GCSE exams have officially started, and over 10 years of schooling have led to this period in your teenager’s life.
While some parents are blessed with kids who devote themselves to revision, many struggle to get motivated.
SuppliedTutoring business founder Tej is dedicated to bridging the gap between high and low performing pupils[/caption] SuppliedHe outlined his top five tips to help your GCSE-taking teen secure a higher grade, even if it’s at the last minute[/caption]The weeks and months leading up to exams can be challenging for pupils and parents alike.
And it’s likely that tens of thousands of parents find themselves stumped every year on the right way to encourage their teens to revise.
Some experts recommend that an astonishing seven hours a day is the sweet spot for GCSE revision, but others, like Dr Tej Samani, strongly beg to differ.
The CEO and founder of tutoring business Performance Learning is dedicated to bridging the gap between high and low performing pupils.
And he believes that gap isn’t bridged by endless hours highlighting textbooks and taking notes, but by inspiring a sense of calm and confidence in your child.
Teens are more likely to perform well in their exams, and recall their revision in droves, if they enter the hall with a collected mindset – and you as a parent can help them foster that.
Speaking to The Sun, he outlined his top five tips to help your GCSE-taking teen secure a higher grade, even if it’s at the last minute. Tej says…
1. Figure out which ‘emotional loop’ your teen is in
In the lead-up to exams, your child is carrying more than just their notes and stationery – they’re carrying a complex emotional load that changes day-to-day.
Some mornings might start with frustration, while some evenings end in silence. And as a parent, it’s easy to focus on the visible things (like the revision timetable, the number of hours studied and the mock results) but the real signals are often emotional ones.
I talk a lot about two emotional cycles I’ve seen play out again and again: the Cycle of Doom and the Cycle of Intelligence.
The first includes feelings like anger, sadness, fear, hurt, and guilt, which are emotions that often lead to procrastination or avoidance, while the second induces calm, courage, preparedness, thoroughness and intelligence.
Neither cycle is permanent. And your job isn’t to fix them, but to gently observe which one your child is in.
A simple question can open up a space where they feel safe to express the truth, such as asking them how they’re feeling. And in that space, progress begins. Just being present without judgment is one of the most powerful things you can do.
Dr Tej Samani Success Story
WHEN The Sun’s features writer Grace Macaskill’s son Theo, 15, was struggling to find the motivation to revise for his GCSEs, she enlisted the help of Dr Tej Samani…
WHAT’S that smell in the air? Oh yes, the familiar whiff of desperate parents trying to get their kids to revise.
GCSE’s start next week and youngsters everywhere are being coaxed into swapping their Playstations and X boxes for books as parents realise time is running out.
WIth so many of this school year cohort crippled by post covid anxiety or simply feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of facts they need to learn, households up and down the country are at war over study.
Before Christmas I bought my 15-year-old Theo the usual pile of suggested revision books and flash cards as he promised faithfully to study every day in the countdown to exams.
Instead, we found ourselves in a nightly battle to get him to sit down and open a book. Meanwhile, I now know so much about his subjects I could probably take the exams myself.
Theo is a very articulate, clever lad according to his teachers. So why didn’t that translate into his mock exams earlier this year when, after predicted to get high scores in English, RE, history and geography, he struggled?
It wasn’t unique to Theo either. Lots of kids were left crushed by their mock results and some started skipping lessons, simply giving up. Teachers even put on extra sessions over the Easter holidays which Theo attended but he still felt totally snowed by it all.
Being on the autistic spectrum means he’s also better at narration than writing down his answers and maths is particularly difficult.
Feeling my final straw snap, two weeks ago a friend introduced me to Tej Samani, a “learning performance coach” who says he can supercharge grades by up to two grades in three months.
Tej, 38, from Herts, was in the bottom set for most of his lessons at schools and knows what it’s like to feel that sense of failure. Away from the classroom he was a talented tennis player who got on to the ATP tour, where he trained with Andy Murray.
It gave him the idea to apply the winning mindset on court to study and went on to gain a PhD from Coventry University. He’s on a mission to help British kids reach their potential.
Tej first sent Theo an AI questionnaire which got to the heart of his attitude to revision, his mental health and approach to school.
Once he’d figured out what made our son tick, Tej met with Theo on zoom to teach him techniques on how to recall and structure information and manage his time.
But he also gave him something else that, as his parent, even I seemed unable to instill in my son – confidence. In fact my husband reckoned he was some sort of hypnotist after their first meeting.
He is working with Theo on how to break down subjects in blocks of 15 to 20 minutes and keep the information in his head.
Tej says his methods have boosted grades for more than nine out of ten of the kids he’s worked with – a third had special educational needs.
Since their first meeting, we’ve seen a marked change in Theo’s attitude to revision. Instead of us nagging him to sit down and open a book, he’s asking us to help him learn.
The turnaround has been nothing short of amazing and, instead of feeling totally snowed under, Theo has re-engaged with learning. Tej has somehow injected him with new motivation and I only wish we’d found him back in December.
The proof is in the pudding of course and Theo is yet to embark on his exams this week but he is a much happier kid now he’s not feeling quite so overwhelmed and we’re convinced he’s on course to get closer to his predicted higher grades.
For more information log on to myperformancelearning.com.2. Help your teen learn how to learn, not just study
If your child feels overwhelmed, it’s often not the subject that’s the problem, but knowing how to begin. Many children don’t lack motivation – they lack method.
They stare at pages of notes and don’t know what to do with them. They highlight everything or nothing, and rewrite instead of mentally reorganising.
In short, they work, but not always in ways that are beneficial to them.
Instead of focusing on what they need to study, refine how they’re approaching it. Encourage them to break up revision into achievable steps, where they focus on spotting what matters rather than digesting huge bodies of text.
You don’t need to be an expert in the subject to help here, either. Instead, ask open, non-judgmental questions: What’s your plan for this topic? How are you choosing what to focus on? If you had to teach this to someone else, what would be your first point?
These questions spark structure, which can shift your child from reactivity to ownership – and that’s often the difference between panic and progress.
3. Create a simple pre-exam routine
The night before an exam can quietly shape how the next morning goes.
As a parent, one of the greatest gifts you can give your child is a sense of calm before they step into the exam hall.
Create a gentle, predictable rhythm the night before every exam, such as a healthy meal, a little movement and some fresh air before bed, if you can.
Try to protect sleep as much as you preserve study time. The brain consolidates information while resting, so staying up late to cram often does more harm than good.
Instead of asking, ‘Have you done enough?’, try: ‘What’s the one thing you’re taking into that room tomorrow?’
It could be a formula, a plan, a calm breath or just the thought, ‘I’ve got this’. That simple shift from anxiety to intention can set the tone for everything that follows.
4. Don’t fuel post-exam anxiety
The moment your child walks out of the exam room is delicate because emotions are high and adrenaline is crashing. And whether it went well or poorly, their mind will probably be racing.
As a parent, it’s tempting to dive straight into questions about how the exam went, but these replies often stir more doubt than clarity, which will then heed future exam results.
Instead, give them space and let the dust settle. Then, when they’re ready, guide them into a more constructive frame. Ask, ‘What do you feel worked for you today?’ and ‘What would you try differently next time?’
These aren’t soft questions, they’re strategic ones that build self-awareness. They turn experience into insight.
Exams aren’t just a test of memory. They’re a test of mindset, and reflection is what separates a series of stressful moments from a journey of growth.
5. Remind them that the exam isn’t who they are
Ensuring your teen understands that they are more than their exam results might be the most essential truth of all.
At this time of year, it can feel to your child like these exams define them and that their future depends on a few letters on a piece of paper. That the world is watching, and the weight is entirely on their shoulders.
Remind them, gently and often: This is something you’re doing, but it is not who you are.
Your child is more than their grades, mock exams and predicted scores. They are someone who is allowed to grow, to fall short and to surprise themselves.
When your child feels seen beyond the exam, they start to breathe again, which yields better grades.
That’s because when they breathe, they think more clearly and engage more deeply.
So, they show up stronger, not because they were pushed, but because they felt safe enough to rise.
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