How can I get my teenager to revise for their GCSE or A-levels?

“Aaaaaaarrrrrgggghh!” Is a sound commonly heard in many UK households at this time of year. 

When GCSEs and A-Levels are looming, tensions can run high, and getting your teenager to revise can sometimes feel like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

If you’re struggling to gently encourage your teen to prepare without turning your home into a battleground, you’re not alone.

In this post, I’ll guide you through exactly how to support your teen through revision season: from motivation tips, to study hacks, to practical wellbeing advice, plus the key GCSE and A-Level dates you need to know.

With a little structure, a lot of encouragement, and the right tools, you can help your child move through this season with confidence.

Why do many teens struggle when it comes to revision?

This is an age old problem, and many teens often find this time of year hard- however easy they generally find school and learning. More often than not it’s not actually because they’re lazy or incapable, it’s because revision presents a unique set of emotional and practical challenges that they haven’t had to encounter before, certainly not in this format. 

• Many feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content they’re expected to remember, unsure where to start or how to break it down. Perhaps they’ve not been consistent over the past year(s) of study, so they have some knowledge gaps.
• Others battle a fear of failure or perfectionism, putting off revision because they feel they have to get it “just right.” I remember my 16 year old self, spending hours on re-writes of my revision timetable, whenever I got out of sync with it, which (having spent 2 extra hours on said design, which wasn’t factored in) - I inevitably did. 
• Procrastination can become a coping mechanism, masking deeper issues like low confidence or anxiety. 
• To compound all of the above, in most cases, they simply haven’t been taught effective revision strategies in school, leaving them stuck rereading notes or highlighting textbooks, thinking they are ‘revising’, but without much real or tangible progress. 

Understanding these barriers is the first step to helping teens revise with more confidence and success.

Last year, a new client came to me for some extra support. Her daughter, M, was in Year 11, and had just completely bombed out in all her November mock exams. Mum was so anxious, and concerned that she might need to contemplate finding a tutor to support her daughter across multiple subjects. She was frustrated that it was now so close to the real exams, and no real issues had been flagged before. Mum told me that M had spent hours in her room revising, every evening, and even over previous school holidays; she just couldn’t understand why M’s results were quite so low. 

I spent a while getting to know M. It was clear her confidence had been massively knocked. I asked her to show me how exactly she’d been revising. From our discussions, she highlighted that, whilst she had spent a long time studying in the past, she actually really didn’t know how to properly study, and ended up just reading textbooks and re-writing her notes. She said she knew deep down at the time that she wasn’t really learning anything.

Over a couple of weeks I taught M some active study techniques, and also how to apply these to her different subjects. She saw results straight away and her confidence soared. Over the space of just a few weeks her grades went from 2s and 3s to 6s, 7s and even an 8! 

Signs your teen may need extra support:

Parents often spot the signs before teens admit there’s a problem. Look out for:

✔️ Constant avoidance or procrastination (more than usual!)

✔️ Excessive stress or anxiety around schoolwork

✔️ Last-minute cramming instead of spaced-out revision

✔️ Falling grades or declining confidence

✔️ Mood swings, sleep issues, or withdrawal

✔️(this one can be hard to spot) Excessive phone use/scrolling

From my experience, the earlier you spot these and add extra support in, the better. These days, so many students access extra support: according to a recent study, over 30% of students nationally are currently receiving regular extra support. 

I always use the sporting analogy: if you wanted to become a top sports person, you wouldn’t go it alone, you’d find a coach, ideally one of the top in their field, and you’d listen to their advice and guidance. If we do this for sport, why not for education?

Ways you, the parent, can offer extra support to your teen:

Step 1: Motivate without adding to the stress

Language matters. Instead of “You have to revise,” try:

• “What’s the one topic you want to feel more confident in today?”
  
  
• “What feels easiest to start with?”
  
  
• “How can I support you today?”

Step 2: Help them create a realistic student-led plan

There is no need to plan weeks and weeks in advance: keeping a plan open and flexible allows students to adapt and change as new issues arise. It also means they can evaluate what works for them and change up their study methods.

✔️ Use the specification to make a list of topics

✔️ Break them down into RED/ YELLOW/ GREEN

✔️ Prioritise RED subjects

✔️ Breaking down big subjects into manageable chunks

✔️ Mixing strong and weak subjects across the week

✔️ Prioritising past papers and active recall

✔️ Building in proper rest days

Step 3: Encourage smarter study habits (not just “study more!”)

“Little and often” is my mantra in life- it really is the most effective way to improve- in anything really- especially in revision. The brain needs to work hard to remember content for it to actually stick.

Ensure their habits include ‘active’ methods like:

• Active recall
• Spaced repetition
• Flashcards + practice questions
• Mind maps and topic blurts
• Past paper questions

For more top tips on how to support your teen through exams, download my free guide here.

Accessing extra support

If your teen is struggling despite their best efforts, that’s okay. It’s totally normal - they’ve never had to do anything like this before. Luckily, there are now so many really useful resources out there- both online and in person and so many people are making use of these now.

Options might include:

• 1:1 or group tuition for tricky subjects
• Intensive courses 
• Study Hubs
• Mock exam centres
• Study skills coaching to build strategy and confidence
• Academic mentoring for mindset support
  
  

Key GCSE and A-Level dates for your diary

📚 GCSE Exams 2025:

• Exams period: Monday 5th May - Friday 20th June
• Results Day: Thursday 21st August 2025

🎓 A-Level Exams 2025:

• Exam period: Monday 12th May- Tuesday 24th June
• Results Day: Thursday 14th August 2025

Top Tip: Schools tend to hand out exact dates of exams for each individual child- if you have this, add all the key dates to a wall calendar or family planner so everyone’s on the same page and there are no nasty surprises!

Final thoughts…

Supporting your teenager through GCSEs and A-Levels isn’t about being a taskmaster, it’s about giving them the tools, encouragement and calm energy they need to succeed.

Small, consistent steps now can make a massive difference when they sit down in that exam hall.

Cheering them on, and showing you believe in them no matter what — is the most powerful revision tool there is.

For more top tips on how to support your teen through exams, download my free guide here.

Good luck!