How to help with your child’s school exams in Dubai

Exams can be a minefield for parents, especially with the different syllabuses available, and exam systems and qualifications that vary from school to school in Dubai, Mother Baby and Child have put together four essential tips for helping your child to excel their end of term (or year!) exams

Help them to prepare
Revision time can be incredibly stressful, the week before your child is due to start revising make sure they have all the essential material so they feel prepared for the work ahead. Everything from que cards, highlighters to the correct texts and apps (for a full list of good homework and revision apps click here).

Help them to plan their revision time table (and make sure they schedule breaks too), as a rule of thumb 45 minutes work followed by a 15 minute break usually gives balance to a child’s work schedule.

Buy practice papers and time your child completing the paper, the more they do this before the exam the more they will feel at ease with the exam process.

Listen to their feedback
It’s important to listen to your child’s feedback on how they feel about their revision, and how they feel a particular exam, as it might denote any underlying stress they are feeling about the process. Avoid the trap of trying to calculate their potential score from the feedback they give you about their exams – the experience is far too subjective to guess accurately anyway and can cause children to become stressed. Instead, help them focus on next day’s papers by asking questions like: “What’s up next?” or “Are there any predictable questions?”

Make sure they have a set revision space
Having a set space in the home where they can revise can help children to focus. Ideally it should be a space that is without distractions (the TV, other children or gadgets). Having a set space also makes it easier for them to ‘switch off’ when they are not in their revision space.

Don’t over hype an exam
It’s important to always reassure your child that whatever results they receive, there are options. Nothing is the end of the world, so give them encouragement and support and make sure they know – and are 100% certain – that your love for them will not be affected by any exam results.

A good routine
Simple things like going to bed early, having regular exercise and not too much caffeine as well as healthy balanced diet might seem simple but can go a long way to having a positive impact on your child’s mental health during exam season.