Just had mocks? Feeling a little flat?

Just had mocks? Not the results you’d hoped?

It’s pretty demoralising isn’t it? You worked hard, didn’t you? You were paying attention in lessons (well, as much as is humanly possible), asking smart questions, even occasionally wowing Miss with your insight. And yet… the mock results landed, and ouch. Lower than you’d hoped. Lower than you feel you deserved. Now you're stuck in that weird limbo of “What’s even the point?” mixed with “I’ll never be good enough.” Or the ever ready, ‘teachers always mark mocks harshly…so I’ll probably be at LEAST a grade up in the real exams’. Sound familiar?

First off, take a deep breath. This is NOT the end of the world, even though it might feel like it right now. Mocks are exactly what they sound like – practice runs. They’re here to help you figure out what’s working, what’s not, and how to tweak things before the big day. Let’s break it down and get you back on track.

1. Feel the Feelings (But Don’t Settle There)

It’s okay to feel disappointed, frustrated, or even downright angry. Let yourself have those moments. Snap at your parents (we’re here for that), pet the dog, eat seven tubs of icecream and fourteen packs of tortilla chips, all while bingeing on Queer Eye. Just don’t unpack and live there. Mocks are not a reflection of your worth or potential.

2. Recognize the Gap

You know you’ve got it in you – the ideas, the understanding, the spark. The trick is figuring out how to bridge the gap between what’s in your head and what ends up on the exam paper. If you have a dyslexic or ADHD brain, it’s pretty typical to find that there’s a big gap between your class work, and your exam prowess. Instead of beating yourself up, become a detective and think of your mock as the evidence pile. Highlight the places it DID go right first. Then look at the less good places (through your fingers if you have to). What’s the difference? What are you ‘getting’ and ‘not getting’ about the subject and the exam?

3. Rethink Revision

Let’s be real: revision can feel like the ultimate drag, especially if you’ve tried it before and only ended up with “okay” results. But revision doesn’t have to mean endless hours staring at notes and hoping they magically stick (which is extremely good news for us ADHD types). If you’re unsure where to start, here are some ideas:

• Active revision > passive revision: Ditch the highlighter-only strategy. Instead, try practicing TIMED exam questions (timed, because you’ve got to get a bit of urgency in there to battle the ADHD procrastination devils), or pretend YOU are the teacher and you’re teaching a rapid revision series (also pretend your pupil is an idiot so you have to teach it REALLY simply).

• Mix it up: Reading a chore? No problem. Use videos, audio books, or even revision apps. Play to your strengths.

• Set mini-goals: Again, we’re foiling the procrastination lobby: instead of saying, “I’ll revise all of Shakespeare,” aim for something bite-sized, like learning the key points to do with just one character. Small wins build confidence.

4. Ask for Help

If something isn’t clicking, ask for help. Maybe you need a different explanation, or maybe there’s a pattern in your answers that’s dragging your marks down. Your teacher can help you spot it. If your teacher isn’t able to give you what you need, perhaps it’s time to look for some help elsewhere – there’s a ton of good stuff out there on the internet, or maybe you need a tutor that understands your specific needs.

Bottom Line

Mocks are just the rehearsal, not the final performance. Use them to learn, adjust, and grow. You’ve got time, and you’ve got what it takes. Dust yourself off, give revision another go.

Got this? Of course you do.