When it comes to the actual exam, ensure that your child is aware of the following advice.

• Listen carefully to all instructions at the beginning of the test. Do not assume you know everything you have to do.
• Fill in the front cover and your personal details carefully.
• Read all the instructions, check how much time you have, how many questions there are and how many marks they are worth.
• Plan your time carefully, ensuring you leave enough time to read the paper and check through your answers at the end. You should also allow more time for questions that are worth a higher proportion of the marks.
• If you can’t answer a question right away, leave it and move on. You can always return to it at the end and there may be questions later in the test that you find easy.
• Read the question carefully and ensure you are answering the actual question that is in front of you, not one that was similar that you have already tried on a practise paper.
• If you find yourself stuck on a question, take a second to think about it and work through the problem logically. If you still can’t answer it, move on.
• Try to put an answer or some workings out, for every question, as you never know how the mark will be allocated.
• Make sure your work is neat. You do not want to lose marks because the examiner cannot read your writing.
• Take time to breathe and calm down if you feel yourself start to panic. Remember, everyone in the room is as nervous as you.
• Check all your answers at the end of the paper.
• In the Mathematics paper, always give the correct UNITS for a question, making sure you have made any conversion that is required.
• Go to the toilet before the test begins