Supporting Anxious Students Through the Exam Cycle

What anxiety can look like in exam season

Anxious students do not always look anxious. Some become perfectionistic and overwork. Others avoid revision altogether. Many oscillate between the two.

Common signs include:

• “I can’t do it” thinking, even when they are capable
• headaches, nausea, panic symptoms, tearfulness
• irritability, shutdowns, arguments over small things
• revision avoidance, procrastination, or refusing school
• blanking in timed practice, despite knowing the content 

Exam anxiety often rises around:

• the start of revision, when the workload suddenly feels “real”
• mock exams, where performance becomes visible
• the final 2 to 3 weeks, when students feel they should be doing more
• the night before, and the first 10 minutes of an exam
• after each exam, when rumination and comparison take over 

A calm support plan across the exam cycle

6 to 10 weeks out: reduce overwhelm by increasing clarity

Aim for “steady and specific”, not “intense”.

Helpful approaches:

• Create a simple weekly rhythm: same days, same times, short blocks, proper breaks.
• Use small targets: one topic, one paper section, one task at a time.
• Build confidence with retrieval: frequent low stakes quizzes and short recall tasks are often less anxiety provoking than long notes. 
• Protect sleep: most teenagers need 8 to 10 hours, and sleep supports concentration and memory. 

3 to 5 weeks out: practise the feeling of exams, not just the content

Anxiety reduces when the brain learns: “I have done this before and I can cope.”

Try:

• Timed practice in small doses: start with 10 to 15 minutes, then build up.
• A familiar start routine: same desk, same equipment, same first question strategy.
• Review that feels constructive: focus on “what to do next time”, not “what went wrong”.

Practising the activities they will do on the exam day can make it feel less scary.

The final fortnight: switch from “more” to “smarter”

This is where anxious students often spiral, because they feel they should be doing everything.

What often helps most:

• Shorten revision blocks and increase frequency.
• Prioritise predictable marks: common question types, core content, exam technique.
• Keep one daily reset that is not negotiable: a walk, a shower, music, cooking, anything that tells the body “we are safe”.

Exam week: keep the house calm and the plan simple

Nerves are normal. The goal is to stop anxiety taking the steering wheel. 

Small things that help:

• pack the night before
• consistent meals and hydration
• one “good enough” revision task, then stop
• no last minute marathons

What to do in the moment: a 90 second reset for panic

If your child panics in an exam, they need something physical and repeatable.

Two tools that are widely recommended:

• Breathing 4, 2, 7: breathe in for 4, hold for 2, breathe out for 7, repeat. 
• Grounding: notice 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste, then return to the paper.

Then:

• read the question again slowly
• start with the easiest part
• move on and come back if they blank

After an exam: stop the spiral early

For anxious students, the danger zone is often afterwards.

Encourage:

• no comparing answers with friends
• a short decompression ritual (walk, snack, music)
• one sentence reflection only: “What went well, what will I do next time?” 

Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments

Some students need formal support in exams. If that might be relevant, it is worth discussing early with your child’s school or SENCo.

How Enjoy Education supports anxious students through exams

Students with anxiety do best when preparation feels managed, not heavy. Our approach blends high level academic strategy with calm, confidence building routines so your child can perform in the room, not just in practice.

We can help by:

• matching your child with a tutor who understands anxiety and builds trust quickly
• creating a realistic exam plan that reduces overwhelm
• holiday tuition timetables with multiple tutors 
• residential tutors if you are travelling outside term time
• working with a tutor who can help strengthen exam technique, which is often the missing piece for anxious high potential students
• supporting parents with language, routines, and the right level of structure
• In cases where anxiety is overwhelming, we can consult on alternative education provision including exams at home, flexischooling and full homeschooling programmes.