Exam Strategies Most Students Ignore That Actually Works
Right now, thousands of young people across the UK are sitting in exam halls, revising late into the evenings, and carrying the kind of pressure that can feel enormous when you are fifteen or seventeen years old. GCSE and A Level season is well underway, and for many students this is one of the most intense periods they will experience in their school years.
It is also Mental Health Awareness Week, running from 11 to 17 May 2026, with this year's theme being Take Action. That combination is not a coincidence. The two things are deeply connected, and for anyone working in or around schools right now, it is a timely reminder that what happens outside the exam hall matters just as much as what happens inside it.
The Pressure Is Real, and It Matters
Research shows that school-related stress is cited by 83% of young people as a significant concern, and there has been a 40% increase in anxiety-related presentations to CAMHS during exam periods. These are not small numbers. They reflect what teachers, support staff and parents see every day: young people who care deeply about doing well but who sometimes struggle to manage the weight of that expectation.
Family psychotherapist Fiona Yassin puts it clearly: "High grades don't always mean a young person is coping well. In fact, some teenagers continue to achieve academically while experiencing significant mental health challenges. Exam periods can place enormous pressure on young people, and success on paper doesn't always reflect how they're feeling internally."
The first thing worth saying to any young person reading this, or to the adults supporting them, is that the anxiety is normal. Feeling nervous during exams is completely natural. It means you care. The key is not to eliminate stress completely, but to manage it in a way that helps you perform at your best.
What Schools and Staff Can Do Right Now
Teachers and support staff are often the first people to notice when a student is struggling. Research from Place2Be found that teachers report behavioural changes in 67% of students during exam periods. That awareness is a real asset, and acting on it early makes a genuine difference.
A few things that have been shown to help:
Check in, properly. Not just a quick "how's revision going?" but a real conversation. Asking open questions like "How are you feeling about your first exam?" rather than focusing only on revision or results gives students space to be honest about how they are really doing.
Watch the language around results. Well-meaning comments can sometimes add to the pressure rather than ease it. Swapping "these grades determine your future" for "your worth isn't determined by exam results" is a small shift that can land very differently for a young person who is already anxious.
Create calm in the school environment. The physical and emotional atmosphere of a school during exam season matters. Quiet spaces, clear information about what to expect on exam day, and a visible pastoral presence all help students feel held rather than abandoned to manage things alone.
Practical Tips for Students
If you are a student working through exams right now, here are some things that genuinely help:
Build a routine you can stick to, not a punishing revision schedule that leaves no room to breathe. Shorter study sessions taken consistently every day tend to keep progress steady and prevent the last-minute pressure that leads to burnout. A small amount done regularly beats a marathon session followed by days of exhaustion.
Take your breaks seriously. Rest is not a reward for finishing revision. It is part of the process. Your brain consolidates memory and learning during downtime. Getting at least eight hours of sleep, taking deep breaths when anxiety creeps in, and allowing yourself regular breaks during study time are all strategies that genuinely support performance as well as wellbeing.
Talk to someone. Talking helps process worries and reduce emotional intensity. Try to stay in touch with friends, family or trusted adults. During exam periods, thinking can become more negative or extreme, and sharing those thoughts with someone you trust helps reduce their impact.
Remember what the exams are not. Your GCSEs and A Levels are important, but they do not define your worth or your future. Everyone's journey looks different. If things do not go to plan, there are always other paths, opportunities, and second chances.
The NHS 5 Ways to Wellbeing: Relevant Right Now
This Mental Health Awareness Week, the NHS 5 Ways to Wellbeing are as relevant to students in exam season as they are to anyone else. They are evidence-based, practical, and easy to fit into even a busy revision schedule.
Connect. Keep in touch with friends and family, even briefly. Isolation during exam season makes stress harder to manage. A conversation over lunch or a quick message to someone you care about counts.
Be Active. Even a ten-minute walk between revision sessions releases mood-lifting hormones that help counter stress and improve focus. It does not need to be a workout.
Keep Learning. This one almost takes care of itself during exam season, but it is worth remembering that learning should feel purposeful, not punishing. Find the parts of your subjects that genuinely interest you and let that carry you through the harder parts.
Take Notice. Step away from the revision notes occasionally and just notice the world around you. A moment of quiet, a meal eaten without a phone in hand, or five minutes outside can restore more than you expect.
Give. Even during the pressure of exams, small acts of kindness matter. Checking in on a friend who seems stressed, or simply being patient with someone at home, connects you to something bigger than the next paper.
At Link3 Recruitment, we work every day with the people who support young people through moments exactly like this one. The teachers who notice when something is wrong. The teaching assistants who sit with a student who is struggling. The pastoral leads who pick up the phone to a worried parent. This work is invaluable, and it matters far beyond exam results.
To every student sitting an exam this week: you have got this. And if it feels like you have not, please talk to someone. You do not have to manage it alone.
