29 Dec 2024
Mock exams are a crucial step in the exam preparation journey — not just for students, but for schools and us, their Exam Officers. While students are testing their knowledge and identifying areas for improvement, we Exam Officers are using this as our own trial run.
From registering candidates to creating seating plans, arranging access support, and ensuring everything runs smoothly, mocks reveal where the system excels and where adjustments are needed.
If your school ran mocks pre-Christmas or has them scheduled for January, you may already be seeing how this kind of dry run helps prepare for the real deal in the Summer. If we’re up for the lessons, we can get valuable insights into the gaps in our preparations.
Mocks offer us a chance to fine-tune all those processes we know we need in place for a successful exam season. We know what they are, but seeing them listed reminds us of all the tasks we undertake to make it happen!
- Candidate Registration: Ensuring all students are registered accurately with the right exam boards and subjects.
- Seating Plans: Creating efficient layouts that adhere to regulations while accommodating all candidates – especially those that need extra time, support and attention.
- Access Arrangements: Organising that extra time allocation, separate rooms, scribes, or technology for students who need support, and ensuring compliance with guidelines.
- Invigilation Staffing: Having adequately trained invigilators primed and ready for their responsibilities
- Exam Timetabling: Managing schedules to ensure everyone is in the right place at the right time.
- Resource Allocation: Checking that all necessary materials — papers, stationery, and tech — are accounted for and available.
- Communication: Ensuring clear instructions are given to staff, students, and parents about protocols and expectations.
- Handling Emergencies: Observing how prepared staff are for unexpected issues, like illness or tech failures, and identifying areas for better contingency planning.
Mocks aren’t just about spotting administrative errors; they’re about simulating the pressures of the summer exam season, giving everyone a chance to rehearse under real conditions.
Think of Mocks like a mirror that reflects not just what’s working but where we can improve.
This is the time to get to know any problem areas, things we might not have tightly arrangements, or how we respond to last minute issues.
It takes many people to get this all working smoothly so communication across the school is the only way to make that happen. It’s the time to ensure your ducks are all in a row and ready. So it needs a lot of careful conversations and planning.
You’re no doubt running systems and strategies you’ve used before but with new staff changes and requirements, there’s still opportunity to tweak how we do things to make them even more efficient.
While mocks highlight administrative gaps, they also reveal where students struggle with their thinking—overwhelm, anxiety, and self-doubt. Addressing these psychological barriers is just as important for them as kit is for us to nail down the practicalities.
While you keep an eye on your preparations, be aware of those students struggling with their own levels of preparation and pass on details of any struggling students to your Pastoral and Well Being Team.
Love and Light,
Geraldine
Ready to take your exam preparations to the next level? Let’s make sure your students and staff are ready for success this summer.
I work with schools to prepare their students for the mental challenge of exams. I have strategies to support your staff and students during the exam period including a
Student Stress Bundle on Building Exam Resilience and Last-Minute Panic Attacks.
Want me to come and talk to your school, or work with your staff on Exam Stress and Thinking Skills? Contact me at hello@geraldinejozefiak.com for details or join my Exam Reaction Plan list..