without anxiety. A balanced approach to study-life, a healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep the night before don’t hurt either!

Preparing Kids for Assessment in the Primary Years

A woman and a primary-school-aged boy look at a workbook together.

Andre Paitai, a Grade 3 primary school teacher from Queensland, says the best thing kids can do before any test, including end-of-year ones, is to relax and remember that school testing is just a routine part of the education process. She reassures her students that the aim should be to simply try their best. Andre tells them that the results are “not a reflection of who they are” as a person and reinforces the message that tests are an assessment tool that parents and teachers can use to inform their teaching, emphasising that there is nothing to worry about and nothing to fear.

Andre’s advice to parents is to give your children lots of opportunities to learn outside the classroom. The experiences and the vocabulary that comes as a normal part of family life will enrich their learning and buoy their confidence when approaching assessments and tests. “It is rich conversations that create successful learners and engagement,” she says.

If your child recently sat a NAPLAN test, it also might be a good idea to review some of the learnings and tools your teacher introduced in the classroom during this time. Also review some of the tactics that worked back then to help keep your primary school child calm and confident when approaching tests, and recognise that your child might need a little bit more support, emotionally, during this time. Routines, such as regular meals together and the same bed time each night, are particularly important to keep things on an even keel.

Hot Tip: Andre recommends parents talk to kids about the kinds of tasks that will be on any upcoming tests – these are usually outlined by your child’s teacher. For more formalised exams, such as NAPLAN, ensure kids understand how to complete multiple choice questions and other kinds of long and short answer questions. 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Everything You Need to Know About NAPLAN

The Importance of Preparing for Exams in the Middle Years

A girl of early high school age sitting at a desk in a library, writing in a workbook.

Sia Goutzas, secondary school maths teacher and principal of Sydney tutoring centre Maths Words Not Squiggles, says that having a dedicated study space, where students can keep their workbooks, highlighters and stationery, is one way to help children with exam preparation and boost their confidence throughout their schooling. “You need to have an environment that is solely built around learning,” she says.

Kids should be encouraged to do their homework every night so that they routinely revise and understand the concepts they’ve been taught in class. If they are struggling, she recommends that they ask a friend, a teacher or their parents to help them. “Doing a practice test is not effective until they understand the material,” Sia says. Explaining concepts to others is also a good way for them to consolidate their understanding. 

Sia’s tip for parents is to figure out the type of learner your child is and help them adapt their study practice to this type of learning. Some students need total silence, others like to study with music on. Some might need you to quiz them, others prefer to learn on their own. Preparation is the key to alleviating stress before exams. Sia also suggests that parents should talk to their kids after the exam; to analyse what they did well and what they might need to improve upon for next time. This way, you are reinforcing that tests are just part of the learning experience and sometimes understanding mistakes is just as important as getting it right the first time. But always be guided by your child and whether or not they feel comfortable talking about exams after they have done them.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How to Set Up a Homework Study Space Your Kids Will Love

How to Prepare for Exams in the Senior Years

A woman of high school senior age sitting on some cushions on a deck using a laptop and wearing headphones.

As students approach their senior school years, exams become more plentiful (and longer!) in the lead-up to the final examination period in year 12. While this is the time to set end-of-school goals, it’s also important to keep exam expectations realistic and understand that exams are just one part of the end-of-school experience. 

It is also understandable to expect that some subjects will always feel easier to study than others and the real goal for students is to adopt preparation and study practices that will allow them to do the best they can.

Victorian secondary school teacher Sally Trotter believes that whatever the subject, there's no substitute for knowing the material when approaching exams. She recommends that if senior students have been working from a textbook, they should revise carefully and summarise it, one page per chapter. These notes can then be students’ go-to revision notes. 

Practice exams are also beneficial in approaching exams with confidence while learning subject-specific vocabulary is another essential part of exam preparation. 

Sally also highlights the importance of students looking after their mental health during the lead-up to exams. “All successful students do quality revision but they also take some time out for themselves,” she says. “It’s important to refresh yourself, so you need to get out in the daylight.”

Tips for senior students:

  • Eat regular meals
  • If it’s a written exam, remember to practise your handwriting
  • Be mindful of maintaining regular sleeping hours
  • Be realistic about your preparation – you don’t need to write 25 practice essays
  • Look at past examples so you know what the test involves
  • Ask your teachers for their advice 

Families can help their senior students by:

  • Recognising that your children are under stress
  • Creating a space in the house that’s conducive to study 
  • Having realistic expectations for their kids
  • Making allowances for the time it can take to study – give your kids a break from household chores for this period of time

What to Try

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This article was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.